Maladaptive Daydreaming Pattern

A Maladaptive Daydreaming Pattern is a daydreaming pattern that becomes a maladaptive behavior.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) be characterized by excessive, persistent daydreaming that interferes with daily life and functioning.
  • It can (typically) involve vivid and immersive daydreams that are difficult to control and often replace real-life interactions.
  • It can (often) lead to significant distress and impairment in various aspects of life, including social, academic, or occupational functioning.
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  • It can range from being a minor distraction to a major impediment to achieving personal and professional goals.
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  • It can manifest as a coping mechanism, where individuals retreat into elaborate fantasy worlds to escape reality, but this behavior becomes harmful when it dominates their life.
  • It can be triggered by underlying psychological issues, such as anxiety, depression, or trauma, contributing to the persistence of maladaptive daydreaming.
  • It can involve repetitive and addictive daydreaming scenarios, often with recurring characters, plots, and themes that offer a sense of comfort or escape.
  • It can be associated with feelings of shame, guilt, or frustration due to the inability to control the daydreaming or its negative impact on life.
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• Example(s):
  • A person who spends hours each day in intricate daydreams, neglecting responsibilities and relationships as a result.
  • A student whose grades suffer because they spend more time in their daydream world than studying or participating in class.
  • A worker who struggles to focus on tasks at work due to the overwhelming urge to retreat into their fantasy life, leading to job performance issues.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Adaptive Daydreaming, where daydreaming enhances creativity or problem-solving without interfering with daily life.
  • Healthy Daydreaming, which occurs within normal limits and does not disrupt functioning.
• See: Daydream, Absorption (Psychology), Fantasy (Psychology), Distress (Medicine), Social Relation.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/maladaptive_daydreaming Retrieved: 2024-08-18.
  • Maladaptive daydreaming, also called excessive daydreaming, is when an individual experiences excessive daydreaming that interferes with daily life. It is a proposed diagnosis of a disordered form of dissociative absorption, associated with excessive fantasy that is not recognized by any major medical or psychological criteria. Maladaptive daydreaming can result in distress, can replace human interaction, and may interfere with normal functioning such as social life or work. Maladaptive daydreaming is not a widely recognized diagnosis and is not found in any major diagnostic manual of psychiatry or medicine. The term was coined in 2002 by Eli Somer of the University of Haifa. Somer's definition of the proposed condition is "extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning." There has been limited research outside of Somer's.

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• See: Daydream, Absorption (Psychology), Fantasy (Psychology), Distress (Medicine), Social Relation.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/maladaptive_daydreaming Retrieved:2024-8-18.
  • Maladaptive daydreaming, also called excessive daydreaming, is when an individual experiences excessive daydreaming that interferes with daily life. It is a proposed diagnosis of a disordered form of dissociative absorption, associated with excessive fantasy that is not recognized by any major medical or psychological criteria. Maladaptive daydreaming can result in distress, can replace human interaction and may interfere with normal functioning such as social life or work. Maladaptive daydreaming is not a widely recognized diagnosis and is not found in any major diagnostic manual of psychiatry or medicine. The term was coined in 2002 by Eli Somer of the University of Haifa. Somer's definition of the proposed condition is "extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning." There has been limited research outside of Somer's.

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