Wanted to share some things from my therapy sessions

[Mani]

Hello! 

I found this network about 2 years ago now. And instantly I felt like I had this. Though I not one to self diagnose so after a lot of research I decided I wanted to talk to a professional about this.  I was and still am extremely embarrassed of this but after about 6 months of having told someone I think others may be able to benefit as I have after speaking to a phycologist and having had therapy done. 

1. MD is a form of dissociation. It allows you to disconnect from reality. 
2. It can be a form of escapism and self soothing 
3. You do not need to completely cut it out of you life, but it needs to be managed and used in a productive way
4. Respective movements are extremely common (Rocking, pacing, arm movements and vocalisation)  

I will no go on to explain all the points above.

Number 1:

For me finding a name to the problem was almost life changing. There is far more information about dissociative disorders in general then just MD. The symptoms and feeling overlap massively and there fore the treatment does as well. A simple google search can answer the main question, like what it is and what types there are. 

Number 2:

This one has been spoken about a lot on this network. Often linked to when we are developing or gone through hard changes. If we trace back to when we started that can help with the cause of the MD and and help the healing process in general for better mental health.

Number 3:

This is a disorder for most people due to the compulsion of it. However when we are trying to reduce the amount of time spent doing MD we do not always have to cut it out compleatly. This may be comfort for those who do not want to let go. The main thing is that MD should not effect your life in a negative manner. 

• Try to be more observant of when your doing MD 
• Note down triggers and try to avoid them if you can (This can be hard)
• Set time out for MD and try to keep in that time frame 
• Use MD to your advantage by creating story lines where you give your self more confidence ect...

Number 4:

This is for me the most embarrassing but its something I do, and so many others as well. I would say if your like me try to take brakes so the movements do not cause harm (mussel pulling ect). These movements help sooth and  for a lot of people like me are directly linked to the MD. People talk about walking around the most but for me I rock side to side. If someone saw me doing thing I would honestly not know what to say or do the embarrassment as enough to make me pass out lol but knowing that a lot of other people do this make me feel better.

I hope this helps someone in some way. I would love to talk to more people about this. I am 20 Female. Pls feel free to DM me :)

[Valeria Franco]

Dear Mani, 

your sharing is really precious, especially for the newest here.

You have made it simple and clear.

"The main thing is that MD should not effect your life in a negative manner"

This is the core of it all. Many people ask "should I stop? Should I be worried?"
The parameter to understand if one is daydreaming too much is the negative impact on his/her life.

But sometimes it is tricky to understand if your life is actually worsened by daydreaming, as it is the only reality some people have always known.