Most Daydreaming, Turns Out To Be Risky To Mental Health

Illustrations are mostly daydreaming or known as maladaptive daydreaming (Unsplash/Revolt)

YOGYAKARTA – Many studies have found that people who like to daydream are smart people. However, maladaptive daydreaming or too much daydreaming can affect mental health.

Quoting the Sleep Foundation page, Monday, April 18, maladaptive daydreams can be so deep and long that the person experiencing them is separated from the world around them. The risks are not only in social relationships, but also work, school, sleep, to daily life.

A maladaptive daydreamer, spends 4.5 hours a day daydreaming. They may be so engrossed in their inner world that it is more difficult to stay grounded in reality. Because daydreams are very attention-grabbing, maladaptive daydreams can cause emotional distress. Which makes a very dilemma, apart from the strong desire to daydream generally also makes a person feel bad.

Illustrations are mostly daydreaming or known as maladaptive daydreaming (Unsplash/Guillaume Bolduc)

Experts estimate that about 47 percent of our waking hours are daydreams. However, maladaptive daydreaming separates from reality to the point where it interferes with a person's performance of tasks. Maladaptive daydreaming can develop as a coping strategy in response to trauma. Because the inner world may feel safer than the experiences that occur on the outside.

In 2002, maladaptive daydreaming was first defined and not yet recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The prevalence of maladaptive daydreaming is also unknown, but the condition is more common in people with anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Maladaptive daydreaming is characterized by symptoms of intense daydreaming and clear storyline, characters, settings, daydreams triggered by real-world events or sensory stimuli, unconscious facial expressions, repetitive body movements, talking to accompany daydreams, lasting from minutes to hours, strong desire to keep daydreaming, difficulty focusing and completing tasks, difficulty sleeping. This disturbing daydream is also evidenced by several studies, finding that maladaptive daydreamers tend to have active imaginations as children.

There is no official treatment for maladaptive daydreaming. Treatment through therapy and forming healthy habits is recommended. Healthy habits include improving sleep quality, getting the right sleep, reducing fatigue, sunbathing in the morning, reducing caffeine consumption, exercising every day and eating well.

In addition to practicing healthy habits, recognizing or identifying symptoms is important. For example, by taking notes and keeping a daily journal. If you feel addicted to daydreaming and find it difficult to overcome on your own with the support of those closest to you, talk to an expert.