Maladaptive Daydreaming

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2021-01-18

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Maladaptive daydreaming, also called excessive daydreaming, is a proposed diagnosis of a disordered form of dissociative absorption associated with excessive fantasy that is not recognized by any major medical or psychological criteria. It can result in distress, can replace human interaction and may interfere with normal functioning such as social life or work. Maladaptive daydreaming is not a widely recognized diagnosis, and is not found in any major diagnostic manual of psychiatry or medicine. The person who coined the term is of University of Haifa Professor Eli Somer in the year 2002. Somer's definition of the proposed condition is “extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning.” There has been limited research outside of Somer's.

Range of daydreaming

Daydreaming, a form of normal dissociation associated with absorption, is a highly prevalent mental activity experienced by almost everyone.

Some individuals reportedly possess the ability to daydream so vividly that they experience a sense of presence in the imagined environment. This experience is reported to be extremely rewarding to the extent that some of those who experience it develop a compulsion to repeat it that it has been described as an addiction.

Somer has proposed "stimuli" for maladaptive daydreams that may relate to specific locations. The main proposed symptom is extremely vivid fantasies with "story-like features", such as the daydream's characters, plots and settings.

Somer has argued that maladaptive daydreaming is not a form of psychosis.

Online support

Whilst maladaptive daydreaming is not a recognized psychiatric disorder, it has spawned online support groups since Somer first reported the proposed disorder in 2002.

Research

Maladaptive daydreaming is currently studied by a consortium of researches (The International Consortium for Maladaptive Daydreaming Research or ICMDR) from diverse countries including USA, Poland, Switzerland, Israel, and Italy.

All research being conducted by the ICMDR is available on the organization's website in the "publications" section.

Diagnosis

There are no official ways to diagnose maladaptive daydreaming in patients because it has not yet been recognized in any official diagnostic manual for psychiatry, such as the DSM-5. However, some methods have been developed in attempt to gauge the proposed mental disorder's prevalence.

Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16)

In 2015, a 14-item self-report measurement known as the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale or MDS-16 was designed to identify abnormalities in the daydreaming of individuals. The purpose of designing this instrument was to provide a reliable and valid measurement of the existence of the proposed condition in patients, and to garner attention to the potential existence of maladaptive daydreaming as a mental disorder.

The MDS-16 has been used in the United States, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, and one study specifically investigated its effectiveness in an Italian sample. The measurement has not been utilized by many researchers and institutions outside of The International Consortium of Maladaptive Daydreaming Research.

Potential Comorbidity

Maladaptive daydreaming has been identified to potentially have comorbidity with a number of already existing recognized mental disorder such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In one case study, a patient believed to suffer from the condition was administered fluvoxamine, a medication typically used to treat those suffering from OCD. The patient found she was better able to control the frequency of her daydreaming episodes.

Maladaptive daydreaming in media

Although maladaptive daydreaming has not been officially recognized as a mental disorder, it has garnered attention from numerous news and media outlets over the last year.