Do I Have Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder?

 Maladaptive daydreaming is not a very widespread term. By hearing the word “daydreaming,” you get to imagine someone creative and have interesting thoughts to share! However, maladaptive daydreaming is an actual disorder that can be diagnosed. Like many psychological disorders, this one decreases the quality of life and should be observed by professionals. Many of us get lost in our thoughts regularly. In moderate healthy amounts, this is a harmful habit. However, maladaptive daydreaming takes it to another level and may severely worsen a patient’s life. Moreover, some of us don’t even suspect having this disorder. This sneak condition hides behind the usual notion for us - daydreaming. 

 

Numerous official medical tests can be done to determine the disorder. All of them are used by psychologists and psychiatrists. Certified professionals diagnose their patients by completing tests, personal interview sessions, and reviewing the “case history.” The main sign of maladaptive daydreaming is regular and intense experiences where a person sort of “falls out of reality” and stops interacting with the surroundings. Such episodes are often triggered by traumatic events’ stimuli - anything from loud noises to specific words. During this period, a person experiences dissociation from reality and locks in their daydream. Sometimes, they remain silent and closed off; other times, they may reenact some of the imagined dialogs. However, they are always unresponsive to the outside world. Often, maladaptive daydreaming is a coping mechanism used to reduce the severe effects of trauma. As in most dissociation cases, daydreaming offers a safe place for an individual. As of now, mental professionals can determine maladaptive daydreaming, but the condition has not been included in the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It was first defined back in 2002, so it needs more time for proper research. Maladaptive daydreaming results in a significant decline in the daily functioning of a person and their lifestyle. You will have problems at work, in studying, and in your relationships if you are a maladaptive daydreamer. This condition brings more ruin to one’s life than you would imagine According to statistics, maladaptive daydreamers may spend more than four hours a day in their “dreamland.” Reality eludes you. Insomnia worsens it all. And you may think that this is only a regular daydreaming habit. NOT! 

 

We’ll talk more in detail about the symptoms and signs of maladaptive daydreaming in the questions to come. They’ll help to determine whether you simply are a daydreamer with a fantastic imagination or whether it’s become a severe disorder. However, some of the most obvious signs are spending lots of time in your head, missing big chunks of time in the day, memory loss, insomnia, etc. These are the signs that anyone can recognize.

However, there are also minor symptoms and the ones you wouldn’t attribute to daydreaming that need to be considered as well. And I hope you’ll learn to recognize them from this quiz! 
If you are interested in the topic of mental health, I believe you’ll like the following quizzes.