Trapped in a Daydream: Daily Elevations in Maladaptive Daydreaming Are Associated With Daily Psychopathological Symptoms

Abstract

Background: Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) characterizes individuals who engage in vivid, fanciful daydreaming for hours on end, neglecting real-life relationships and responsibilities, resulting in clinical distress and functional impairment. Sufferers have embraced the term MD in cyber-communities devoted to this problem because it seemed to uniquely fit their experience and since existing diagnostic labels and their therapies seemed inadequate. However, scientific research in the field has been scarce, relying on cross-sectional or case study designs. Existing knowledge on MD suggests the involvement of dissociative and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as positive reinforcement comparable to processes in addiction disorders. The present study aimed to rigorously explore factors that accompany MD employing a longitudinal daily-diary design, hypothesizing that temporal increases in MD will associate concurrently with, and will temporally precede, other symptoms and emotional changes. In addition, we aimed to explore which symptoms may act as precursors to increases in MD, in order to identify possible mechanisms bringing about daydreaming in these individuals.Methods: In a sample of 77 self-diagnosed individuals with MD we assessed relevant daily symptoms for 14 days, including MD, depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and dissociation, as well as positive and negative emotion.Results: Increases in MD were strongly related to concurrent increases in all other symptoms and negative emotion, and to decreased positive emotion. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, dissociation, and negative emotion also temporally followed MD. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms were the only consistent temporal antecedent of MD.Conclusions: MD and obsessive-compulsive symptoms coincided in what seems to be a vicious cycle; understanding possible shared mechanisms between these symptoms may inform our understanding of the etiology of MD. For example, Serotonin levels may possibly be involved in the development or maintenance of this condition. The findings may also provide clues as to potentially beneficial interventions for treating MD. For example, perhaps utilizing response prevention techniques may be useful for curbing or intercepting unwanted daydreaming. Future studies on MD should address its compulsory nature.

Impact of Maladaptive Daydreaming on Grade Point Average (GPA) and the Association Between Maladaptive Daydreaming and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

“…Some of the most frequent MD comorbid disorders were obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders. A recent MD research paper published in 2018 by Soffer-Dudek et al showed a relationship between MD and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and possible shared mechanisms [6].…”

“…Additionally, although Somer et al developed the MDS to determine if a person is an MDer or not, there are no guidelines recommending the application of this scale. Moreover, because certain MDers reported experiencing other disorders, such as ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), it is reasonable to suspect that these disorders are related to MD but we still do not know how [6].…”

Linking Social Support, Social Anxiety and Maladaptive Daydreaming: Evidence from University Students of Pakistan

“…Childhood traumatic events such as sexual abuse,parent's separation, violence or illness in childhood are responsible in causing social anxiety (Wilson & Barber, 1981;Bandelow et al, 2004;Soffer-Dudek & Somer, 2018). In addition, increased level of stress and cortisol can also cause anxiety especially in adolescents and young adults (Essex et al, 2010;Romeo, 2013;Laurent, Gilliam, Wright & Fisher, 2015).…”

“…Anothervery interesting variable that has been found to be significantly correlated in most people with social anxiety disorder is maladaptive daydreaming which can be observed in extensive work done by Sommers (2018), on maladaptive daydreaming. In his many researches at multiple accounts he has found a significant correlation between social anxiety disorder and maladaptive daydreaming (Somer, 2000;Somer & Herscu, 2017;Sommer &Soffer-Dudek, 2018;Somer & Soffer-Dudek, 2018).…”

“…When an individual starts to daydream on extensive levels it turns into daydreaming disorder more commonly known as maladaptive daydreaming (Somer, 2002;Somer et al, 2016aSomer et al, , 2016bSomer et al, , 2016c. Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with harsh, physical or sexual abuse in childhood (Wilson & Barber, 1981;Soffer-Dudek & Somer, 2018). Those individuals which have experienced such harsh childhood trauma in most cases suffers from maladaptive daydreaming and also engages in monotonous physical movements (Somer, 2002).…”