To all those reluctant to quit: Letting go of MD and what it is (not) - Wild Minds network2024-03-29T09:18:50Zhttps://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/to-all-those-reluctant-to-quit-letting-go-of-md-and-what-it-is?commentId=4661400%3AComment%3A254724&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI don't know if I need to giv…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2017-04-16:4661400:Comment:2553712017-04-16T09:11:14.638ZRosehttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Rose648
<p>I don't know if I need to give up MDD 100%, but I do know how to not let it get to 'dangerous' levels and I do have a number of rules in place that stop it from going bad. And i know I've got issues, MDD only helps somewhat, but I'm getting better.</p>
<p>It's a bit like drinking. Some ex-alcoholics never touch a drink again. Others have the occasional drink. Others go onto another addiction. Some have functional lives, some never do. But some non-addicted people have dysfunctional lives…</p>
<p>I don't know if I need to give up MDD 100%, but I do know how to not let it get to 'dangerous' levels and I do have a number of rules in place that stop it from going bad. And i know I've got issues, MDD only helps somewhat, but I'm getting better.</p>
<p>It's a bit like drinking. Some ex-alcoholics never touch a drink again. Others have the occasional drink. Others go onto another addiction. Some have functional lives, some never do. But some non-addicted people have dysfunctional lives too!</p> bluemeasure said:I've alway…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2017-03-25:4661400:Comment:2545422017-03-25T16:45:53.500Zdark thoughtshttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/darkthoughts
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<cite>bluemeasure said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/to-all-those-reluctant-to-quit-letting-go-of-md-and-what-it-is#4661400Comment244691"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">I've always thought that if someone stripped away my MD, I would be brain dead. I've been MD-ing since I was 6 years old; I can't imagine how I would process information without MD-ing.</div>
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I feel the same way. When untreated my daydreams cam literally…
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<cite>bluemeasure said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/to-all-those-reluctant-to-quit-letting-go-of-md-and-what-it-is#4661400Comment244691"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">I've always thought that if someone stripped away my MD, I would be brain dead. I've been MD-ing since I was 6 years old; I can't imagine how I would process information without MD-ing.</div>
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I feel the same way. When untreated my daydreams cam literally consume hours- and I enjoy them, I just can't seem to get real life done. When treated, I miss them- terribly, it's like I lost a friend. I'm trying to find a balance, where they are controllable, it seems like 50mg of zoloft a day is about as good as it gets. Sometimes I skip a couple of days just to have a good long daydream. Nope, not a professional. Tha…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2017-03-24:4661400:Comment:2547242017-03-24T19:39:00.155ZEretaiahttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Eretaia
<p>Nope, not a professional. <br></br><br></br>That's something only you can answer. My own answer would be that as long as the tendency to <em>isolate</em> yourself in order to act out particular emotion exists, then you are indeed having difficulty expressing said emotions in normal social situations and there are parts of you that are still buried.<br></br><br></br></p>
<p>I think you can easily answer it by tackling several other questions. What emotions in particular are you coming in touch with when…</p>
<p>Nope, not a professional. <br/><br/>That's something only you can answer. My own answer would be that as long as the tendency to <em>isolate</em> yourself in order to act out particular emotion exists, then you are indeed having difficulty expressing said emotions in normal social situations and there are parts of you that are still buried.<br/><br/></p>
<p>I think you can easily answer it by tackling several other questions. What emotions in particular are you coming in touch with when having an episode of MD? Can you experience these emotions in normal waking life when surrounded by others? If no, why not? What prevents you? If yes, then why aren't you doing it? What stops you? If daydreaming that you're jogging gives you high but jogging itself bores you, try to find a reason why this happens. If you had the same skills as James Bond in an environment that's identical to his environment while you remained your real self, would you still get high from it? You can also always force yourself to stop daydreaming. If you feel like crap after abstaining, then you have a problem. <br/><br/>MD exists to help us express what we otherwise have difficulty expressing. Some have it bad while it's rather mild for the others. Addiction doesn't have to originate from severe depression. It can originate from simple shyness that is preventing a person to communicate their own values. </p> Are you a mental health profe…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2017-03-22:4661400:Comment:2543892017-03-22T07:14:26.079ZGraham Fosterhttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/GrahamFoster
Are you a mental health professional? I'm sincerely asking, I have a BA in psych (though I'm a law student, not any type of psych professional.) I've only begun to talk about my MDD with my therapist and she sees it as kind of a neutral in my life. I know that my fantasies began during difficult times in childhood and that I spent the most time and energy on my fantasies when I was in the depth of alcoholism and didn't have much going on in my life. I got sober in 2010 and my life has been…
Are you a mental health professional? I'm sincerely asking, I have a BA in psych (though I'm a law student, not any type of psych professional.) I've only begun to talk about my MDD with my therapist and she sees it as kind of a neutral in my life. I know that my fantasies began during difficult times in childhood and that I spent the most time and energy on my fantasies when I was in the depth of alcoholism and didn't have much going on in my life. I got sober in 2010 and my life has been constantly improving, I've gotten my life together, really become very ambitious. I exercise, I meditate, I have an active work and sex life. I still daydream many hours of the day and do many of the things I do while "in character." I guess I'm wondering if you feel like the fantasy is necessarily detrimental? I'm legitimately curious as I have really been on a road of self discovery. I don't lose time studying because I'm fantasizing, I'll study for hours but when I get up to go to the bathroom I'm Luke Skywalker again. I'll kick butt at my legal internship but when on the way back to office from the courthouse I'm Bruce Wayne. I always know it's not reality and it doesn't interfere with my outward activities. Before I knew that this was related to dissociation and the anxiety and depressive disorders I'm diagnosed with I just thought of the symptoms of MDD as me just being the hugest nerd in the world. Am I delusional to think that I'm living a full life excelling in law school, being excited for an engaging career, but also that it's all more fun because I'm living out fantasies that just aren't possible in the real world, being Captain Kirk or James Bond? Thank you guys. ^^ Good luck…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2016-10-10:4661400:Comment:2462302016-10-10T16:54:17.001ZEretaiahttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Eretaia
<p>Thank you guys. ^^ Good luck both of you!</p>
<p>Thank you guys. ^^ Good luck both of you!</p> Thank you for the beautiful p…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2016-10-10:4661400:Comment:2461632016-10-10T03:36:45.115ZUlaan Gomhttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/UlaanGom
<p>Thank you for the beautiful post! I've been trying to overcome MDD for many years now, and your post just gave me an extra kick of motivation. From the last few years of my experience, I've noticed how as my daydreams decrease, my fulfillment and ability to create in life increases. I completely agree that daydreaming is merely a canvas for the colors we have inside of us, and that although it may be difficult, we must learn to project those colors onto a healthier medium (real life). Thank…</p>
<p>Thank you for the beautiful post! I've been trying to overcome MDD for many years now, and your post just gave me an extra kick of motivation. From the last few years of my experience, I've noticed how as my daydreams decrease, my fulfillment and ability to create in life increases. I completely agree that daydreaming is merely a canvas for the colors we have inside of us, and that although it may be difficult, we must learn to project those colors onto a healthier medium (real life). Thank you so much!</p> Your findings are very enligh…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2016-10-09:4661400:Comment:2464012016-10-09T13:02:49.225ZUmbertohttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Umberto
Your findings are very enlightening to me. Thank you. I've been "focusing" on MDD the past weeks because I believe I reached too low already in dodging my inner conflicts by fooling myself with fantasies. I believe focusing on underlying feelings going on the fantasies would be very helpful.<br />
Gotta read the article you shared too.<br />
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Your findings are very enlightening to me. Thank you. I've been "focusing" on MDD the past weeks because I believe I reached too low already in dodging my inner conflicts by fooling myself with fantasies. I believe focusing on underlying feelings going on the fantasies would be very helpful.<br />
Gotta read the article you shared too.<br />
I You're welcome. I hope you'll…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2016-09-04:4661400:Comment:2448092016-09-04T13:55:47.903ZEretaiahttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Eretaia
<p>You're welcome. I hope you'll find it useful!<br/> <br/> <cite>Cann C said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/to-all-those-reluctant-to-quit-letting-go-of-md-and-what-it-is#4661400Comment244686"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Thanks so much for the link. I will definitely be spending some time reading through it all. I definitely see myself in what I have read so far. Great info!</p>
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<p>You're welcome. I hope you'll find it useful!<br/> <br/> <cite>Cann C said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/to-all-those-reluctant-to-quit-letting-go-of-md-and-what-it-is#4661400Comment244686"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Thanks so much for the link. I will definitely be spending some time reading through it all. I definitely see myself in what I have read so far. Great info!</p>
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</blockquote> I've always thought that if s…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2016-09-04:4661400:Comment:2446912016-09-04T03:13:35.664Zbluemeasurehttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/bluemeasure
I've always thought that if someone stripped away my MD, I would be brain dead. I've been MD-ing since I was 6 years old; I can't imagine how I would process information without MD-ing.
I've always thought that if someone stripped away my MD, I would be brain dead. I've been MD-ing since I was 6 years old; I can't imagine how I would process information without MD-ing. I already described my approa…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2016-09-02:4661400:Comment:2444912016-09-02T21:14:42.768ZEretaiahttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Eretaia
<p>I already described my approach <a href="https://maladaptivedaydreamingguide.wordpress.com/guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. :) Long story short, having a particular daydream is just an indicator that a certain part of you is suppressed. When there's a certain type of energy, like a particular feeling (anger, sadness, whatever) that you crave to release through that part of the self that's suppressed, the feeling cannot be expressed since what's needed for its expression is…</p>
<p>I already described my approach <a rel="nofollow" href="https://maladaptivedaydreamingguide.wordpress.com/guide/" target="_blank">here</a>. :) Long story short, having a particular daydream is just an indicator that a certain part of you is suppressed. When there's a certain type of energy, like a particular feeling (anger, sadness, whatever) that you crave to release through that part of the self that's suppressed, the feeling cannot be expressed since what's needed for its expression is blocked. Feelings cannot be released raw and hence they become a craving, a daydream. So you fix them using the same logic. When you start to speak up your mind, idealized daydreams stop. When you learn to deal with helplessness and became more assertive, daydreams focusing on you having control stop. When you overcome fears of intimacy or whatever is causing them, romantic dreams stop and you can focus on real people, etc. So it all comes down to identifying underlying problems and dealing with that. MD is not really your enemy. Which means overcoming it depends wholly on overcoming what lies beneath. While one person for may have MD because of excessive shyness, another may have it because of severe depression or PTSD, so recovery will work so differently for these two cases. It's all completely subjective. I don't get cravings anymore because I always try to release this energy raw, without needing to distort it. Have I overcome MD? Yes, I can say so. It doesn't bother me, I don't get cravings, there's no reality vs. fantasy split in me anymore. Have I overcome all the things that caused it in the first place? Almost. I can say I'm winning. My original problem was dysthymia, the low-grade depression, and whenever there's still something in me that needs fixing, I don't try to self-medicate through MD but try to release raw whatever feeling is bothering me and then deal with it for what it really is. <br/><br/><br/></p>