Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder

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Revision as of 11:22, 5 January 2021 by Changelings (talk | contribs) (added flag)
maladaptive daydreaming disorder ( n.)
SynonymsMaDD (n.), MD (n.) Daydreaming Disorder (n.) Maladaptive Daydreaming (n.)
OriginPsychiatric term

Maladaptive Daydream(ing) Disorder (MaDD) is a condition marked by excessive and persistent daydreaming as a coping mechanism. It's a way for those experiencing trauma, stress, or comorbid conditions to escape reality. MaDD is specifically a hinderance and is disruptive in ones life: inability to focus; intrusive thoughts; forgetting to eat, drink or shower; emotional outbursts in public due to scenarios within their paracosm; pacing or doing repetitive actions to the point of pain; etc.

Daydreaming in general is not harmful and is a common occurrence, regardless of neurotype. Some individuals (especially within the Autistic groups) daydream to cope but it is not disordered to them; this is called neuronarrating.

Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder is not an official diagnosis in the DSM, nor can it be diagnosed. It is also known as Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) or Daydreaming Disorder.

Related Terms

Maladaptive daydreamers are not inherently plural, and systems are not inherently maladaptive daydreamers, but there are many overlaps between these experiences and communities. For example, many see MaDD as dissociative in nature, in line with other disorders like DID, and many daydreamers and systems alike have complex inner worlds. Even if the former's paracosm feels more real than the outside world, however, it is still a fantasy; systems' headspaces are equally as real as the meatspace. They both may experience conversations and actions within their mind, which is often distracting.

Many systems that also daydream have a strong connection between their paracosms and headspaces, both with locations and members. A dreamway system is one where paras can enter the systems as paratives or previmes, and existing headmates can visit those worlds. An entire system created through daydreaming is called paragenic.

History

The term "maladaptive daydreaming" (MD) was coined in 2002 by professor of psychology Eli Somer in his work "Maladaptive Daydreaming: A Qualitative Inquiry". He also developed the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS) and spurred research into this condition. It sits at an intersection of dissociation (due to the disconnect between reality and fantasy), a behavioral addiction (due to the calming, pleasurable escapism), an obsessive-compulsive symptom (due to the urge to daydream to ease an anxiety), and lacking attention (due to the distraction of having an entire reality in ones head). There is a whole group of researchers dedicated to exploring MD too, called the ICMDR.

Because of the similarities between MD and other acronyms (MD for "medical doctor", MDD for "major depressive disorder", etc), online communities often use MaDD for the specifity. Neurodiverse communities have embraced the concept of maladaptive daydreaming.

Flags

[[File:MaDD pride flag by flowerfallsyndrome.jpg|alt=A flag made up of many vertical stripes, mostly cyan, indigo, and purple, varying in shade. The center is a white band with light blue stripes directly on either side.|MaDD pride flag created by flowerfallsyndrome on tumblr.