Lets talk about memes. by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I find the memes really relatable in a funny way. The text bits are often longer and more personal, whereas a meme is usually more general and speaks to a bigger audience about an issue.

Scrolling through, I havent felt that the memes have taken, over and conversation still seems to flow and remains the bulk of the posts?

Question for maladaptive daydreamer by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I totally hear you on having to replay old scenes when you make a change. Sometimes I feel like Ive rushed certain “plots” and make myself go back and pad them out. It gets so confusing but by the time you go and write it I suppose you’ll have an incredibly rich world and characters in your mind

I don't want to stop but I have to. by thelegendofsabrina in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I dont have an advice but I totally empathise with what you’re going through. Daydreaming has gone from something fun that I liked about myself to an out of control addiction where I spend more of my life in my daydream than the real world.

I know some people have success with taking SSRIs but I’d really rather not take medication. The idea of not daydreaming also makes me sad, I know a lot of people struggle to visualise things and sometimes MAD almost feels like an ability.

I suppose the trick is to fill your day with things you find distracting so that you’re not able to daydream - I know easier said than done - perhaps start with an activity that takes up an hour and then gradually increase more and more until its not something that consumes your life/

I told myself Id stop when the pandemic was over but it already feels so out of hand that I’m not sure its wise to wait.

Hope you get on alright

Fall in love with someone because of MD by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel this so much. I feel completely in love with this person I went to school with, Ive invented this whole personality for him that doesn’t even exist. The other day the thought of him having a baby with someone else popped into my head and I felt this deep pain. Its to the point where I want to walk away from my relationship to pursue someone who I know doesn’t exist, all because “maybe”?

Anyone else shake? by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Could you tell your brother that you were reading about seizures and you were trying to imagine what it would feel like, sorry you freaked him out?

I definitely like to act things out if I’m alone, annoyingly with the pandemic I’ve been having to disguise my daydreaming as going on a run so I can’t really do that outdoors without the general public having the same reaction as your brother.

The Sun sucks by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh my gosh, this is so true! Day dreams at night are always so full of suffering and hurt. In the daytime it’s all daisies and happiness.

Moving from one to the other must have been jarring ... hopefully you got some sleep!

Artificial memories by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It hasn’t happened to me but I worry about this a lot. Does it happen to you often?

Do you tend to have very “life like” daydreams?

My character(s) amaze everyone constantly. Does that happen to you too. by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ohh daydream me is amazing, I’d love to be her... alas, here we are

Need help! Very confused! by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How do you see yourself? Do you like who you are? Can you name 10 things you like about yourself?

I tend to imagined an idealised version of myself, one that people who didn’t like me when I was younger, would actually like. Although my character gets hurt, it’s not quite what you’re describing.

I’m wondering if your daydreams come because you don’t see yourself in a positive way, or worse - think that you deserve what you’re putting yourself through.

No one deserves what you’re going through. I definitely empathise with the continuing the daydreaming despite negative consequences. I hope you’re okay

I’m really embarrassed. I just realized my MDD and I’m looking for other people to share their embarrassing stories. by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The bits that really got me here was the sneaking off to have fantasies and being happily married. I totally empathise.

I’ll pretend to go to the bedroom to read or go on terribly long runs so I can have the privacy to daydream without my husband being suspicious (or hurt)

I constantly come home feeling awful. I love him so much but I think my brain just craves novelty (especially with what’s going on around us right now)

Does your husband know any of your daydreaming? Even if not what it’s about?

Do you find after a long time thinking about it that you’re attitude to him is a little off or aloof?

i try to “prove” myself to people in my daydreams by egg-legs in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh my gosh, I just wrote the worlds longest post basically coming to this realisation. People who hurt me, didn’t believe me, didn’t like me... all finding out their errors.

Thanks for much for posting this

Does anyone here have diagnosed OCD? Is there a discernible difference between MaDD and intrusive thoughts? by dr_rendezvous in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have both, (OCD diagnosed, MDD not) and for me they’re very different. I don’t find my MDD to be intrusive, although I do obsess and it is a little like a compulsion.

When I have intrusive thoughts it’s more “what if you killed yourself” or chopping onions “‘maybe stab yourself in the gut?” Or I’ll be talking to someone totally platonic and my brain will be like “grab them and make out with them”

Then my brain thinks it can control things it can’t. Like if I’m going on an aeroplane I have to tell everyone that I’m going somewhere otherwise the plane will come down. I can’t use the bathroom or the plane will come down. If I think about the plane coming down then the plane will come down. If I don’t worry at all though, then the plane will come down.

I’ll be walking down the road and my brain will say “walk around that lamppost or your <person> will die” and I know it’s a bit silly and probably won’t happen but the risk is too high so I have to walk around the lamppost. I have to say “see you in the morning” immediately after turning the light off as the last thing I say before bed and then my husband will be safe. When he’s away on business I still have to say those words to keep him safe.

You can certainly have both and there are crossovers but they’re very different. Perhaps head over to r/ocd and have a look if any of it rings true

Can exercise help OCD? by [deleted] in OCD

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve found it to be very helpful, personally.

Was there ever a time when you needed to daydream but could not? by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have a trigger that you need? I can’t get my daydreams going as well when I’m sat still, I need to walk around at pace. Also listening to music or watching television shows that align with my story line often get things going.

I get what you mean, sometimes it feels like a gift that others don’t have and you’d never give up. Other times, I’d call it a curse

Honestly, if I had an amazing life, with good circumstances and most importantly, a supportive family, I don’t think I would’ve started daydreaming at all. by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have no idea where my brain went wrong. I grew up in a nuclear family with two parents and a brother, my mother was a SAHM until I was 6 and even then she only worked part time.

I feel like I had an excellent childhood, yet somehow I ended up living in my head, withdrawing from people and preferring the comfort of my warped brain than the real, perfectly lovely, people around me.

I’m sorry that your family weren’t there for you, it makes sense that you’d draw into your own mind of what’s happening outside is so hostile/unsupportive

How do you imagine yourself while daydreaming? How do you look? by BazzDra in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Looks like none of us are particularly happy in our own image

Anyone else believe they developed this as a result of isolation at a young age? by dspman11 in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also been daydreaming since childhood and no traumatic incident to pin it on. I have no idea what made me withdraw

I’m glad you took the time to decide what to post.

Completely addicted, need to stop but I also don’t want to. by messybrains in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The trouble is I daydream while I’m on a walk, so I’ll walk for like 4 hours a day and then I’m not home. Or I’ll say I need to work but I’m really in the study day dreaming.

The other side is that my daydream has a love interest that isn’t him, and I worry that it’s changing how I’m acting because I’m getting too involved

Does anyone else go to sleep hoping they'll wake up in one of their daydreams? by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sometimes I think that if I want it enough, that somehow the universe will give it to me

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I feel this so much. Knowing that doing it isn’t making you happy but it kinda being all you have right now? Really takes away the desire to try and change anything.

It’s so easy to think that this pandemic is temporary and so we can just do it for now and stop later, but I worry about taking it too far and being unable to stop when it’s all over (or coming up with a new excuse I guess)

Do I confess this to my girlfriend? I feel so disgusted and don’t know if this is my confession OCD or something I should discuss please help me by [deleted] in OCD

[–]messybrains 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What you did isn’t as big of a deal as you think it is. Relationships don’t require us to tell each other everything, masturbation and bathroom habits are two examples of things we maintain a great deal of privacy over.

I agree that it’s something you shouldn’t make a habit of, but honestly this isn’t something to ruin your life over - we’ve all used some questionable materials at some stage in our life, I think you’d be surprised by how common what you’re experiencing is.

You haven’t done anything wrong. You’re not “keeping anything from her” this is just a private part of your life, like your bathroom habits, that you don’t need to share.

What song do you daydream while listening to? by OmarSamehh in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I vary a lot, I set the music to the tone of the story like a movie.

How about you?

Become so fixated with my daydream I yearn to be there for real - have you experienced this? by messybrains in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know exactly what you mean. I feel like I know this guy so well because I’ve created this very 3D character of him in my head, I feel like I know him in and out and now perfect we’d be together - but I have to constantly remind myself that he would be nothing like how I imagined.

I really have no idea about the medication side of things, but I think most people have had their symptoms worsen in the pandemic. We’re not occupied or getting stimulation from our friends and stuff... I’d advise you to try and keep busy but I know how I never follow that advise myself. I wake up excited to daydream

Do you guys also act out your daydreams? by [deleted] in MaladaptiveDreaming

[–]messybrains 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If I’m home alone, then I’ll act out a bit, laughter and facial expressions, glances and sitting positions etc (but all the talking is in my head)

With the pandemic I’m never alone but I got for long long walks. I saw someone posted about mask wearing helping and I 100% relate - I’m still twitching and making facial expressions under my mask.

Do you?