maladaptive daydreaming

Daydreaming, a form of normal dissociation associated with absorption, is a highly prevalent mental activity experienced by almost everyone.Singer, J. L. (1966) [https://books.google.com/books?id=zXd-AAAAMAAJ "Daydreaming: An Introduction to the Experimental Study of Inner Experience"]. New York, NY: Random House{{Medrs|date=July 2020}} Some individuals reportedly possess the ability to daydream so vividly that they experience a sense of presence in the imagined environment. This experience is reported to be extremely rewarding to the extent that some of those who experience it develop a compulsion to repeat it that it has been described as an addiction.{{Cite journal |last1=Pietkiewicz |first1=Igor J. |last2=Nęcki |first2=Szymon |last3=Bańbura |first3=Anna |last4=Tomalski |first4=Radoslaw |date=August 2018 |title=Maladaptive daydreaming as a new form of behavioral addiction |journal=Journal of Behavioral Addictions |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=838–843 |doi=10.1556/2006.7.2018.95 |pmc=6426361 |pmid=30238787}}{{Cite journal |last1=Somer |first1=E. |last2=Somer |first2=L. |last3=Jopp |first3=S.D. |date=9 June 2016 |title=Parallel lives: A phenomenological study of the lived experience of maladaptive daydreaming |journal=Journal of Trauma & Dissociation |volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=561–576 |doi=10.1080/15299732.2016.1160463 |pmid=26943233 |s2cid=970330}}{{Cite journal |last1=Bigelsen, J. |first1=J. |last2=Schupak |first2=C. |date=December 2011 |title=Compulsive fantasy: Proposed evidence of an under-reported syndrome through a systematic study of 90 self-identified non-normative fantasizers |journal=Consciousness and Cognition |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=1634–1648 |doi=10.1016/j.concog.2011.08.013 |pmid=21959201 |s2cid=206954778}}

Somer has proposed "stimuli" for maladaptive daydreams that may relate to specific locations. The main proposed symptom is extremely vivid fantasies with "story-like features", such as the daydream's characters, plots and settings.

Somer has argued that maladaptive daydreaming is not a form of psychosis, as people with maladaptive daydreaming can tell that their fantasies are not real, while those with psychotic disorders have difficulty separating hallucinations or delusions from reality.

There is no consensus among psychologists as to the causes of maladaptive daydreaming, although some experts believe it may be a coping mechanism. Teenagers and young adults, particularly those with childhood trauma or abuse, more frequently report having the condition than adults do. Individuals with the condition sometimes share traits with other behavioral addictions, such as gambling or video games, and may use their daydreams as a means to escape reality.{{cite journal |title=Do gaming motives mediate between psychiatric symptoms and problematic gaming? An empirical survey study |first1=Matteo |last1=Ballabio |first2=Mark D. |last2=Griffiths |first3=Róbert |last3=Urbán |first4=Allessandro |last4=Quartiroli |first5=Zsolt |last5=Demetrovics |first6=Orsolya |last6=Király |display-authors=4 |year=2017 |journal=Addiction Research & Theory |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=397–408 |doi=10.1080/16066359.2017.1305360|url=http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30466/1/8249_Griffiths.pdf }}{{cite web |url=https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/maladaptive-daydreaming-what-it-is-and-how-to-stop-it |title=Maladaptive daydreaming: What it is and how to stop it |first=Jennifer |last=Fisher |editor-first=Stephanie |editor-last=Collier |date=January 9, 2024 |access-date=May 8, 2024 |website=Harvard Health |publisher=Harvard Medical School}}

While maladaptive daydreaming is not a recognized psychiatric disorder, it has spawned online support groups since Somer first reported the proposed disorder in 2002.{{Cite journal |last1=Soffer-Dudek |first1=Nirit |last2=Somer |first2=Eli |date=15 May 2018 |title=Trapped in a Daydream: Daily Elevations in Maladaptive Daydreaming Are Associated With Daily Psychopathological Symptoms |journal=Frontiers in Psychiatry |volume=9 |page=194 |doi=10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00194 |issn=1664-0640 |pmc=5962718 |pmid=29867613 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite web |last=Bershtling, O., & Somer, E. |date=27 August 2018 |title=The Micro-Politics of a New Mental Condition: Legitimization in Maladaptive Daydreamers' Discourse |url=https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3466&context=tqr |website=The Qualitative Report}} Although there are no specific treatments recommended for maladaptive daydreaming, Harvard Medical School suggests individuals with the condition may find treating other mental health conditions to be effective.

Maladaptive daydreaming is currently studied by a consortium of researchers (The International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research or ICMDR) from diverse countries including the United States, Poland, Switzerland, Israel, Greece and Italy.{{Cite web |title=Maladaptive Daydreaming Publications |url=https://daydreamresearch.wixsite.com/md-research/publications |website=The International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research (ICMDR)}}{{Cite journal |last1=Bigelse |first1=Jayne |last2=Lehrfeld |first2=Jonathan M. |last3=Jopp |first3=Daniela S. |last4=Somer |first4=Eli |date=May 2016 |title=Maladaptive daydreaming: Evidence for an under-researched mental health disorder |journal=Consciousness and Cognition |volume=42 |pages=254–266 |doi=10.1016/j.concog.2016.03.017 |pmid=27082138 |s2cid=4838048}}{{Cite web|title=Maladaptive Daydreaming researchers {{!}} ICMDR|url=https://daydreamresearch.wixsite.com/md-research/members|access-date=2020-12-06|website=md-research|language=en}}

Interested researchers are continuously added to the Consortium to foster collaborations in this small field of research. The ICMDR's website features all scientific studies on MD in the "publications" section.{{Cite web |title=Publication on Maladptive Daydreaming {{!}} ICMDR |url=https://daydreamresearch.wixsite.com/md-research/publications |access-date=6 December 2020 |website=md-research |language=en }}

There are no official ways to diagnose maladaptive daydreaming in patients because it has not yet been recognized in any official diagnostic manual for psychiatry, such as the DSM-5-TR. However, some methods have been developed in attempt to gauge the proposed mental disorder's prevalence.{{Cite journal |last1=Somer |first1=Eli |last2=Lehrfeld |first2=Jonathan |last3=Bigelsen |first3=Jayne |last4=Jopp |first4=Daniela S. |date=2016 |title=Development and validation of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS) |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053810015300611 |journal=Consciousness and Cognition |language=en |volume=39 |pages=77–91 |doi=10.1016/j.concog.2015.12.001 |pmid=26707384 |s2cid=4848532 |url-access=subscription }}

In 2015, a 14-item self-report measurement, known as the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale or MDS-16 was designed to identify abnormalities in the daydreaming of individuals. The purpose of designing this instrument was to provide a reliable and valid measurement of the existence of the proposed condition in patients and to garner attention to the potential existence of maladaptive daydreaming as a mental disorder.

Later, an additional two items were added, assessing the use of music in fostering daydreaming. The MDS-16 has been used in several countries such as the United States, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Italy and Israel.{{Cite journal |last1=Soffer-Dudek |first1=Nirit |last2=Somer |first2=Eli |last3=Abu-Rayya |first3=Hisham M. |last4=Metin |first4=Barış |last5=Schimmenti |first5=Adriano |date=2 November 2020 |title=Different cultures, similar daydream addiction? An examination of the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale |journal=Journal of Behavioral Addictions |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=1056–1067 |doi=10.1556/2006.2020.00080 |pmid=33141115 |pmc=8969720 |issn=2062-5871 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Schimmenti |first1=Adriano |last2=Sideli |first2=Lucia |last3=La Marca |first3=Luana |last4=Gori |first4=Alessio |last5=Terrone |first5=Grazia |date=2 September 2020 |title=Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS–16) in an Italian Sample |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00223891.2019.1594240 |journal=Journal of Personality Assessment |language=en |volume=102 |issue=5 |pages=689–701 |doi=10.1080/00223891.2019.1594240 |pmid=31012744 |s2cid=128360603 |issn=0022-3891 |url-access=subscription }}

Maladaptive daydreaming has been identified to potentially have comorbidity with a number of already existing recognized mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and obsessive–compulsive disorder.{{Cite journal |last1=Somer |first1=Eli |last2=Soffer-Dudek |first2=Nirit |last3=Ross |first3=Colin A. |date=2017 |title=The Comorbidity of Daydreaming Disorder (Maladaptive Daydreaming) |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1097%2FNMD.0000000000000685 |journal=The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease |language=en |volume=205 |issue=7 |pages=525–530 |doi=10.1097/NMD.0000000000000685 |pmid=28598955 |s2cid=13618389 |issn=0022-3018 |url-access=subscription }} In one case study, a patient believed to have the condition was administered fluvoxamine, a medication typically used to treat those with OCD. The patient found she was better able to control the frequency of her daydreaming episodes.{{Cite journal |last1=Bigelsen |first1=Jayne |last2=Schupak |first2=Cynthia |date=2011 |title=Compulsive fantasy: Proposed evidence of an under-reported syndrome through a systematic study of 90 self-identified non-normative fantasizers |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053810011002030 |journal=Consciousness and Cognition |language=en |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=1634–1648 |doi=10.1016/j.concog.2011.08.013 |pmid=21959201 |s2cid=206954778 |url-access=subscription }}

James Thurber's story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, written in 1939, showcases the main character, Walter, as he experiences maladaptive daydreaming while working in an office and regularly imagines himself in heroic situations. The character is also related to that of having a fantasy-prone personality.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-30 |title=The secret life of maladaptive daydreaming |url=https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/maladaptive-daydreaming/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512012503/https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/maladaptive-daydreaming/ |archive-date=2022-05-12 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Big Think |language=en-US |url-status=live }} The story has been adapted twice into film, in 1947 by Norman Z. McLeod{{Cite web |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25341-THE-SECRETLIFEOFWALTERMITTY?sid=3c4c17c0-ede4-46da-86ef-9fb8cb9ee9ce&sr=13.401653&cp=1&pos=1 |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=catalog.afi.com}} and again in 2013 by Ben Stiller.{{Cite web |last=Hammond |first=Pete |date=2013-04-18 |title=CinemaCon: Fox Unveils Ben Stiller's 'Secret Life Of Walter Mitty' Which Could Be Oscar Bound |url=https://deadline.com/2013/04/cinemacon-fox-unveils-ben-stillers-secret-life-is-walter-mitty-oscar-bound-478160/ |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

In What Remains of Edith Finch, released in 2017, compulsive daydreaming is shown as the cause of death to the character Lewis.{{Cite web |last=Simelane |first=Smangaliso |date=2022-01-29 |title=What Remains of Edith Finch and Compulsive Daydreaming |url=https://gamerant.com/what-remains-of-edith-finch-compulsive-daydreaming/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817224628/https://gamerant.com/what-remains-of-edith-finch-compulsive-daydreaming/ |archive-date=2022-08-17 |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Game Rant |language=en |url-status=live }} His mundane job at a fish factory drives him into compulsive daydreaming in order to escape it, and this leads him to committing suicide at his work from walking around while in his daydreaming state. In the game Lewis is described by his therapist as slowly losing touch with reality.

Although maladaptive daydreaming has not been officially recognized as a mental disorder, it has garnered attention from numerous news and media outlets starting in 2020.{{Cite news |last1=Bigelsen |first1=Jayne |last2=Kelley |first2=Tina |title=When Daydreaming Replaces Real Life |work=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/04/when-daydreaming-replaces-real-life/391319/ |access-date=6 December 2020 |issn=1072-7825 |date=April 29, 2015 |archive-date=May 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501005917/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/04/when-daydreaming-replaces-real-life/391319/ |url-status=live}}{{subscription required}}{{Cite web |title=The daydream that never stops |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the_daydream_that_never_stops |access-date=6 December 2020 |website=BBC |language=en-GB }}{{Cite web |date=25 June 2018 |title=People with "Maladaptive Daydreaming" spend an average of four hours a day lost in their imagination |url=https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/06/25/people-with-maladaptive-daydreaming-spend-an-average-of-four-hours-a-day-lost-in-their-imagination/ |access-date=6 December 2020 |website=Research Digest |language=en |archive-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818214518/https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/06/25/people-with-maladaptive-daydreaming-spend-an-average-of-four-hours-a-day-lost-in-their-imagination/ |url-status=dead }}

• Avoidant personality disorder
• Cognitive shifting
• Hyperphantasia
• Hyperthymesia
• Mind-wandering
• Procrastination
• Schizoid personality disorder
• Schizotypal personality disorder

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Category:2002 neologisms

Category:Symptoms and signs of mental disorders

Category:Daydreaming