My story

[Gabrielle]

Hello people, how are you?
My name is Gabrielle and I'm 20 years old and today I finally decided to let it all out and tell my story.

Come on, my daydreams started when I was a child, imagining that I was dating the football player I liked, my favorite singer... and then I had imaginary boyfriends who changed according to my tastes. At school I had friends and I got along very well with them, but there were also those girls who were popular and I wanted to be like them, so when I got home I lost myself imagining what it would be like if I were popular like them and this remained permanent throughout throughout the school period: kindergarten, elementary school and high school. In the second and third year of high school I "lost" my friends because we were in different classes and they met other friends while I was left without any friends.
And it was at that moment that my daydreams became stronger. Throughout the pandemic I didn't leave the house, except to go to appointments. I was always shy, embarrassed, quiet and introverted and staying at home without having contact with anyone was like a dream for me. But this had consequences; When I went back to school I didn't know how to interact with anyone anymore, I didn't make any friends, and I hated it when the classroom was crowded, I just wanted to be alone. After I finished high school I didn't go to college or get a job because I was too busy fantasizing about things that would never happen. When I was 19 my mother got a job at a fair and on the one hand it was good because I interacted more with people and I became confident, on the other hand my bosses were blind until the day I couldn't stand it and left this job that was already making me feel good. bad. And during this period I also "got" a job as a nanny and it's not a job I like either since the children don't respect me and I don't know how to deal with children but at least I can deal with it.
Returning to the daydreams, they also got much worse after I discovered Wattpad and dark romance books. I don't need to say much about what happened, I kept fantasizing in the character's place, interacting with the characters, changing the story, inventing a new story with the same characters... and for me that was very real because I felt what the character felt, I was happy, I cried, I was angry.
And the consequence of all this is: nowadays I have a serious problem with procrastination, I can't finish anything I start, I can't concentrate and focus, my confidence and self-esteem are on the rocks, I can't talk to people, no I know what I want and I don't even know what I am, I have a job that I don't like, I live in a place that I don't like and for a long time I stopped dreaming and wanting things like having a better life. Lately I've been having problems with my stepfather and the good side of that is that I'm becoming more aware of reality, I'm a little more in the present and I'm dreaming more about studying, working and being independent.
But the problem is that my procrastination and daydreams get in the way of this, I become very inattentive.
I'm going to use this support group here to record my small progress against daydreams. And side note: I was both relieved and concerned to know that I'm not the only person who has trouble with maladaptive daydreaming.

[SA]

Welcome!!!
Your story appears to be as if you've been through a lot of hard times. I wish you the best of luck on the process to recovery.
Also, bear in mind that you're not alone.
I became addicted to MD due to immense social rejection in my school days. I turned my eyes off my reality and became someone who didn't get to live as a person since the age of 15. The worst part about my MD is that I turned away from my self as I hated that self of mine. The hatred was the consequence of the continuous social rejections. I was basically, "TOO MUCH". I don't have any friends other than 1 or 2 to whom I rarely speak. I have reduced my MD by realising it's a coping mechanism and have faced many repressed emotions coming to the fore. Things have certainly gotten better. 

I wish you all the best on your journey and pray to the Almighty that you get be with yourself without resorting to any fantasy land.