Maladaptive Daydreaming

if I haven’t posted in 8 years it’s because I’m too busy daydreaming

[livingwithmadd]

I’ve spent like the last year finally trying out reality and you know what? think I’ll pass thanks

[infiniteorangethethird]

can we just talk about how madd completely fucks up your sense of self and identity bc I feel like this isn't mentioned enough

too much "madd interferes with your productivity" and not enough "madd effectively makes you live two lives at the same time where one requires you to hide who you are in order to fit in and the other is a fictional world where you're either an impossible perfection of your true identity or nonexistent at all meaning you're never really truly yourself until you begin to question whether there's even a real person behind the mask or if it's just a bunch of leftover thoughts from your daydreams"

[livingwithmadd]

hey fellow daydreamers! I’m facing a bit of an issue, and I’m looking for some advice/input from others who may have a similar experience.

so my main daydreaming repetitive movement, like many others, is pacing. I’ve spent the last 5 ish years pacing at a minimum of 3 hours per day. I’m very emotionally reliant on my daydreams, and tend to go a bit crazy when I can’t pace for a long time.

however.. in less than a week I start college, and I’m moving into a super tiny dorm room. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do? Is it possible to just adapt to some other movement as a substitute? I know that other daydreamers do other things that require less space, but for me, pacing is the only thing able to immerse me.

[livingwithmadd]

shoutout to all the non-creative maladaptive daydreamers out there

[decomposingqueer]

(does one thing) hm i think i deserve a little reward :) (walks around in circles listening to music for three hours)

[slowlyhauntedpaper]

Quarantine got me like:

[addicted-to-daydreaming]

Hey madders I'm about to horrify you: I pace in the living room or hallway of my house where my family can hear or even see me. It's awful and I am so embarrassed. My room is just too dirty to pace in :(

[stardustmadd]

Am I the only one who can’t even recognize myself anymore? I’ve spent so long seeing myself as someone else that I can’t even see me. I feel like even my real life is a dream and I’m just playing a part.

I feel like a ghost

[ccaeles]

me: *pacing in my room, making facial expressions and muttering*

the people that can see me through my window:

(dni if you don't have madd, or if you aren't an immersive dreamer)

[livingwithmadd]

do y’all ever just want to make memes abt your paras but know it’s pointless bc nobody else would understand them

[mdmoments]

Me: I daydream about multiple healthy and happy relationships since I lack those in real life and it helps me cope with my depression

Also me: Everyone dies or is tortured in some way i am technically a sadist

[maddaydreamer]

What hurts the most is realizing the people in your head feel so real but really aren’t. And you can’t go to them to seek comfort

[valtsv]

you’re telling me there are people who listen to music and DON’T use it as the soundtrack for the intense cinematic daydream plot they’ve always got playing in the back of their head???

[really-madd]

me connecting song lyrics to the plot of a daydream

[livingwithmadd]

having madd and crippling social anxiety is one hell of a combo because like. I am absolutely terrified of all social interaction and instead of wanting to make friends despite my anxiety my brain just does this

social anxiety: I don’t want to talk to people but I’m lonely and I still want friends

madd: no problem m8 I’ve got a couple dozen paras here and all they’ll cost is all of your time

social anxiety: sounds like a great deal that totally will not destroy my life at all thank you

[anxietyproblem]

[maladaptive-dreamer]

I may not have a social life, close friends, solid relationships, or self-confidence, but I DO have exactly 42 fabricated realities and crippling social anxiety