Having Maladaptive Daydreaming since 6 years old, now is getting critical

[Martino]

Hello, I'm suffering of Maladaptive Daydreaming since I was 6 y.o., I've always lived with my daydreams and struggling to socialize and relate with other people because of it and yet till I didn't realize what was going on with me. Autism? Asperger? I didn't knew what I had, until I've just made 30 years old: I've seen the description of it that represents everything that haunts me, every symptoms corresponds to it. SO I tried at first to living with it like was a little issue. Now it has reached a critical point.

I'm unable to enjoy the company of my girlfriend, a person that I see only 4-5 months at year since we live in different towns and I got in hers in summer when I have to work; when we meet each other I rarely found now arguments of which talk about. I'm unable to enjoy the company of other people when I'm sitting in a bar to drink something and chat with them. I'm unable to sleep properly because I've just started to day dream even in deep night (!) and now I'm relying on Xanax and sleep pills to do at least 6 hours of sleep.

My girlfriend has to project to search for a house for us two but I've just not enough concentration and energy, especially when I'm out of my job because my brain is too concentrated to develop stories with imaginary people, real people in imaginary situations and other b.s.

This is also effecting me about my job because, once I'm out of my seasonal contract and done with my job, I'm still unable to earn my living in a independent way since I don't earn enough money and this brings me deeper into my daydreams instead of giving me the determination to go further and try everything to become financially independent.

Is anyone here in a situation similar if not identical to mine? Are even you struggling with your partners right now because of daydreams? Does some of you have some strategies to fight back the day dreams? Any advice will be welcome!

[Jessica Ballantyne]

As fascinating as my daydreams were, they impacted how I communicated and interacted with people, made them think I'm spiteful, don't like them, rude, and hard of hearing. Sometimes I think my condition sabotaged me from having these experiences, and I wonder if I still have a chance. 

[Jessica Ballantyne]

I got bullied a lot when I was young. I was scrutinized like I was socially weird with a mind million miles away. I always received the same reactions from people, no matter the race, age, group, so on. I just didn't fit in. I think I do have Asperger syndrome, but I have a problem with being here at all times. It frustrates the hell out of people. They can see my true colors, and their reactions are not usually nice, depending on who they are. 

[Martino]

Hmmm... I know about it since many people thought, and still think today, I'm a weirdo, a sort of cartoon character in some way; the only advice that I can give you about this is to let it go and let the past being the past even if is still haunting you, keep concentrated in the present.