Maladaptive Daydreaming

[CodyL]

I like too create little scenarios in my head, like when I'm listening to music I will imagine myself as a member of the particular music group, but I would still be me. Sometime I would be me, just in the band members body. I would also do that with movies, when I'm reading something, not so much in video games. But it doesn't feel addictive to me. I just do it. It like breathing I guess you could say. I've been doing it for years and didn't even realize it was excessive until recently. I just caught myself, like "Hey, that was weird", then I realized I did it a lot. Then I thought about it and I realized I've been doing it for a while now. I still do it and I guess it doesn't really bother my life. I just thinks its strange and interesting. I did have a lot of trauma in my childhood and I read that might be a cause of Maladaptive Daydreaming.
Anyways, I just wanting too know if it not feeling like an addiction is normal. If it is tell me and if it is normal for you share your story. It be nice to hear.  Well, thanks.

[JackofSpades]

Thank you for posting this. I do this often. With my increase in age, I tend to only have them in my head, where in my teenage years I would actually act them out. I create scenarios in my head and follow them through until I am fulfilled with their outcome. When I am alone, I usually revert to a few, now well developed, story lines. They are kind of an immediate rush, as I do not necessarily plan these episodes. I can usually turn them off when I am at work, but sometimes I do not even realize I am in my own world till some time has passed by.

The thing is, it really hasn't affected my life at all. I am very social, do well in school, and do not have a hard time focusing at work, at least not because of daydreaming (work is not very stimulating as it is).

When I am finished with these daydreams I usually feel some level of fulfillment or release, as if I just wrote a poem or a short story or a journal entry. Especially when I listen to music and pretend to be a band member. Or I see and film and create a side story line where I might be a character.

I have never actually explain this before, but its quite interesting to know that others cab describe exactly what happens to me.

I guess a 'thanks', is in order.

[JGF25]

I do it as well.  I have always done it.  It does not interfere with my life in general.  I usually only do it while driving in the car.  I do try to concentrate on the radio because sometimes I get to work and I wonder if I even paid attention to the road.  But obviously I do because I'm not wrecking the car on a constant basis.  So from my own perspective, I don't think it is "weird."  I think that in my case is is just part of my OCD.  My mind is always going 24/7 and this is just one of the ways my mind works.  

[jenniferluv12]

I do the same its normal for me though