Should I just leave it be or seek therapy or....

[PsychedelicMe]

Hi everyone, so I am not sure if I have MD, 

    I had some family issues + I was never talkative for the majority of my childhood, so I have always been pretty proud of my imagination b/c it kept me entertained + happy when I needed it the most.  I didn't mind b/c it was my best survival tool. Now, I've moved away from home for school and have lots of really nice people as friends, but daydreams are not helping me. 

   Since I was young, I have this habit of walking + listening to music, whether it be around a table, the living room, or the streets, and I just spend the time fantasizing. When I'm stressed out badly, sometimes my daydreams can give me such a high + then I just crash when it ends. I just get really sad about my reality + end up in a period of sadness- can be several hours or a few days. 

I tend to daydream about: 

• Telling someone off or do something super awesome, usually as a lawyer or something (it's the strongest, most confident version of myself) 
• My dream group of friends (this one makes me the saddest when I finally stop daydreaming) I'm so happy with it b/c these people love the same music, are really funny and relaxed, and love adventure. Lately, it's been getting more specific in what they look like. Like a girl with rainbow has become the main character as my best friend. I play out conversations or adventures over and over, and it's great- I laugh + smile all the time. 
  • The only issue is I have real friends. After I daydream, my life is generally okay, but I want to escape so badly from my everyday life. I feel like my imagination is keeping me from appreciating the people around me b/c I want these characters to exist. I have never formed deep friendships, and I think I have a real shot this year as long as I keep in touch with reality, but I keep giving into wishful thinking.

Also, these daydreams help me with creative projects + jobs, so how bad is it if I left it alone? 

[Kitt Coltrane]

Yes, you seem to be using maladaptive daydreaming to cope with self esteem issues. This sounds very common. I do the same except I’ve built entire worlds and lived entire lives in correlation with a marriage, a career and strong friendships. I’m entirely normal in appearance and no one knows. I use my imagination for writing and creative endeavors. If you can live a normal life with an occasional daydream, you should be okay. If it starts to intervent and interrupt your life, you may need some help. You will be ok.