Maladaptive Daydreaming: Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope

What Is Maladaptive Daydreaming?

It’s normal and even healthy to daydream. Daydreaming can help boost creativity, aid in goal setting, and provide a mental break throughout the day.⁶ However, in maladaptive daydreaming, people are unable to control themselves when daydreaming, and spend so much time and attention on their inner fantasies that they’re unable to complete their daily tasks.

People who have this problem often report spending 4-5 hours per day immersed in daydreams, and usually report that their life, relationships, and work have suffered as a result. Often, they become so engrossed in their daydreams that they even prefer their inner fantasy life to their real life, and may become irritated, annoyed or upset when they can’t escape into their daydreams.^1,2,3,4,5,6

Why Do People Start Maladaptive Daydreaming?

According to research, most maladaptive daydreamers started this habit in childhood and used it as a way to escape and avoid childhood trauma or difficult experiences.^2,7 Often, their daydreams involve idealized versions of themselves and their lives, providing a place where they can escape from unhappiness, boredom, loneliness, and shame in their real life.⁷ Unfortunately, this often causes them to neglect their real-life responsibilities, relationships, and daily tasks in ways that lead to problems and impairments.²

Is Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder a Diagnosable Condition?

Currently, maladaptive daydreaming disorder is not officially recognized as a mental health condition. It is likely that this will change in the near future, especially because there has been a lot of research to support it as a valid psychological problem that some people have.^1,3

When Does Fantasizing Become Unhealthy?

Fantasizing becomes unhealthy when it begins to cause distress or impairment in a person’s real life, or when it keeps them from being able to function normally.

Below are some examples of ways that maladaptive daydreaming can cause problems or impairments for people:^1,3,6,8

• Being annoyed or frustrated when people distract or interrupt you from daydreams
• Being unable to focus on conversations, tasks, or activities because of daydreaming
• Not being productive or meeting expectations at work or school because of daydreams
• Stopping other social/leisure activities in order to spend more time daydreaming
• Beginning to prefer fantasy and daydreams over real life interactions
• Not being able to control daydreaming in order to focus on other things
• Needing to daydream in order to feel calm or emotionally stable
• Excessive use of music, internet, movies, games, porn, or fan fiction to enhance daydreams

Typical Daydreaming Vs. Maladaptive Daydreaming

Some researchers estimate that the mind is unfocused and wandering for nearly half of our waking hours, so daydreaming is very normal.⁶ Still, there are many differences between normal daydreaming and maladaptive daydreaming. Some of these differences can be found in the content and vividness of a person’s daydreams, while other differences are found in the lives, relationships, and functioning of the person having them.^1,3

According to leading expert and researcher Dr. Eli Somer, maladaptive daydreamers have an “innate capacity for vivid fantasy that creates a powerful sense of presence. This mental activity is reported to be highly rewarding and, therefore, can increase the risk for addiction.” He notes that when daydreams become more important than real life and relationships or keeps them from being able to function, it is often a sign that it has become maladaptive.

Normal Vs. Maladaptive Daydreaming Chart

There are several differences between normal, healthy daydreaming and maladaptive daydreaming, including:

Celebrity Worship: A Specific Kind of Maladaptive Daydreaming

A portion of people who experience maladaptive daydreams report being obsessed with one or more celebrities. There seems to be an association between ‘celebrity worship’ and maladaptive daydreaming, with some people becoming so obsessed with their celebrity idol that this individual becomes one of the most important relationships they have.⁹

Maladaptive daydreamers with celebrity worship will spend hours at a time researching information about the celebrity and obsessively following their social media accounts, or spending an inordinate amount of time and energy grieving a celebrity death. This is linked to higher levels of unhealthy social media and internet use.

They often describe having intense, unhealthy emotional attachments to celebrities. Often, there is an underlying desire for fame and a strong desire to gain the attention or admiration of the celebrity, which sometimes leads them to engage in obsessive behaviors such as going to unhealthy lengths to attempt to contact the celebrity.⁹

When Does Maladaptive Daydreaming Become a Concern?

Most people daydream from time to time, but when it turns into a habit that impacts a person’s ability to function in daily life, it becomes a concern that needs to be addressed.

Here are a few signs that daydreaming is becoming a concern:¹²

• Spending several hours per day daydreaming
• Real-life relationships and responsibilities are being neglected
• Experiencing facial expressions, body movements, and verbalizations in response to fantasies
• Difficulty concentrating on other things
• Intense emotional involvement in detailed fantasies

Maladaptive Daydreaming Symptoms

Maladaptive daydreaming symptoms can include:^1,3,6,8

• Excessive time spent daydreaming (often several hours per day)
• Daydreaming is preferred over other tasks and activities
• Daydreams are about an ideal self/life/future that provides an escape from true reality
• The person is unable to focus, concentrate, or redirect attention away from daydreams
• Daydreams are used to escape reality and cope with difficult emotions
• Loss of control over daydreaming, not being able to stop or cut back
• Daydreams become more important than real life activities/relationships
• The person is upset, irritable, or unstable when they can’t daydream (withdrawals)
• Attempts to enhance daydreams with music, movies, porn, fan fiction, etc. (tolerance)
• Daydreams may be so vivid that a person moves, makes vocalizations or facial expressions while experiencing them

Common Co-occurring Mental Health Concerns

Maladaptive daydreaming has features of many other mental health conditions, including:^2,3,4,8

• Addictive disorders: Similar patterns of compulsive use, loss of control, tolerance, cravings, and withdrawals
• Impulse control disorders: Similar inability to control the behavior or override urges and impulses to engage in daydreaming
• Attention deficit disorders: Similar patterns of distraction, inability to focus or concentrate, and impaired work and academic performance
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorders: Similar ‘obsessive’ nature of thoughts and daydreams, attributing too much importance to thoughts, and some compulsive behaviors (like internet, porn or social media use) are commonly reported
• Dissociative disorders: A pattern of opting out or mentally escaping during times of stress, hardship or emotional intensity

Common Co-Occurring Disorders

Maladaptive daydreamers commonly report having other mental health conditions, including:⁴

• Depressive disorders that involve frequent sadness, loss of interest, and low energy which may keep people with maladaptive daydreams from socially interacting with others or engaging in other meaningful and enjoyable activities
• Begin a mindfulness practice by engaging in guided meditations, breath awareness, or just by working to be more present in your daily life and interactions with others
• Reduce time spent online, watching TV, reading fantasy or fiction, or using music to enhance your daydreams
• Get out more, attend events and meetups, and practice learning how to approach people and start conversations
• Improve your real-life relationships by going out more, meeting new people, and strengthening your current relationships
• Find healthier outlets for stress and difficult emotions, including exercise, artistic outlets, or meditation
• Improve your self-compassion by being kinder to yourself and improving your self-care
• Spend less time feeding into, concentrating on, and adding details to your daydreams

Final Thoughts on Maladaptive Daydreaming

People who struggle with maladaptive daydreaming often describe that it keeps them from being able to function and live a normal life. They may have developed a habit of retreating to their inner fantasies and as a result, do not have the ability to stop this behavior on their own. Seeking professional help from a counselor can be a great starting place for those who need help with maladaptive daydreaming.

With the help of a counselor, it may be possible to uncover the root cause of maladaptive daydreaming and work to find other, healthier methods of coping. Working to enrich daily life and routine and add more meaningful activities and interactions can also help people learn to meet their emotional needs in real-life, instead of needing to use their daydreams to do so.