Maladaptively daydreaming ruining my life

Fathima

I've been maladaptively daydreaming for like 4/5 years now. I just now realise it's a coping mechanism for being alone most of the time and for how lonely I feel and I imagine a person I wish I was who's surrounded by others. I want to stop but it's rlly hard to stop. It's affecting my mental health detrimentally and if anyone has any advice, I'd rlly appreciate it.

63marie

Hey @Fathima. I can really relate to you with this, and you're right, for me it's a coping mechanism to try and escape my reality too. A few things I've found helpful are grounding exercises as they help bring me back to the present, even if I can only manage it for a few moments. I tend to pick one sense and really focus on it, like focusing on everything you can hear right now etc. Other things I do are really trying to do tasks mindfully and focusing on the sensory aspects of everything.
It can feel so lonely I know, so just know you're not alone. I hope you're day is going okay

Azziman

Hi @Fathima, thank you for sharing this with us. I can hear how difficult this is, both in terms of how it's impacting your wellbeing, but also in trying to stop it. Understanding the daydreaming as a coping mechanism is a big step forwards, so well done for doing this. How would you feel about speaking to a counsellor or therapist about this? We're here to support you through this.