How to Stop Maladaptive Daydreaming

Thinking, night and daydreaming are the only distinctive properties of human beings which differentiate them from other living organisms. Almost all human beings think and dream about everything during their day and night either for the past or future which gives them hope and courage.

However, some dreams become daily routines and distract humans from doing their daily tasks. These dreams become maladaptive and take the shape of mental disorders. If you are the one facing the same situation and want an escape, here are the ways how to stop maladaptive daydreaming.

This article addresses the causes, signs and symptoms and ways of coping with maladaptive daydreaming. Let’s start with defining the celebrated term, differentiating it and exploring it further.

Definition of Maladaptive Daydreaming

To define maladaptive daydreaming in simple words, uncontrolled daydreams which are good for nothing become a way of escape and cause human beings badly by consuming their time and energy. This word was coined in 2002 by a researcher Eli Somer, a clinical psychologist.

Although the term maladaptive daydreaming is used as a mental disorder the disorder is not yet considered as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and so there is no proper test and treatment. Still, it is widely searched online for its causes, signs and symptoms and ways of coping with maladaptive daydreaming.

The disorder of waking fantasy is threatening and alarming for human minds and needs to be treated with proper methods.

Differences between Daydreaming and Maladaptive Daydreaming

If you are suspicious about your condition and wish to know whether you dream normally or maladaptive, have a glimpse of the basic and major differences between normal daydreaming and maladaptive daydreaming.

Signs and Symptoms of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Besides the above mentioned traits there are some common signs and symptoms which can indicate maladaptive daydreaming. If you are lethargic unable to work, could not focus on your target, attracted by fantasy, and avoiding your social activities. 

Avoiding social activities like could not set in your class, not wanting to interact with people, stopping going to friend circles, and avoiding attending games and other social gatherings are mostly maladaptive daydreaming. Another great symptom is reacting to fantasized characters, laughing with them, talking to them, giving expressions and other gestures.

How to Stop Maladaptive Daydreaming: - Tests to Determine Dreaming Maladaptive

If you are still worried about your thinking habits and wish to know more about whether you dream normally or are maladaptive, just look out for the ways that differentiate normal and abnormal thinking.  Although the term maladaptive daydreaming is used as a mental disorder this is not yet considered as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and so there is no proper test and treatment.

How to know the existence of maladaptive daydreams keep reading the below points to know how to understand and how to stop maladaptive daydreaming; we have given some basic techniques and tests through which you can clear your suspicions.

The 16-Point Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale

The most accepted and widely recommended test is this 16-point test developed in 2017 by researchers – Somer, Soffer-Dudek, Ross, and Halpern and published as an academic article under the title “Maladaptive Daydreaming: Proposed Diagnostic Criteria and Their Assessment with a Structural Clinical Interview”. 

They proposed a scale of points through which the disorder can be determined. The test taker has to pen down the required points clearly and correctly, he/she may feel embarrassed or ashamed.  The written script will be assessed by professionals or clinical therapists and will give the conclusion.

Agreeing or Disagreeing with Assertions

It is a manual test to examine maladaptive daydreaming, you have only to agree or disagree with the pre-made assertion. The test contains ten to twelve assertions which should be responded with agreed or disagreed answers. This method is not a standard one but a manual and the assertion made may vary from therapist to therapist accordingly. As compared to “The 16-Point Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale” one is not the ideal assessment.

Similar Reading: How to Self Soothe Anxious Attachment

Examine If the Daydreaming is Maladaptive or not

Showing both the tests “The 16-Point Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale” and “Agreeing or Disagreeing with Assertions”, if you are still confused and not satisfied with your reports then think over your conditions and realize whether you have the problem or not.

Determine the Traits of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Besides the differences mentioned in the previous sections of normal and maladaptive daydreaming, there are some traits which can be found in you if you are having maladaptive daydreaming. Wish or desire to daydream intentionally is the first trait, unlike normal daydreaming it is often invited in mind to have. 

If your daydreams are lengthy, take time for hours and complex then you are most likely to have this abnormality. If you are procrastinating and unable to perform your daily work it is also the trait. The great sign of daydreaming is that you will start acting, taking, and showing other gestures to your ideas and thoughts.

Escapist Fantasies

The main characteristic of maladaptive daydreaming is that it not only provides an escape to different thoughts but also to tasks. It is also termed as awakening fantasies on account of the fact that if you are working or attempting any task you would think of many ideal things. You would think of assuming yourself to be a doctor, an engineer, or any other fantasized character. So you would be distracted and unable to do your task. This is the downfall of maladaptive daydreaming.

Look for the Triggers

Always look for the triggers which kickstart not only your daydreaming but also your maladaptive daydreaming. A trigger may be a thought, talk, past incident, a point, an area, a scent, food, a taste, and music, scenes of a movie or something else. If needed, if this happens with any trigger pen down this instantly to highlight the reasons. This is the only thing with which you can determine whether your dreams are normal or maladaptive.

Causes of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Multiple factors cause maladaptive daydreaming. However, the major among them are few which are the leading causes and are considered the roots that give rise to this abnormality.

Abuse at Childhood

The individuals who are abused in their childhood are most likely to be the victims of maladaptive daydreaming. Individuals adopt this abnormal daydreaming to escape the faced situation, they in their inner mind create an ideal situation and wish that would not happen to them. They often either imagine their selves as super humans to avenge their abuse or as heroes who can resist. 

Throughout the whole day, they abnormally and unconsciously think about that and escape their real life. These become their waking fantasies. If you are the one experiencing the same situation you are most likely having a mental disorder.

Childhood Trauma

A tragedy at the very childhood or a trauma may cause maladaptive daydreaming. Individuals with such traumatic pasts want an escape and develop the abnormality. They then become procrastinated and unable to focus on their real life, this abnormally extended overthinking ultimately becomes their daily routine and unknowingly they do so all the time. So if you are the one who experienced the same traumatic situation in your childhood you are most likely having a mental disorder.

Fulfilling a Wish

Individuals who either tend to fulfil a wish or tend to fulfil it in the past and now become a part of the past. The unfulfilled wish may also cause maladaptive daydreaming. Pondering about that wish to fulfil now in the field of mind becomes normal and daily routine. The wish may be for a lover, career, money, material things, travelling a country and many more. So if you have any unfulfilled wish and still want to fulfil in your mind every day, you have maladaptive daydreaming.

Triggers may also Cause Maladaptive Daydreaming

As mentioned earlier triggers are destructive and may fuel the daydreaming abnormally. The triggers may also cause maladaptive daydreaming and among the other causes these are the major factors. A trigger may be a thought, talk, past incident, a point, an area, a scent, food, a taste, and music, scenes of a movie or something else. If this happens with you consider this and try to avoid the triggers. This is the only thing with which you can determine wither you dreams are normal or maladaptive.

Celebrating a Favorite Personality or Character

A maladaptive daydreamer always has a favourite personality or a character to celebrate in his boundary walls of the mind. While watching movies or playing video games all the time one may have some ideal characters and tend to become like them. If an individual has a favourite hero he/she follows him/her on social media, dresses hair like that and wears dresses like that as well. This worshipping of a celebrity also initiates uncontrolled daydreaming.

The Risk factor for Developing Maladaptive Daydreaming

The risk factors which develop maladaptive daydreaming are also worth mentioning thing and should be taken into consideration. If you have these factors you are at risk and likely to be the victim of maladaptive daydreaming. If you are anxious and experiencing this anxiety or some kind of depression for sometimes then you are the easy target. 

If you are bored and isolated socially from the world and do not want to see any other human around you either due to childhood abuse or traumatic history, you are at risk of getting maladaptive daydreaming. But do not worry we are here to highlight some ways of how to stop maladaptive daydreaming.

How to Stop Maladaptive Daydreaming – Effective Ways

If you are the victim of maladaptive daydreaming and looking for the ways, methods, techniques and therapy for stopping maladaptive daydreaming here is a guide to follow, just adopt these things and easily get rid of the abnormality.

Have Better Sleep

The first and foremost way of handling and coping with the abnormality is better sleep. It will freshen your mind and relax your brain for focusing on things the next day. Better sleep will boost your memory and you will have less possibility of daydreaming excessively. It has been widely researched that not sleeping well results in maladaptive daydreaming. So make a routine of sleeping on time and waking earlier, set a timer and avoid the distracters which stop you from sleeping like mobile, alcohol consumption, using caffeine and numerous more.

Distract your Mind to Stop Maladaptive Daydreaming

The second best way of avoiding the abnormality is distracting the mind and engaging in some mind-boosting and brainstorming activities. If you are having maladaptive daydreaming always engage yourself and look for useful mind distractors. It not only engages your mind but also your body. 

For instance, in your free time join a friend for a coffee or a cup of tea in a canteen or coffee shop, attend a music concert or any other social event, do yoga or exercise like running and jogging. Solve puzzles, play chess and solve crosswords in newspapers, if you are at home try cooking, gardening and other physical activities. Remember that listening to music on headphones may trigger you daydreaming so avoid it.

Setting a Timer to Stop maladaptive

Setting a timer and counting down the intervals of daydreaming is also a technique for stopping daydreaming. If one day you have daydreaming for more than 5 hours and after a particular interval of time, count it down and promise yourself to reduce this to 4 hours for the next. This technique will work and will abolish your abnormality in no time. Always remember not only to count and reduce the total time but also the intervals after which this comes.

Writing Down Thoughts

This technique is also known as journaling the thoughts. It is quite easy but hard to start at the very first time, for you will feel embarrassed and ashamed to pen down your abnormal thoughts but you will have to muster up the courage while taking this step. This will protect you from distracting into daydreaming, you will revise your thoughts and pick the pleasant while throwing away the unpleasant.

Innovating Daydreaming to Control Maladaptive Daydreaming

This technique is productive and helps you not only in clearing your abnormality but also in finding a job, travelling or moving somewhere else for betterment. Thinking is not everyone’s cup of time, it needs a strong brain and innovative mind to think or dream about something. 

If you can think for a whole day it means you have the strongest mind, just you have to control and limit your thoughts to a particular area. If you wish for an ideal job, place or life start working for that and compel your mind to think only about that instead of other useless fantasies.

Hire a Therapist

If your case is ever and the above-mentioned techniques do not work out for you then you are directed to visit a therapist and take proper consulting on the ways how to stop maladaptive daydreaming. You can also consider this option in the beginning days of daydreaming. Excessive anger, rage or wrath may also trigger the maladaptive daydreaming. Whenever you find yourself stuck in waking fantasies, or you have any depression that stops you from focusing on your work you are at risk of getting maladaptive daydreaming.

Interact With Online Communities

Some survivors of maladaptive daydreaming have found online communities through which they have healed their minds and now are fit. If you have any trouble going anywhere else or cannot access the therapists just open your device and search for online communities. 

You will the experiences of other patients, will compare yourself with them, and find some companions to share your thoughts and ideas with them that you could not express while facing someone in front of you. This technique is easy and costs little as compared to visiting and physically attending the therapists.

Mindfulness to Control Maladaptive Daydreaming

Mindfulness is also an important technique through which you handle and negotiate the maladaptive daydreaming. Your mindfulness should be your most defending weapon, whenever you realize of falling into maladaptive daydreaming, instantly distract your mind with some useful other thoughts or some puzzling activities just to recall your mind back. 

Solve puzzles, play chess and solve crosswords in newspapers, if you are at home try cooking, gardening and other physical activities. Remember that listening to music on headphones may trigger you daydreaming so avoid it. Always take care of replacing it with useful activities rather than other bad habits.

Getting Rid of Procrastination & Be Active

Being lethargic and procrastinating also pushes you to useless thoughts. If you are inactive to do something you will ultimately have maladaptive daydreaming. Procrastination occurs after spending vacations, and also takes place by low self-esteem, failure of success, lack of confidence etc. So if you are inactive and idle you will most likely have waking useless fantasies. 

Get rid of procrastination by setting short-term goals, motivating yourself with small achievements, rewarding yourself etc to control maladaptive daydreaming. Throwing away this thing will directly get rid of maladaptive daydreaming easily.

Treatment of Maladaptive Daydreaming with Medicines

As discussed on account of not yet considering it as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and so there is no proper treatment. However, you can have some medicines for related disorders like stress, depression, anxiety and numerous more. The recommended medicine to decline the rate of maladaptive daydreaming is Fluvoxamine which is also prescribed for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) treatment.

Conclusion

To summarize the article, almost all people think and dream but some for people this thanking exceeds its limit and becomes a daily routine on account of which one cannot focus on anything and feels inactive. This abnormality is called maladaptive daydreaming or waking fantasy. The ways how to stop maladaptive daydreaming are explained and numerous techniques are recommended that help to resist maladaptive daydreaming.

The ways of handling and coping with the abnormality are sleeping well, distracting the mind and engaging in some mind-boosting and brainstorming activities, setting a timer and counting down the intervals of daydreaming, journaling the thoughts, visiting a therapist, turning useless thoughts into some productive ones and mindfulness.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can I get rid of maladaptive daydreaming?

The ways how to get rid of maladaptive daydreaming are explained and numerous techniques are recommended which help to resist maladaptive daydreaming. The ways of handling and coping up with the abnormality are sleeping well, distracting mind and engaging in some mind boosting and brainstorming activities, setting a timer and counting down the intervals of daydreaming, journaling the thoughts, visiting a therapist, turning useless thoughts into some productive ones and mindfulness.

What triggers maladaptive daydreaming?

The triggers are destructive and may fuel the daydreaming abnormally. The triggers may also cause maladaptive daydreaming and among the other causes these are the major factors. A trigger may be a thought, talk, past incident, a point, an area, a scent, food, a taste, music, scenes of a movie or something else. If this happens with you consider this and try to avoid the triggers. This is the only thing with which you can determine whether your dreams are normal or maladaptive.

How do I stop myself from daydreaming?

Stopping maladaptive daydreams is not a big deal. The ways of handling and coping with the abnormality are sleeping well, distracting the mind and engaging in some mind-boosting and brainstorming activities, setting a timer and counting down the intervals of daydreaming, journaling the thoughts, visiting a therapist, turning useless thoughts into some productive ones and mindfulness.

What happens if you keep maladaptive daydreaming?

There are some common signs and symptoms which can indicate maladaptive daydreaming. If you are lethargic unable to work, could not focus on your target, attracted by fantasy, and avoiding your social activities. Avoiding social activities like not sitting in your class, do not want interacting with people, going to friend circles, avoid attending games and other social gatherings you are mostly maladaptive daydreaming. Another great symptom is reacting to fantasized characters, laughing with them, talking to them, giving expressions and other gestures.

What is the treatment for maladaptive daydreaming?

There is no proper medicine for the treatment of maladaptive daydreaming. However, there are some methods with the help of which you can treat it. Sleeping well, distracting your mind and engaging yourself in some mind-boosting and brainstorming activities, set a timer and count down the intervals of daydreaming, write down the thoughts, visit a therapist, turn useless thoughts into some productive ones and mindfulness. Get support and avoid teasing your physical and mental health.