Maladaptive Daydreaming and Memory
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- This educational video explores Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) and its relationship with memory. It begins with a case study of Adah, a woman struggling with MD and various life challenges, then delves into recent research findings. The video discusses MD's connection to fantasy proneness and childhood trauma, examining how it functions as a coping mechanism. It addresses the potential for confusion between daydreams and real memories in people with MD, citing studies by researchers like Breuer, Somer, and Otgaar. The presentation includes examples from individuals experiencing MD, highlighting the complex nature of this condition. While emphasizing that most people with MD can distinguish fantasy from reality, the video also notes the need for further research in this area. Overall, it provides a comprehensive overview of MD, its impacts on memory, and its relationship with trauma, concluding with treatment approaches and future research directions.
My intense childhood daydreaming lead me into the art field, and I can say that I definitely had bad problems with memory as a kid. Not in terms of mixing up real and imagined events, but in terms of that I was daydreaming and not paying attention to the actual events around me. It impacted my ability to pay attention in school, be social, or do much exploring of reality. I'd suggest someone with MD probably is more vulnerable to mixing up memories because they may not have been actually present for the real event either. My daydreams are usually totally fantastical, so I don't have any issue with mixing fantasy and reality - but I do have an issue with getting 'locked into fantasy' exploring a narrative. I'm lucky that having a strong imagination is good for my field, but I'm still impacted and learning to 'check in with reality' more often and be responsible for whatever it is that I'm ignoring.
Appreciate the video, thanks!
So interesting. It makes me wonder if M.D. in a child plus long-term, overly-difficult circumstances could lead to schizophrenia. Meanwhile, I think M.D. is a good springboard in talk therapy for contacting the ongoing deeper needs of a patient.. It's a blessed profession to explore the marvelous mind , thank you!
There’s overlap here between the potentially adaptive part of maladaptive daydreaming (imagining different endings to conflict or trauma) and the therapeutic benefits of dreamwork, particularly that reimagining (and then practicing) outcomes of nightmares (some of which may be traumatic memories) can support healing. As a dreamwork practitioner interested in trauma and memory, i find your research really interesting and useful. I’m curious to know more about the *spectrum* of maladaptive daydreaming. I speculate there are more of us on the spectrum than we may realize of understand; especially individuals with C-PTSD.
MD's underlying trait is called immersive daydreaming (ID), and I concur that ID can be both enjoyable and, in some cases, beneficial. Like many psychological phenomena, MD lies on a continuum spanning from normal (but immersive) daydreaming to the addictive, distressing, and impairing MD.
The overlap between adaptive aspects of ID and therapeutic dreamwork techniques is indeed a fascinating area of study. The adaptive aspects of daydreaming, such as reimagining outcomes of traumatic events, indeed align with therapeutic techniques used in trauma treatment and dreamwork.
I think you're right. I did a couple of years of clinical training (b4 dropping out) and the only practice-case that I witnessed work -- like beyond -- was one where I was supervised by an Dr Al Mahr, one of those experiential psychologists from the 60s. He had me have her describe her dreams which she had mentioned, and the sessions were led by that. She was grieving her aunt, in an otherwise cold family, and the way her dreams changed and (chills) in the last one her aunt appeared smiling. I've actually never been witness to a process like that! I also agree there is a spectrum of this and interaction with many factors.
When I was very young (around the age of four) I watched my mother and father argue (she had cheated with another guy) which lead to me panicking and trying to get in-between them both. Big mistake because I ended up taking a swift punch to the face from my father who felt unbelievably bad after. Although my father hugged me, apologized and I tried to forget about it my subconscious held on to it and that was the beginning of my shadow self. Over the years I would watch my mother snort drugs and get drunk and have parties with rough crowds when I stayed with her. My father got upset and took me back home (he had custody of me). My father was very hyper and couldn't regulate his emotions, he also had a fragile ego and was very condescending. He would continue for years to argue with me, torment me, jump scare me very often, lock me in the dark basement or a dark room, ridicule me, slam me against the wall, make me very uncomfortable, accuse me of things I didn't do, I could go on for awhile. All of this just kept adding to my shadow until it got so big that I had an existential crisis. I started maladaptive daydreaming around six years old and it only got worse with the trauma. Now I'm a 26 year old introvert who struggled in school, graduated at 20, didn't get a diploma, has a poor socioeconomic background, has no car or license, never been employed, never had a relationship, still live with my horrible alcoholic step mom and my father who is now getting dementia with myasthenia gravis and fibromyalgia. I have horrible social anxiety, lots of trauma, maladaptive daydreaming disorder, lack of education because of the MDD, and most likely won't get the help I need. In America the system is flawed and allot of psychologists think this stuff is BS sadly. All I want more than anything in the world is for people to know about this disorder, what causes it and how to heal from it possibly through shadow work as a last resort if not therapy for trauma.
I'm deeply sorry to hear about the traumatic experiences you've endured and the ongoing challenges you face. Your resilience in spite of such difficult circumstances is commendable. Please know that Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is a condition that can be treated. I suggest mentioning our research page at daydreamresearch.wixsite.com/md-research to your healthcare providers. They may find valuable information there to better understand and address your MD.
@@SomerClinic appreciate it, thanks
I am 17 years old I have been subscribed to you for a while I’m so glad that there’s a doctor who specializes in this I’ve gone through very traumatic things in my life which has formed into of this dissociation/daydreaming.. I walk about 10k to 20k steps everyday in my room because of maladaptive daydreaming.. my daydreaming can be bad depending on how I’m feeling if I’m feeling depressed or insecure I’ll do it for hours on end even forgetting to eat or do anything else.. I’ll be seeing a psychiatrist to hopefully sort this out because my mind has never been silent since the age of 6.
8:07 I can absolutely confirm this
Your video is very interesting and made me think a lot about my personal story. I'm 20 today and I've been living with MD for 9 years. I don't know if it's possible or not but in November 2015 there was an attack in my country. I remember exactly in minute detail that horrible night (no one I knew near or far was touched, not even me). I remember that 3 days later we held a minute's silence at the swimming pool and I was the only one of 70 people crying. Maybe 1 or 3 months later, I remember starting MD after watching a teen series on TV at my grandparents' house. I immediately went into the bathroom and started dreaming of being in the place of the lead actress, who was a singer. For 2 or 3 years I dreamed of this dream life as a singer. Then my dreams got darker and darker. And that's where I wonder if the November 2015 attack didn't have an impact on me. For the past 6-7 years, my dreams have been linked to the army, saving people from attacks, or imagining myself on trial for these attacks. I've even strongly considered joining the army. But on the other hand, my parents worked a lot and weren't around much during my childhood. So maybe that had an effect on me.
I don't know
(Sorry if my english is bad I'm not a native speaker 😅l
Thank you for this information Dr. Somer :).
Thank you so much.
Hi dr Eli Somer Me and my sister have maladaptive daydreaming does it mean it is genetic ?
The trait of immersive daydreaming is innate, so it is conceivable that genetics are involved.
@@SomerClinic thank you dr Eli somer
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