A LETTER TO DSM AND AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION

[Nakul Singh]

Daydreaming Disorder ,Please Dont Ignore it

Nakul Singh [e-mail]	2:23 PM (4 minutes ago)
to dsm5, apa

Dear Reader,

This is to bring into your notice that now days there is an emerging condition called Maladaptive Daydreaming from which iam suffering from when i was 5.American Psychiatric Association is yet to recognize it as an illness, but there are more than millions of sufferers online who is crawling for a cure including me. It started when I was 5 or even little than it like every children daydream i too daydream but i never knew that soon this excessive fantasy will became an emerging disorder. In this 21^st century millions of people around in the world are suffering from this disorder which is  yet to be recognized as an illness, Please read below to know its past and present well.

What is Maladaptive Daydreaming?

 

SOURCE:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maladaptive_daydreaming

 

Maladaptive daydreaming (compulsive fantasy) is a term first proposed by Eli Somer,^[1] to describe a condition in which an individual excessively daydreams or fantasizes, sometimes as a psychological response to prior trauma or abuse.^[2] This title has become popularly generalized^{[clarification needed]} to incorporate a recently described syndrome of immersive or excessive daydreaming which is specifically characterized by attendant distress or functional impairment, whether or not it is contingent upon a history of trauma or abuse.^[3]

Excessive daydreaming may begin as an outlet for creativity,^[4] or as a method of escaping trauma or abuse.^[1] The daydreamer experiences very vivid and intricate fantasies and may become emotionally attached to the characters in their fantasies or express emotions they are feeling through vocal utterances or changing facial expressions, although most keep such behavior hidden from others. Maladaptive daydreamers know the difference between reality and fantasy; they realize that everything they are dreaming about is a fantasy.^[4] Some also exhibit symptoms similar to Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD or OCD^{[clarification needed]}.^[quantify]Social anxiety and depression are often suffered by maladaptive daydreamers. A large number^{[clarification needed]} also find their social lives are negatively impacted by this disorder.^{[medical citation needed]} 89% of those self-identified as having excessive daydreams had a kinesthetic repetitive accompany their daydreaming, such as pacing, rocking, tapping, or shaking an object. Many others also move their hands around and make facial expressions: laughing, crying, whispering, and gesturing. Listening to music while daydreaming is common and hearing music may trigger a desire to daydream. A repetitive movement may be articulated to music while daydreaming. Watching a movie or reading a book can also trigger these desires.^[4]

Many people have novel or movie type fantasies. They create their own world, with characters, settings, plots, heroes, villains, and friends. They may also imagine storylines using the characters or settings from already existing works of fiction.

Some people have reported dizziness, headaches and other physical symptoms after daydreaming

Maladaptive Daydreaming — What Is It?

 

SOURCE:- http://www.medicaldaily.com/maladaptive-daydreaming-what-it-247629

 

We've all been there — one moment you're diligently sitting behind your desk being productive, and then the next moment, you catch yourself in a daydream.

According to Psychology Today, "everyone, or nearly everyone, reports daydreaming on a regular basis, with studies indicating that as many as 96% of adults engage in having at least one bout of daily fantasies."

Previous criticisms of daydreaming were that mind wanderers were lazy and failed at mental discipline. In fact, Sigmund Freud, a known father to modern day psychoanalysis, regarded daydreamers as "infantile" in their thinking. Freud believed that daydreaming was a way for people to resolve any conflict that they might be facing, and that the person's fantasy might be a mix of their desires and what is socially acceptable according to societal standards.

Modern psychology has found that when your mind wanders, it's a sign of the creative process, which means you're actually giving your mind a workout. By having multiple simultaneous thoughts, your brain is strengthening your mental work space — the more mental workspace you have, the stronger your ability to mentally juggle more than one task.

"Wandering mind correlates with higher degrees of what is referred to as working memory. Cognitive scientists define this type of memory as the brain's ability to retain and recall information in the face of distractions," according to a study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science.

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When Daydreaming Goes Too Far

Now what happens when day dreaming goes too far? You find yourself missing days and hours of time daydreaming. This is known as maladaptive daydreaming (MD) — an extensive daydream that replaces human interaction with extensive fantasies that people envision in their own minds. Although it is not a medically recognized term, the concept was first coined by Eli Sómer, Ph.D., in 2002. Somer believed that the trigger for this excessive form of daydreaming might be from trauma or abuse.

In his study, Sómer's patients had used their daydreaming as a coping method or escape from unpleasant surroundings. However, further research is needed to quantify this theory.

Many people with MD find that their condition can cause them to be unproductive and can actually be an extreme hindrance to their everyday lives. Time is passing while they are processing these extensive dreams, and before they know it, a whole day is lost to their fantasies.

Since this isn't a recognized condition, however, there isn't extensive research to determine if this is an actual mental imbalance. But theorists have also attributed MD to dissociative personality disorder, because with such disassociation, the person is often similarly detached from his or her immediate surroundings in both the physical and emotional aspect.

Symptoms Of MD

There are not any conclusive symptoms of MD, since it's not an official diagnosis, but in view of the research available, there are a few signs that be related to MD:

1. Daydreaming excessively in a way that is often compared to an addiction.

2. This excessive daydreaming often begins in childhood.

3. Books, movies, music, video games, and other media may be a daydreaming trigger.

4. The daydreaming itself is often detailed and elaborate, sometimes compared to a movie or novel.

5. Repetitive movements while daydreaming are common (but not always present in sufferers) — pacing, rocking, spinning, shaking something in their hand, etc.

6. They may sometimes talk, laugh, cry, gesture, or make facial expressions as they daydream. People suffering from this know the difference between daydreaming and reality, and do not confuse the two; this makes them distinctly different from psychotics or schizophrenics.

7. Some people will lie in bed for hours daydreaming, and may either have difficulty going to sleep because of this, or have difficulty getting out of bed once awake. They may also neglect basic functions such as regular meals, showering, and other daily activities because of their daydreaming.

Many people have started forums, blogs, and discussion boards to talk about their MD. While it might be a long way before it's officially recognized, awareness is a productive first step.

HISTORY OF MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING

 

I have this problem.  I have actually spent whole days doing nothing but daydreaming.  I have had many "lost weekends" where I have done nothing but daydream in an obsessive, uncontrollable way.  Even in my day-to-day life, my mind constantly weaves daydreams; it just does this without my planning or wanting it to.  If you do not experience this it may sound like a joke, but unfortunately this is all too real.  This problem has done a great deal to damage my life, and has significantly affected my ability to function day-to-day.

It started when I was about five.  I would obsessively pace back and forth, creating fantasies and scenarios in my mind.   Much later I would find out that many people with this problem will pace or do some other type of repetitive movement (such as shaking something in their hands) while they daydream.  However, I had no way of knowing this as I continued to suffer through my childhood and into adulthood.  It just seemed to me that I had this weird problem that no one else had. 

When I would occasionally try to research the topic of daydreaming, looking for something that would apply to me and my problem, I would only come across information about how wonderful and useful daydreaming could be.  I never saw any comments or articles about the destructive reality of daydreaming that I lived with every day.

In 2009, as I was searching for information about this problem on the internet, I came across the article by Dr. Eli Somer listed above.  Finally I had concrete proof that this was a real problem that other people had as well.  Later, I found the following article by Cynthia Schupak and Jesse Rosenthal:

 

2002- http://www.somer.co.il/articles/2002Malaptdaydr.contemp.psych.pdf

 

 

2007- http://www.scribd.com/doc/9089146/Excessive-daydreaming-A-case-hist...

 

 

2009- Compulsive Fantasy: proposed evidence of an under-reported system t...

 

WILD MIND NETWORK A WEBSITE WITH MORE THAN 4000 MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING SUFFERERS SHARING THEIR PROBLEM AND EVERY DAY CRAWLING FOR A SOLUTIONhttps://wildminds.ning.com/

 

 

OUT OF MIND ARTICLE WROTE BY CORDELLIA ROSE OWNER OF WILD MIND NETWORK:- https://wildminds.ning.com/notes/Out_Of_My_Mind_%28article_I_wrote_...

 

 

RADIO SHOW DEDICATED TO MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING:- 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/daydreaming

 

 

FACEBOOK FORUM DEDICATED TO MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING:- 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maladaptive-Daydreaming/154172987955944

 

 

Daydreaming Anonymous by Dr.Cynthia Schupak:- 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/20700187/Daydreamers-Anonymous-Prelim-Fin...

It’s important to note at this point that people with this problem are not psychotic; we DO NOT confuse fantasy and reality.  We are quite aware (sometimes painfully aware) of the difference between the two.  We know what is real and what is not.  This illness is instead like a cross between a compulsive habit and a severe addiction.

 Here is a Yahoo forum with almost 2000 members.  People on this site talk about their experiences and compare notes on MD:

 

PRESENT TENSE:

Maladaptive Daydreaming is an Emerging disorder, In internet there are more post of MDD than any OCD,ADD,ADHD and aspergers syndrome everyday people are looking for a review of DSM,But DSM is yet to put his view on it.I myself have consulted Psychiatrist but even psychiatrist is yet to find a solution of it

 

DEMAND:-

1) As a human and a intense sufferers want Maladaptive daydreaming to be studies by American Psychiatric Association and Hence put this disorder in DSM.

2)If you people are looking for any evidence then Kindly  Google Maladaptive daydreaming the result will give you the answer of all your query.

BEST REGARDS

Nakul Singh

Address:-B-60,AAI(IAD) Resedential Complex,Kolkata-700052,India

Mobile Number:-[phone]

[Tinkerbell]

Thank you for the post.  

[4everlost23]

Thank you so much for sharing this very informative blog with us. I think you have covered more information here in one place than I have found online.