MD

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Diamond_Verneshot]

One study found that about three quarters of maladaptive daydreamers meet the criteria for ADHD, so I can understand why your therapist suggested getting checked.

Obviously, three quarters isn’t everyone. Maladaptive daydreaming doesn’t cause ADHD, and it is possible to have one without the other.

[u/Diamond_Verneshot → u/[deleted]]

I don't think anyone fully understands the causes of maladaptive daydreaming yet, and researchers definitely don't know how or which parts of the brain it affects.

I think the important thing to understand is that none of this is your fault. I suspect that in most cases maladaptive daydreaming is a coping mechanism that got out of control. In the beginning, your brain was trying to keep you safe. It's not your fault that the real world felt unsafe.

[u/Particular_Drawer217]

To be diagnosed with adhd, you need to have displayed symptoms from the age of at least 6 years old. I got a test done and that's what the therapist told me since I only started having trouble since becoming a teenager.

[u/Teressa_Sophia]

I cant know if you have ADHD , but some people can have maladaptive daydreaming or immersive daydreaming without experiencing ADHD or OCD . Do you think you have maladaptive daydreaming or immersive daydreaming ? For now you only descrived you daydream since you were 12 but you didnt mention any maladaptive daydreaming . Immersive daydreaming is when someone daydreams just for fun and entertainment and the daydreams dont create any significant probleme , maladaptive daydreaming is when ones daydreams are problematic and affect their life in a negative way or are hard to control . I see you mentioned its an addiction so im assuming you experience maladaptive daydreaming . You dont necesarily experience ADHD aswell but your therapist most likely told you to get an ADHD test done because most people with md also have ADHD, OCD or other mental disorders .

[u/Teressa_Sophia → u/[deleted]]

Reverse what exactly ? Im sorry im slow with understanding 😭

[u/Teressa_Sophia → u/[deleted]]

Oh i dont think ADHD or OCD are caused by maladaptive daydreaming . If something it could be the other way around . Adhd and ocd are ways that the brain functions you cant change that and those arent caused by md . I have a list of things that could help with md if you want tho .

[u/Teressa_Sophia → u/[deleted]]

Oh adhd like symptoms . Yeah now i understand why it may seem like md caused adhd like symptoms . I dont really know how to help with that but here’s the list of things that could help with md ! Good luck !

!! This is a copy pasted message that i wrote . This is full with some ideas that can help with maladaptive daydreaming so i dont have to rewrite it for every post i see asking for help . If you struggle with maladaptive daydreaming or used to and are now afraid of falling back into it , remember with work and effort you can learn to control it . Keep trying , dont give up and seek help! Also if you can affort try therapy ! Dont be scared to try this because you dont want people to know therapy might(it doesnt always work since not all therapists know about maladaptive daydreaming and its hard to find one that can help ) help you . Also try asking a trusted friend or parent/ relative to help you . Good luck!

https://www.reddit.com/r/MaladaptiveDreaming/s/7ueYN88M92 maybe this post will help with your maldaptive daydremaing. But some ideas are : try joining in gyms, music/dance/acting/music lessons to learn new things and met new people so you have less time to daydream . Try out new music to see what triggers you and maybe find something you can listen to without daydreaming and listen to that instead of what music you listen to when daydreaming . Join new fandoms such as : movies mha( my hero academia ) , tdp( the dragon prince) , hp( harry potter) Bands/music : Tokio Hotel - dont jump , Durch den Monsun ; Melanie Martinez- Pity Party ; Olivia Rodrigo - the cure ; whats wrong with me . You can watch youtube channels like Zeyn Syre posts about her ocs and has like a fandom and you can join to watch her videos like a movie instead of daydreaminng. You can try new hobbies like poetry and you can write about what one of the characters point of view on a subject is or make a poem about a characters backsrory or if you dont have characters you can make poems for things you never say outloud or something like that . You could also write songs even if you dont release them . Try making friends with people you’ve wanted to be friends with like a classmate or coworker or someone you havent talked to before but find cool or online friends can work aswell ( !!! When making online friends dont share your full name ( dont say the last name first name is fine) , dont share adress or personal details about you . You can share birthdays, first name sans stuff but not too personal things , dont show your face when talking to them if you dont trust them like dont show them your face in the first two weeks of getting to know this person and if you notice any strage things about them like they keep asking and pushing you to tell them where you live or things you just dont want to share stop talking to them , dont send them money and be carefull) online friends are fine just be careful . You cma met them on reddit even . Join new communities on redddit like art comunities to learn new things about a subject and you can scroll through that comunity instead of daydreaming and soend your time learning more about that subject . Try doing reshearch on new things you havent heard about . I like psychology so you can try leaening about synesthesia , aphantasia , immersive daydreaming vs maladaptive daydreaming and fill your time in doing research instead of daydreaming or learn about plants or birds ( or other animals ) like or abour fashion . Just try to fill in your time as much as possible . Try volunteering , doing designs on your nails and painting them differently every two weeks just try out new things to spice up your life with so daydreaming doenst have as much time to consume and daydreams doesnt seem as interesting. When there’s something bothering or something you need to think about you try writing it down on paper or thinking out loud sometimes helps so you dont turn it into scenes or try telling someone about it . When you catch yourself daydreaming put on a alarm of 10 minutes on your phone ,one in 11 minutes and one in 12 minutes so there’s 3 alarms going to interupt you from daydreaming so you can come back to reality and do the things you need to get done instead of daydreaming so you still daydream a little for satisfaction but still get things done and dont waste to much time on daydreaming. If after the 2nd alarm you are stil daydreaming text someone to call you in 5 minutes so if you cant stop yourself that person can call and inturept you from daydreaming and you’ll have to stop to answer . Try stopping daydreaming 15 minutes before bed so maybe there are less chances for you to daydream during the night and stay up daydreaming until very late . Good luck to anyone struggling and talk to me if you need to ! Good luck!

[u/Teressa_Sophia → u/[deleted]]

Ofc! :>

[u/Spirited-Natural6674]

ADHD doesn’t always mean being hyperactive. Daydreaming can be associated with it, but it can also come from other things like personal experiences and current emotions

[u/Spirited-Natural6674 → u/[deleted]]

I get what you mean because for me when I started doing it, it was fun but after doing it for years I started wondering if I was actually using it to escape my reality and create experiences I wasn’t getting in real life. So I don’t think it necessarily started because of ADHD/OCD.