Changes In Maladaptive Daydreaming + Concerns Over It developing Into Something Else

[Tinkerbell]

Has anyone experienced changes in their Maladaptive daydreaming, like the actions they do?

In an attempt  to control my Maladaptive daydreaming, I began being very strict with myself.  meaning that 

-I banned myself from pacing when day dreaming

-I would bite my cheeks or pinch myself whenever I thought I was going to day dream in public as it seems that any type of day dream, even a very short one.  Will result in me MDing.

So everything is going well and then yesterday I had an extremely stressful day.  I am attempting to move because I am being severally  harassed by my neighbors.  Police have got involved but for whatever reason, everything is moving really slowly so I'm desperate to move  asap. After having a brief but intense conversation with my mother it seems that this may not be happening soon.  the stress itself caused me to have one of my worse episodes of MD in a long time.

-I was attempting to sleep and I couldn't because I was stressed over the recent incident.  So I went into full blown MD mode where I was day dreaming of recent events which have happened between me and the neighbors.  Then I began doing this irritating humming sound like "mmmmmmmmmmm."  Everytime I caught myself humming, I would stop myself.  Then as I day dreamed I switched from my main character to another character and caught myself doing voice changes.  (From female to male)  I have never done this voice change with characters before.  I usually stick to 1 character.

My behavior ended up waking up my mother who believes I was just talking loudly in my sleep

One neighbor turned on his T.V

The other began talking very loudly with her partner where they began discussing how I really needed to see a doctor.

(I have very thin walls)

Afterwards I just sat in the bathroom and cried for the longest time because I thought I had controlled this.

What if this isn't MD and it has turned into something else?

There is a gentleman who I look after who has Schizophrenia and when he has an episode.  He will talk loudly to himself and daydream, including pacing and doing various actions while he daydreams and, he will switch from character to character and do voice changed for each one.

Do I have MD which had now changed into Schizophrenia?  I am aware when I am day dreaming but I am NOT aware when I am making these loud humming noises and the voice change, that's new.  

What do you think and how has your MD changed over the years ?  Have you ever done the whole humming thing or have you ever changed characters  then change your actions to fit that specific character?  

Thank you all for being so understanding and commenting.

[Alex]

Personally and probably clinically, the difference between MD and schizophrenia is that a schizophrenic will have difficulty discerning reality from fantasy, while in MD, you might not be fully aware of yourself as you are daydreaming but you know what is real and what isn't quite clearly. I had a psychologist that wanted me to stop daydreaming (just for reference, I don't wish to stop daydreaming, but I certainly understand it being undesirable and negative) because she was afraid it would turn into psychosis. But she no longer thought this after she truly understood what exactly this was. Beforehand, she seemed to associate my daydreaming more with dissociative identity, which is another disorder with psychotic symptoms.

I can't sit here and pretend that MD would never turn into psychosis, but I'd imagine that if it does turn into psychosis, it either is completely separate or never was MD to begin with?

I guess the only changes I've experienced was an increase in time spent daydreaming and yeah, more physical symptoms, though that's because I live alone now and much easier to be talking and acting out my daydreams. 

[The1andonlyAbber]

I have a lot of control in my daydreams, so I don't have sudden character changes. Well, a couple of times I switched with another character, but that was actually an intentional part of the daydream (we had switched places as the result of a magic spell). I didn't do a voice change, but that was probably because that character's voice is very similar to mine.

However, sometimes I'll say another character's "lines" during a daydream (even though I'm not actually "being" that character). When I do that I sometimes do voice changes. If the character has an average-sounding voice I'll use my regular voice, but if they have an unusual voice I'll do a voice change.

[The1andonlyAbber]

If you wanted to be the character you changed into or it just seemed like a natural part of the daydream, I wouldn't worry. But if you changed into the other character totally out of the blue and couldn't switch back to your regular character, then it would probably be worth worrying about.

[The1andonlyAbber]

And don't worry about not being able to control the repetitive movements. I'm barely aware of or in control of mine (which has led to some pretty embarrassing situations before). Also, never mind what I said earlier about worrying if you couldn't stop the character change. If you don't tend to have a lot of control over your daydream storyline, things like that probably happen sometimes.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

MD doesn't turn into Schizophrenia.  If you have Schizophrenia, then you have it.  You don't just get it from daydreaming.  My daydreaming has evolved over the years.  I have many different characters, and sometimes my story lines shift from character to character.  I also have OCD, which causes me to have unwanted thoughts, which often cause me to talk aloud to distract me out of them.  I used to think I was nuts, but I've since realized that this is a perfectly valid coping mechanism.  It's not only not crazy, but it's effective and helpful.  I have also been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which goes along with MD and OCD.  Many of the things I do can be traced back to that.  Maybe you have another condition, and maybe you don't.  The most recent study done on MD showed that most people enact some sort of movement while daydreaming, and it's probably not uncommon to vocalize.  I know I randomly vocalize.  Please try not to judge yourself.  You'll figure this out.  

[The1andonlyAbber]

Hmmm...I'm starting to notice a recent change in my daydreams. I rarely paced before, but now I almost always pace.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Pacing is really common.  In their study, Dr. Cynthia Schupak and Jayne Bigelsen found that most people enacted some sort of movement while daydreaming.  

The1andonlyAbber said:

Hmmm...I'm starting to notice a recent change in my daydreams. I rarely paced before, but now I almost always pace.

[Tinkerbell]

Thank you for replying. I feel at ease knowing that other people with MD do this too.

Cordellia Amethyste Rose said:

MD doesn't turn into Schizophrenia.  If you have Schizophrenia, then you have it.  You don't just get it from daydreaming.  My daydreaming has evolved over the years.  I have many different characters, and sometimes my story lines shift from character to character.  I also have OCD, which causes me to have unwanted thoughts, which often cause me to talk aloud to distract me out of them.  I used to think I was nuts, but I've since realized that this is a perfectly valid coping mechanism.  It's not only not crazy, but it's effective and helpful.  I have also been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which goes along with MD and OCD.  Many of the things I do can be traced back to that.  Maybe you have another condition, and maybe you don't.  The most recent study done on MD showed that most people enact some sort of movement while daydreaming, and it's probably not uncommon to vocalize.  I know I randomly vocalize.  Please try not to judge yourself.  You'll figure this out.  

[Tinkerbell]

Thank you for commenting. I was only very concerned because it's the first time my MD had got so bad that I changed voices and was trapped in it. Always I have been able to control it or at least snap myself out of it.>

The1andonlyAbber said:

And don't worry about not being able to control the repetitive movements. I'm barely aware of or in control of mine (which has led to some pretty embarrassing situations before). Also, never mind what I said earlier about worrying if you couldn't stop the character change. If you don't tend to have a lot of control over your daydream storyline, things like that probably happen sometimes.

[Tinkerbell]

Yes that it exactly what it was like. I changed from my main character who is female to a male character to say his lines.

The1andonlyAbber said:

I have a lot of control in my daydreams, so I don't have sudden character changes. Well, a couple of times I switched with another character, but that was actually an intentional part of the daydream (we had switched places as the result of a magic spell). I didn't do a voice change, but that was probably because that character's voice is very similar to mine.

However, sometimes I'll say another character's "lines" during a daydream (even though I'm not actually "being" that character). When I do that I sometimes do voice changes. If the character has an average-sounding voice I'll use my regular voice, but if they have an unusual voice I'll do a voice change.

[Tinkerbell]

I live alone now but I have managed to control some aspects of my day dreaming yay always keeping busy. I never give myself a chance to relax because I know the moment I do, I will day dream.

Alexandra said:

Personally and probably clinically, the difference between MD and schizophrenia is that a schizophrenic will have difficulty discerning reality from fantasy, while in MD, you might not be fully aware of yourself as you are daydreaming but you know what is real and what isn't quite clearly. I had a psychologist that wanted me to stop daydreaming (just for reference, I don't wish to stop daydreaming, but I certainly understand it being undesirable and negative) because she was afraid it would turn into psychosis. But she no longer thought this after she truly understood what exactly this was. Beforehand, she seemed to associate my daydreaming more with dissociative identity, which is another disorder with psychotic symptoms.

I can't sit here and pretend that MD would never turn into psychosis, but I'd imagine that if it does turn into psychosis, it either is completely separate or never was MD to begin with?

I guess the only changes I've experienced was an increase in time spent daydreaming and yeah, more physical symptoms, though that's because I live alone now and much easier to be talking and acting out my daydreams.