Tiny Introduction.

[Afraid of Clouds]

Well, probably not that tiny... I babble a lot.

Hello everyone.

My name is Sabrina, I'm a 24 year old art student in Texas, and I have just discovered... everything in terms of Maladaptive Daydreaming yesterday morning. I don't understand why I didn't search sooner, but now I'm here.

It all started when I was a child, maybe 5 or 6 years old. I had imaginary friends, began making up stories in my head and would pace around the dining table while my mom would play piano. My mother always assumed I was galloping, or dancing around the table but I was actually daydreaming. From the dining room table, I got a small tape player as a present and my daydreaming moved outside to the swing. I would spend hours just swinging and daydreaming about everything a kid could daydream of. Having adventures with dinosaurs, riding Yoshi in Mario Land, traveling the galaxy with Luke Skywalker or being the princess of monsters from DOOM.

It evolved from there rather quickly, together with the output which was my attempt at writing and drawing. I would use my daydreams as stories when I was younger, tell them to older members of my family, have imaginary fun time with friends, etc. I began pacing once it started but i didn't become self conscious until I was a bit older. I would close the doors and play music to pace around and have adventures in my head. Radio, LPs, computer music, pause a video game in a certain area where the soundtrack attracted me or triggered something. I still do that, except I mainly use my iPod now, and a closed room. When that's not available, I drive alone listening to music (or as a passenger), have intense internal dialogues with myself (like I'm talking to someone else)-- and so many many many worlds I visit, so many characters I adore and it keeps growing more and more.

Although sometimes, many of the worlds in my head are expansions from other worlds created by other people (like worlds from video games, books and movies), as well as worlds made up by me where I put my characters and external characters from other series or places to play in and have their lives (and I watch them). I suppose it's because I am an art student and I used my ability to export my daydreams (I've been calling them "stories" since I was little though). I do have one specific world where I personally play in, and I call it my "Base."

I was surprised though that I kept it under control since the world and the people around me that don't really have a creative spark bores me. Mother put the fear of God in me about not doing my homework, so i would always do my homework (although I procrastinate a lot on it), study for tests, do my projects. Takes a lot of motivation, since when I get anxious I just lock myself in my room and start to pace and daydream. Nowadays it gets into conflict with my work since my hands are incapable of drawing fast enough to output what's in my head (and in a satisfying manner). I'm still trying to balance it and come to terms that it's almost improbable to export my worlds into reality since there are so many (also the fear that it won't be accepted).

In all honesty, I don't see this as a problem. It can be a problem if it gets out of control; I miss talking to my friends at times but I quickly tire of too much them and I fall back into needing to be alone, with music and my stories. But I'm using it as inspiration for me and where I dream to go (which is still a problem to me to decide. too many possibilities in my head, it's hard to narrow it down to one that I want).

I feel like I babbled too much pff. But again, hello! I'm very happy to be here.

PS: I am actually very afraid of clouds, which is ironic because my head is always in the cloud. /facepalm/

[Wish Upon A Wish]

Hi! You're quite similar to me, in pausing music to DD. Most others DD while listening, but I get distracted from DDing by the music easily! Haha

Also, be glad that the term "head in the clouds" is only metaphorical! =p

[greyartist]

welcome!

[taffle]

Hi Sabrina! I also shut myself in a room so that I have a quiet place to think, study, and do personal stuff. But many times, I get bored of what I was doing and start daydreaming, whether I realize it or not. Sometimes I find myself multitasking, reading and daydreaming at the same time.

Also, in the past when I used to drive, I sometimes get into daydreams and not pay attention to the road in front of me, which can be pretty dangerous. So I kept telling myself to stop doing so and I find that self  dialogues help to control this. But I probably look like an idiot because drivers probably see me scolding myself and driving at the same time.

[Afraid of Clouds]

Hello everyone and thank you~

@Eretaia- I have both, actually. Most of the time the conversation is my voice explaining something to someone unknown (sometimes even to myself). But in more extreme situations (when I feel nervous or something bad happened) I have characters that reply back to my dialogues and we have conversations from there.

[Eretaia]

Hello! I have one question if you don't mind. Speaking of those internal dialogues where it feels like you are talking to yourself, are those conversations both-sided? Or in other words, does it feel like you're merely explaining something while the other person is listening, or does that "other person" also reply (sort of like an imaginary friend)?

[Roobles]

Hi sabrina, thanks for your intro i loved it. Im 24 too. I hope you get a lot out of wild minds

[Alvy]

hey, welcome and thanks for sharing that with us

[Crissy]

Hi Sabrina! It's nice to meet you.