Another name for this disorder

[David Burkett]

Do you guys ever feel like you wish this disorder had another name for it? I feel like it throws people off because when they think of daydreaming they think of just being an airhead or somebody who shouldn't be driving a car or operating a forklift. It's more about clinging on to fantasies and obsessions for our emotional needs of self expression.

[Aj]

Absolutely, the word “daydream” just sounds so innocent and makes it seem like a choice. Another name I’ve heard for it is compulsive fantasizing, which I like a bit better.

[Silver Swan]

I once forgot to bring the dog in the car with me for a long driving trip. I was with my parents, and as we doubled back home, my parents kept calling me names like 'bone head' and 'egg head.' Even 'dumb and dumber.'

Yeah, it's vital you have to pay attention in the world. I tell myself, but I just can't. People notice easily notice my issues too.

[Fishno7]

Yes, "daydreaming" just sounds too neutral, while this whole thing to us is at least a problem to due with in some extent. We know that our world is made up by ourselves, and can probably set aside it to due with real world problems first in most cases. but I believe, most of us don't have the ability to set aside it completely for even a day.

So it is still an obsession. However, in my opinion finding a term linked with obsession won't help the matter much;with most people don't understand the problem of our daydreaming, they would probably have a harder time to understand an obsession that involve quite a bit of self control in it. In the other way, simply calling MD as a "compulsive" disease may make people overthinking our situation, believing it to be more severe than we explain (well, mostly only try to) to them.

What ends up is that I think the whole thing is more about people understanding to the thing than the name itself; but I know many people who struggle to understand the concept of mental disease, let alone maladaptive daydreaming, a case that is not yet even officially recognised.

[Paul Rapp]

I am not sure that "Maladaptive Daydreaming" is a term that encompasses the entire spectrum of this "disorder". I am not even sure that "disorder" is entirely accurate. I think that perhaps some people may daydream more intensely and immersively than the average, but that degree of how harmful it is varies from person to person. I think when I was in grade school, and even into early college, my daydreaming was deeply immersive to the point that it did have a negative effect on my growth and socialization. While I still engage in immersive daydreaming today, it is less immersive than it was then and is no longer harmful to my adjustment to reality. Maybe that's because at my age I have a lot less to adjust to and growth left to me, or maybe my daydreaming is less maladaptive than it once was. 

[Silver Swan]

Maladaptive day dreaming is an exceptional gift that makes our mindsets very creative and idealistic. Day dreaming is more like an psychological anomaly with human kind, kind of like a psychic or clairvoyant ability. We just tend to get so wrapped up and carried away with it over a period of time. We can also learn to control and suppress it, if it gets too harmful and effective on our real lives. Where did "mental disease" come from, exactly? I wouldn't particularly call day dreaming a "mental disease," as disease is a disorder of structure or function of a person's body, like a physical illness or sickness. A disorder is something gradual that comes and goes, or diminishes with medication. So, I guess Maladaptive day dreaming does kind of fall into the lines of a disorder.

Apparently, I had to suppress my case of compulsive fantasizing when I was 29 years old. I had too many cares and responsibilities on my shoulders to continue this realm of the unreal business. I come from a very educated and politically driven family, who do not respect that I have practiced Maladaptive Daydreaming. In fact, they think I could've achieved so much more and lived a better life if I had learned to stop it. Even my 28 year old kid sister thinks I should quit, for the sake of dealing with perfect strangers. I hate to think that I'm sick, crazy and have issues.

Maladaptive day dreaming is a very wondrous gift, if your able to respect that. Of course, it has nothing to do with your reality. It's an escapism that helps comfort us when our lives are unfortunate and when we feel unloved by people.