Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a newly recognized behavioral addiction characterized by excessive absorption in fantasy.
Key facts about Maladaptive Daydreaming:
- It involves compulsive,immersive daydreaming that impairs functioning
- MD serves as an escape and emotional regulation strategy
- It shares features with other behavioral addictions like gaming and porn addiction
- MD can occupy many hours a day and lead to social isolation
- It typically begins in childhood as a coping mechanism
- MD has not yet been formally recognized as a diagnosis in psychology
Source: J Behav Addiction
Escaping into Fantasy with Maladaptive Daydreaming
MD first involves an all-consuming focus on daydreaming.
Individuals with MD spend multiple hours a day immersed in vivid fantasies as an escape from stressful realities.
These elaborate daydreams serve as a pleasurable retreat and method of coping with negative emotions.
MD fantasies often involve idealized versions of oneself and elaborate imagined scenarios that provide a sense of control unattainable in real life.
People with MD describe an irresistible urge to daydream frequently throughout the day.
They may even pace or act out aspects of their fantasies.
MD starts out as an effective emotional regulation strategy in childhood but progresses into a compulsive need for immersive daydreaming.
Maladaptive Daydreaming & Behavioral Addiction Features
Though not yet a formal diagnosis, researchers note that MD has many parallels with recognized behavioral addictions like gaming, gambling, or compulsive sexual behavior.
MD shares core addiction symptoms like salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse.
Salience means daydreaming dominates a person’s thinking and behavior.
Mood modification refers to the arousing “high” MD provides.
Tolerance is the need to daydream more and more extensively over time to achieve the desired mood boost.
Withdrawal involves feeling agitated and irritable whenunable to daydream.
Conflict arises both internally and in relationships as excessive daydreaming causes impairment.
Finally, relapse refers to easily falling back into uncontrolled immersive daydreaming after attempts to cut back.
All-Consuming Fantasies
A case study explores the experience of “Peter,” a 25-year-old with MD.
Peter spends the majority of his days absorbed in elaborate heroic and sexual fantasies triggered by sources like the internet and music.
He describes his uncontrollable daydreaming escalating over time to occupy 8+ hours daily.
Peter creates imaginary personas for himself like an ultra-wealthy businessman, an FBI agent with a photographic memory, or a vigilante hero.
He acts out his daydreams by pacing and talking to himself.
Peter uses MD to cope with social isolation and traumatic bullying he experienced in childhood.
His fantasy life provides him with the sense of superiority, excitement, and intimacy he lacks in reality.
However, Peter also feels great shame about his MD and makes efforts to conceal it.
He regrets missing key developmental experiences in adolescence due to social withdrawal.
Parallels to Gaming and Porn Addiction
There are striking similarities between MD and common behavioral addictions like internet gaming and compulsive porn use.
Games allow players to inhabit virtual personas and environments, providing escapism and mood enhancement.
Excessive porn viewing can also become an immersive compulsive behavior and emotional coping mechanism.
Like gaming addicts and compulsive porn users, those with MD report using fantasy to avoid real problems and experience altered states not accessible in reality.
All three behaviors can lead to isolation and neglect of responsibilities.
Seeking treatment for MD often also reveals underlying mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, OCD, and personality disorders.
Detecting Maladaptive Daydreaming in Practice
Since most psychologists currently lack awareness of MD, patients rarely disclose symptoms.
Clinicians should proactively ask about maladaptive daydreaming and fantasizing during intake interviews.
MD screening questions should cover:
- Time spent daydreaming
- Whether fantasies are repetitive/stereotyped
- If daydreaming causes distress or impairment
- Urges and inability to control immersive daydreaming
- Use of fantasy as an emotional coping strategy
MD may at first seem like benign vivid imagination.
But extensive absorption in escapist fantasies warrants further evaluation as a potential behavioral addiction.
Inquiring about MD can lead to more effective mental health treatment.
The Necessity of Further Daydreaming Research
MD requires rigorous scientific study to determine whether it truly constitutes a distinct clinical syndrome.
Researchers must establish diagnostic criteria and prevalence rates.
Investigating underlying brain mechanisms and potential intersections with other disorders will also be illuminating.
It remains debated whether MD should be classified as its own behavioral addiction or considered a symptom of conditions like OCD, ADHD, or personality disorders with which it commonly co-occurs.
Defining the relationship between MD and dissociation also needs clarification.
Can daydreaming be problematic?
Though not yet formally recognized, accumulating evidence suggests maladaptive daydreaming may represent a very real form of behavioral addiction.
Capturing the lived experiences of sufferers through qualitative research is a vital initial step in elucidating this phenomenon.
With further study, the mental health field can determine if MD warrants inclusion as a clinical diagnosis.
In the meantime, assessing for dysfunctional immersive fantasizing can improve outcomes when treating addiction and other mental illness.
References
- Study: Maladaptive daydreaming as a new form of behavioral addiction
- Authors: Igor J. Pietkiewicz et al. (2018)
