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Maladeptive Daydreaming Article Review

"Invalid Item"  Day 11: Find an article about one of your specific issues and write your thoughts on the article.

Review of Maladaptive daydreaming: Symptoms and management1
by By Aaron Kandola

This article has two goals. The first is to establish ways to identify Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD). The second is to cope with it so that it does not intrude in the daily life of the MD sufferer. One of the main things this article does is to define the difference between ordinary daydreaming and maladaptive daydreaming is the excessive amount of time, and whether or not the daydreams interrupt or intrude on an individuals quality of life and daily tasks.

Daydreaming is thought, by scientist, to be a process of the brain's "default mode network".2 It is a part of every day life, and occurs when the brain is at rest, that is, a person's brain is not focusing on a task.

Maladaptive Daydreaming goes beyond the normal process of daydreaming because it intrudes on a person's daily life and work. This condition, which is not yet recognized by the medical establishment, it though--by some doctors--to be caused by some sort of trauma, and maybe a way for the patient to cope with the trauma or some type of abuse.

This article list six symptoms that an individual may experience when experiencing an MD episode. The person may encounter more than one of these symptoms in an episode or a day. These symptoms are daydreams...

...that are powerful enough to produce emotion and deeply involving;
...that are long, and the person has difficulty escaping;
...that interfere with a person's daily chores or job;
...that impede sleep;
...that are accompanied by repeated, unconscious movements such as waling back and forth or rocking.

There are some similarities between people experiencing MD and those those with a "dissociative identity disorder"3. The main difference between MD and other psychiatric disorders is awareness. People with MD know they are in a fantasy world when they are daydreaming.

While medication may be of little help, there are several other ways to manage MD. These methods include therapy, letting other people know the problem (so that they can interrupt the daydream), being aware of the incidents that trigger MD episodes, and reducing tiredness.

This article is helpful because it gives symptoms, and suggesting treatments. Since MD is not, as yet, a recognized condition there is not much more the article could do.

Footnotes
1  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319400.php
2  ibid.
3  ibid.