The complexity of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Maladaptive daydreaming – when fantasy takes over your life

We all know what daydreaming is, and how pleasant it can be. But what happens when daydreaming takes over your life? When you lose hours in vivid, detailed inner worlds, and you can no longer control it, however much you want to?

You may be experiencing maladaptive daydreaming (MD): a form of daydreaming so intense and compelling that it disrupts everyday life. Your work, your sleep, your relationships, your sense of being in control. It often comes with shame and secrecy, because it’s so hard to explain to anyone else.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken — and you’re far from alone.

What is maladaptive daydreaming?

Maladaptive daydreaming is a mental condition in which someone experiences intense, often compulsive daydreams. The dreams become an escape from reality — so absorbing that the line between fantasy and real life starts to blur, and normal functioning suffers. People can find themselves living in another world, or several, alongside their ‘normal’ life.

The term was introduced in the early 2000s by Israeli professor Eli Somer, who also identified early connections with ADHD, trauma, dissociation, autism and other conditions. MD rarely stands on its own: it often runs alongside other mental-health difficulties, which can be present at the same time.

How someone falls into MD varies. Sometimes out of loneliness, sometimes after trauma, sometimes out of intense adoration or a need to escape. Consciously or unconsciously, the daydreaming becomes a way of coping with reality.

MD is still a relatively unexplored area, and many people — even professionals — don’t recognise it by name. As a result, people can spend years struggling without knowing what it is.

Does this sound familiar?

Many people with MD recognise themselves in signs like these:

– You become absorbed for hours in vivid, elaborate fantasy worlds.
– You struggle to stop, even when you try.
– Certain triggers set it off — music, pacing, repetitive movement.
– It costs you work, study, sleep or connection with others.
– You feel ashamed and keep it hidden.
– It feels like escaping — but you’ve lost control over it.

If you recognise yourself here, this book can help you understand what’s going on, and what you can do about it.

What this book gives you

Inside, you’ll read about:

– What maladaptive daydreaming actually is, and the thin line between MD and ordinary daydreaming
– How common it is, and how little is still known about it
– The signs and symptoms — to recognise it in yourself or someone close to you
– Possible causes, and the links with trauma, ADHD, dissociation and other conditions
– What it’s like to live with it, and when daydreaming becomes an addiction
– Its impact on daily life
– Treatments and self-help tools, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, as far as they are known
– Stories of hope and recovery
– How to find the right help

No promise of a quick fix — but understanding, recognition, and a direction to move forward.

Who is this book for?

– For you, if you recognise yourself in the above and want to understand what’s happening.
– For loved ones, a partner, parent or friend, who want to understand what someone is going through.
– For professionals looking for accessible information on a still little-known subject.

> Living with maladaptive daydreaming can be painful and isolating. This book won’t promise to make it disappear, but it will help you understand it, and you’re not the only one reading this.

> Also available in Dutch: *De complexiteit van maladaptief dagdromen.