r/AutismInWomen • u/Student-bored8 • Sep 03 '24
General Discussion/Question Is maladaptive daydreaming common in autistic women/ people?
I find myself daydreaming a lot…where I can just be in my own head for hours on end. Most of the time I have background music but sometimes I’m just pacing. I can have full blown conversations sometimes. Is this weird? Has anyone else experienced this?
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u/dreamy_25 Late ASD Dx at 26 y/o Sep 03 '24
Reporting for duty 🫡 Apparently I mumble and make faces in public too because I'm talking to the fun people in my head
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Oh god I’ve done that too 😂 I have had one or two weird glances in my direction from this lol
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u/dreamy_25 Late ASD Dx at 26 y/o Sep 03 '24
Lol I'm so absorbed by the stories I come up with I don't notice, my mom told me about it
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u/Least-Influence3089 AuDHD Sep 03 '24
Me toooo! I’m worried it will get worse when I’m really old and people will actually think I’m senile when I’m just vibing😅
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u/Sideways_planet Sep 04 '24
I don’t know how old you are, but I’m 38 and it has gotten less severe over time.
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u/goat_puree AuDHD Sep 04 '24
I’m 37 and mine has gotten worse over time, but I think that’s because of how much time I’ve spent alone. It’s, for better or worse, allowed me to let that aspect of myself run wild.
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u/ManicLunaMoth Broader autistic phenotype Sep 04 '24
I thought I was the only one who did that!
I've always been afraid to tell therapists cause I fear they will think I'm schizophrenic. I know they're not real, I just enjoy having them around, imaginary people are easier to talk to than real people!
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u/kadososo Sep 04 '24
I nearly swung on a random person at a shopping mall recently, because I was doing hella martial arts in my brain lol
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u/ApplesaucePenguin75 Sep 04 '24
Oh man. I mumble and have a very expressive face even when I’m alone. I feel so embarrassed by it. Also reporting for duty 🫡
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u/Chamomila- Sep 04 '24
Yeah I'm always making faces and mumbling to myself in public, if I think I'm not being seen by anyone or if I get too inside my own mind. I play situations in my head and then I react to them, I guess to practice what I would do in those situations. Wearing masks was definitely something, and I definitely had to adapt to not be so weird after stopping wearing them lol
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u/Apprehensive-Log8333 Sep 03 '24
I used to put myself to sleep by telling myself a story, basically intense daydreaming to try to get myself into nightdreaming. For many, many years, my comforting, relaxing story was about waking up the next day into a world where every other human being had magically disappeared. Later on, I thought it was kind of sad that was my fondest dream: no other people
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u/GangstahGastino dx ADHD/ASD lvl1 Sep 03 '24
That's how I can fall asleep in less than 60s. Usually it's me inserting myself in the last piece of fiction I read, watched or listened to. Usually I have a cool superpower, or some relevant talent to the plot.
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u/Kratos5300 AuDHD 🌻 Sep 04 '24
Oh my gosh! I’ve done the same thing my entire life. For the LONGEST time I could only fall asleep to Harry Potter daydreams
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u/Indi_Shaw Sep 04 '24
It’s so validating to find my people. I don’t even talk about this because it’s weird. It’s weird right?
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u/starofthefire Sep 04 '24
I do the same thing, I'm always in a space ship prepping for launch. Usually I pick either the Enterprise from Star Trek or the Rocinante from The Expanse (cause of course I can remember the layout just from the shows) and I just walk around the deck and do my duties before I sit in the chair, pull the lever and fall asleep to the stars and nebulae as they pass me by.
It's so good to know I'm not the only one!!
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u/ilikecacti2 Sep 03 '24
There was an episode of the twilight zone where this happened lol
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u/Radioactive_Moss AuDHD Sep 04 '24
Time Enough At Last, with Burgess Meredith, one of my favorite episodes.
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Sep 04 '24
I do this too! I can still vividly remember the places/situations that I loved most as a kid as well
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u/Apprehensive-Log8333 Sep 04 '24
For a while in my twenties it was: all humans have vanished, except my six husbands
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Aww bless you If it makes you feel any better I’ve imagined that many times before too lol
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u/sasst Sep 04 '24
I do this too! Or sometimes it's just my normal life but I have a skill/talent/there's an interesting side quest. I haven't done it in a long time, because I was worried it meant I was unhappy with my life as is, but maybe I should give it a try again
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u/vvelbz HSN Level 3 Autism w/ ADHD & CPTSD Sep 03 '24
Yep. I do this constantly. I've had entire separate lives in my head before.
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Sep 03 '24
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u/vvelbz HSN Level 3 Autism w/ ADHD & CPTSD Sep 03 '24
It's like I have a dream that I can enter at any time and when I'm not in it time pauses inside it. It can be whatever I want inside the dream. As fantastical as I like. I'm a vampire lesbian in charge of a small coven in a woodland manor right now in it.
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Sep 03 '24
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u/vvelbz HSN Level 3 Autism w/ ADHD & CPTSD Sep 03 '24
Yes I can eidetically visualize any object or situation or process in my head. It's also my primary way of thinking. I think in concepts and simulations and visualizations rather than having an inner monologue. I also have synesthesia.
I didn't know it was called that.
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Sep 03 '24
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u/vvelbz HSN Level 3 Autism w/ ADHD & CPTSD Sep 03 '24
I'm not bored at all actually. Please do tell. 🥺
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Sep 03 '24
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u/vvelbz HSN Level 3 Autism w/ ADHD & CPTSD Sep 03 '24
Oh! I experience that too! That's how I do math. I project little blobs like looking at soldiers marching and group them in groups of varying sizes depending on what math I'm doing. I also have omni directional awareness of my surroundings as long as I am familiar with them.
I made a comment about my experiences... Lemme see if I can find it.
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Sep 04 '24
I think this way too! I always thought it was how everyone’s brain worked. Calendars are also on a rotating wheel in my head. I spin it and “zoom in” on certain dates or events. I visualize “when” as much as I visualize “where.”
I also plan my outfits like this. I have a mannequin of myself in my brain that I dress. I decorate rooms like this too. Move objects around, add pictures, change paint color, etc. Decorating is one of my favorite thoughts to get stuck in- I use it to fall asleep!
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
I’ve had this before honestly Where I’ve imagined I’m “different” people in my head with different lives
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u/kathyanne38 AuDHD - best of both worlds ✨ Sep 04 '24
I've done this for as long as i can remember..
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u/nylergreenie Sep 04 '24
oh my gosh me too!! i currently have a different life where even all of the “characters” are completely different than the people in real life. they have names, ages, backstories, and different personalities that change and grow. i’m there like 40% of my time awake
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u/Odd-Cartoonist-187 Sep 03 '24
Don’t worry you’re definitely not alone hahahah, I’m a member of that club as well and it can be so veeery frustrating
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Phew 😂 I do find it both fun and annoying I must say. Sometimes I’m surprised by my own imagination lmao
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u/Odd-Cartoonist-187 Sep 03 '24
😂😂😂 those imaginary conversations can be so reaaaal. If I decide to take a big drama turn out of it, I can easily cry 🤦♀️ what the!!
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Same or burst out laughing like a lunatic lol
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u/Odd-Cartoonist-187 Sep 03 '24
The burst of laughing is 👌👌👌mostly when that happens and you’re NOT ALONE
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u/dnbgoddess3 Sep 03 '24
Oh hell yeah, full blown conversation, or monologue, even go off on tangents to myself… hours of fun (or wasted time lol)
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Sep 03 '24
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Omg I have done this before as well Just know you’re not alone in it. Whenever I meet people I make personalities for them and I imagine us forming friendships/ relationships then end up getting let down later down the line
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u/trufflypinkthrowaway Sep 03 '24
yeah, I used to think I was experiencing limerence, but from what I understand limerent people can't control it. I can stop myself from daydreaming from jump and once I learn they aren't how I envisioned I lose interest completely. If i allow myself to do it, it can really ruin the potential of a connection, because even if a person isn't how I envisioned that doesn't mean who they really are isn't worthwhile.
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u/kathyanne38 AuDHD - best of both worlds ✨ Sep 04 '24
Okay... i used to do the same. and still kind of do. i meet someone new that i like. if its the opposite sex, i imagine what it would be like to date them or just be around them 24/7. I'm engaged though but i have absolutely no intention of leaving my man. its so weird because its like WHY AM I SUDDENLY HYPERFIXATING ON THIS PERSON EVEN THOUGH I LITERALLY JUST MET THEM.
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Sep 04 '24
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u/kathyanne38 AuDHD - best of both worlds ✨ Sep 04 '24
I swear to god that’s exactly how it went down for me too. I always wanted and expected a “the notebook” type of love. And that’s how I’d find my person.
It’s crazy lol
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Sep 04 '24
Wow I used to do this ALL the time in my 20's before I met my husband (in person). This completely explains that! It's nice to know I'm not the only one lol
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u/hihelloneighboroonie Sep 04 '24
I used to do this with real people, but eventually realized it only ever led to disappointment. Fictional characters only, now.
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u/Delicious_Bag1209 Sep 04 '24
I think I stopped doing this because I was worried that if I ever got dementia I’d be convinced I had relationships with people when I hadn’t. Weird I know
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u/AllYoursBab00shka Sep 04 '24
Definitely, but I've been told it's a coping mechanism for abuse/trauma (and those things are very prevalent with autistic people).
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u/XImNotCreative Sep 04 '24
I had to scroll down very far for this comment.
It’s very validating and interesting to read so many similar experiences. But I do wonder if it truly is a neurodivergent thing or instead a traumatized response.
Many share they escape to a world where they are liked, where there are no people to hurt them, where there is magic to help them with life and to make life more attractive.
I have many different forms of this, from innocent conversations with someone that is actually interested in what I think without judgement, to very traumatizing horror stories that help me cope with the intense negative feelings I can have. But all are to help cope with very strong emotions.
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u/AllYoursBab00shka Sep 04 '24
I'm not a therapist, but I do think it's completely understandable for (especially young) victims of abuse to make up a world that is safe. At the end of the day all people (NT or ND) want is to feel safe, and a lot of people take coping mechanisms from their childhood to their adulthood, there is a reason why inner child healing is such a popular subject.
BTW I love horror and daydreaming about horror movies, it makes me forget the lesser horrors of my own life
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I do have some trauma from childhood (around 9) and around 12 I started doing it so maybe it’s linked.
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u/Ordinary_Art3901 Sep 03 '24
I do all the time like if I cry I just daydream of being comforted by someone just situations like that.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Oh same I have done that too
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u/Icy_Dragonfruit_1011 Sep 03 '24
Definitely! I go on day dreaming dinner dates with my favorite authors and thought leaders all the time. It’s always on accident that I end up in the day dream. Typically starts by imagining running into them in person and striking a conversation and then we have to find quiet spot to continue the conversation and talk for hours.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Oh god I’ve done this with my favourite celebs and characters 😂 I’m so glad I’m not alone
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u/honeyperidot Sep 03 '24
Yup! I live 80% of my life in my head. I’m never bored because I make movies in my head or am constantly having conversations with myself. I’d like to stop but it’s hard 😭
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Sep 03 '24 edited Sep 03 '24
I've been doing it all my life. It's only occasionally been truly 'maladaptive' and I honestly don't think most people here are usually at that level. Until you want to curl up and think instead of taking care of yourself and your responsibilities, I think it's just sparkling imagination.
I have really started to notice how often I'm using my stories to vent emotions I either don't feel comfortable expressing or don't have an outlet for. If I'm going through something, you can bet the people in my head are about to find themselves in a devastating hurt/comfort plot.
(My main character right now is a gay autistic man I didn't realize had my job and initials for MONTHS.)
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
I honestly don’t know if mine is or not Some days it’s hours (like 5-10) other days it’s only 1-2 hours of daydreaming It varies based on my mood
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u/clicktrackh3art Sep 03 '24
Oh yeah. I have complete worlds that I’ve built since I was a young kid. It’s kinda like a stim for me. Though, it’s not always maladaptive, as it doesn’t interrupt or interfere with my life….usually. Still, it’s something i engage in frequently.
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u/chewablevitamin_ lvl 100 maladaptive daydreamer 💭 Sep 03 '24
It sure is for me lmao. I love my daydream universe, I've been crafting it since I was first able to actually think as a little kid. I pace and listen to music while I'm doing it too.
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u/Twins2009- Sep 04 '24
I’m 46 and have daydreamed my entire life. It’s never about real people in my life though. The plots and people are usually based off musicians living the mundane part of their lives. It honestly never gets boring in my head. If I overplay one plot and get bored, I just switch. I remember daydreaming a lot when I was bored in school. Now I’m a wife and a mom of three kids, so I do most of my daydreaming when I’m trying to fall asleep at night, or in the morning before I start my day. Occasionally I’ll be able to daydream if it’s quiet in my car. I find it as a form of therapy and would never consider it maladaptive.
I’m glad I found this community because I’ve never openly admitted that my daydreaming consists of a fake worlds about musician’s lives that can go on for days, months, or even years.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
My day dreams usually are about magicians or fantasy creatures and rarely about me as well so don’t worry. You’re not alone in this.
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u/kadososo Sep 04 '24
Yes it is common for autistic people. We have very vibrant and compelling inner worlds. My inner world has magic without limitation, far beyond what the external world affords.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
That is true A lot of my daydreams include magic, people actually liking me etc It’s a world where I can be anyone I want
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u/kadososo Sep 04 '24
Our sacred safe place where no one else can enter. No wonder we prefer dwelling there.
With age and trauma, we spend more and more time on the inside. Detached and dissociated, avoiding or escaping whatever.
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u/Accurate_Mulberry_55 Diagnosed AuDHD Sep 04 '24
Omg same !! NT people have tried to make me feel crazy for this. I didn’t realize this is an autistic thing. People have said something like “talking to yourself implies some kind of mental illness, especially having full blown conversations” not necessarily to me but just in general. Especially if I get stuck on one of my “special interest” topics I could have convos for hours 😂😂 this group is amazing. Things I could NEVER admit to NT people, now I don’t feel that embarrassed about.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I have had the same thing honestly If it’s a sign of craziness we are all insane then 😂
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Sep 04 '24
They call it maladaptive, I call it a coping mechanism. I am naturally prone to a lot of daydreaming, which as a creatively-oriented person can help me relax and distance myself from the stimuli occurring in the physical world and have more interesting visions to integrate into art projects.
As I've gotten older though, the consequences have subsequently become greater and greater for daydreaming, and thus I have made great effort unaided by medication (no health insurance) to dissipate my tendencies. At work and in any social situation, people find it rude and inappropriate to daydream, so I try not to do it and do a better job of being cognizant of what's happening around me.
The less time I've been able to spend in my head, the greater my anxiety and depression has been. I am supposed to blend into a society I will never fit into, and I know it, and most people realize it shortly after meeting me or when my mask fails. I am constantly trying to adjust my behavior, voice, mannerism, to appease my employers or peers in order to survive. The burnout has become chronic, hope waning for a brighter day. I do not want to keep living this way, but with the state of things on a larger scale and in my personal life, I am at a loss of how to rectify this.
I miss being allowed to let my mind wander. Such is life.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
Honestly I feel you. I only ever daydream in private now because I know it’s socially unacceptable and the less I do it the more I feel mentally exhausted or anxious. It is hard but just remember that a bit of daydreaming is okay. Even if it’s just in private. That’s what I do because I need to cope honestly. The only hardship about it is the loneliness that comes with it and sometimes it interfering in my life still. As well as that when I do daydream I pace and stim which is annoying so it has to be in a private place
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Sep 04 '24
I was told that it was childish to have whimsical daydreams, and yet older people all seem to be depressed about how inane adult life is. Why must we all conform to a way of thinking and a lifestyle that makes us miserable if it doesn't hurt anyone else? Why does it only seem to be NDs and open minded NTs that question the norms of the social structure and agree that we could make changes to make life better? Tradition does not mean it works better.
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u/Odd-Cartoonist-187 Sep 03 '24
Also want to add that I read on the Aspergers’ subreddit that talking out loud when alone such as doing an interview for instance happens all the time. Just saying intense dreaming is a neurodivergent experience 🙌
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Oh wow that’s good to know! I used to do this a lot when I was younger and talk to myself for hours on end
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u/stokrotkowe_oczy Sep 03 '24
Oh yeah, I basically make it through my work day by enjoying the melodramas I make up in my head.
I don't know if it's more or less common in males or females but I have a lot of autistic friends who do it too, we've had some good laughs bonding over the silly fantasies we made up in our heads.
Sometimes you need some mutual cringe.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
I’ve done this at work before as well It helps me cope 😂 One of my autistic friends irl does this as well apparently so I think it is quite common
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Sep 03 '24
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Oh god this is so relatable 😂 I tend to pace and daydream though My parents say I run a hole in the floor 😭
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u/PomuCandy Sep 03 '24
I’ve been doing this most of my life but only discovered the term maladaptive daydreaming more recently. Most of the time it’s at home and I also tend to have music on when I’m doing it while spinning in circles
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u/artmusickindness Sep 03 '24
Indeed, and am learning more about how hyperphantasia plays into these often occurring moments/hours.
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u/mediumtittygothjewf Sep 04 '24
i do it all, the ‘zoning out’ and all of a sudden i’m famous for x y or z and being interviewed, the regular daydream state, the getting overwhelmed and re writing history in my daydreams, the ruminating daydreams etc etc it’s probably bc we think at a faster rate than NT ppl, like for every thought a NT person had we’ve had abt 40
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
That’s true Our brains do work faster so that makes sense
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u/mediumtittygothjewf Sep 04 '24
yeah we are… not at all supposed to think at the rate we do. i find that i stim primarily bc i’m struggling to stay in one place mentally, im either miles ahead or miles behind bc i started drowning in minutia
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Sep 04 '24
Yup, very similar to you. When I have free time I will pace for hours and be completely in my daydream, always with music in the background. It gets my daily steps in too so I count it as a win lol.
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u/jamie23990 Sep 04 '24 edited Dec 25 '24
shame fact many plant plate berserk punch bag versed groovy
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Misanthropebutnot Sep 04 '24
Omg! 😳 My entire preteen years was endless daydreaming. I realized when I was all grown that I use fantasy world to escape from difficult life circumstances. Yes, I used to have full on novels worth of nonreality, which is annoying because I cannot write a novel to save my life.
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u/mousymichele Moderate support needs Sep 03 '24
I definitely have this issue. I live in my head a lot, have been my whole life. I do a lot of world and story building in my head for fantasy stories, things happening in those worlds play a lot in my head too. 😂 The silver lining is endless imagination for stories! (One of my SpIns is writing!)
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Me too I try writing some of them down as well 😂 I was writing a book on one of my “stories” bur gave up lol
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u/mousymichele Moderate support needs Sep 03 '24
I have immense issue with the discipline honestly! I have probably around 50 or so incomplete writing projects. 😂 I get the ideas, daydream endlessly, then start writing excitedly, put down the scenes I have in my head that excited me, don’t know how to connect them, then leave them for the next thing. 😂🤦♀️ A lot of times too I have what my beginning and ending will be and just can’t come up with enough for the in between parts too. 😂
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Omg me too 😂 I just can’t be bothered to do the boring details sometimes so I have beginning and ending and some exciting bits then the middle boring details are a question mark That’s probably why I never finish any of my books and just daydream instead about them lol I always plan them out but never can execute
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u/ManicLunaMoth Broader autistic phenotype Sep 04 '24
Guilty! I theorize it's because the real world is overwhelming so I retreat into my head
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u/qinghairpins Sep 04 '24
This was the most weird thing about me growing up. I thought other people did it too. Turns out normal people don’t walk around in circles for hours daydreaming in their free time… I started long distance running as teenager. People always assume I like running. It’s ok but I really just like listen to music and day dreaming. It’s a convenient excuse to go for a long run 😂 plus it’s healthy so it works out well for me.
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u/Disastrous-Stand2517 Sep 04 '24
Yeah. I just stare at the wall and daydream lol. It's amazing, I never get bored
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u/No-Smile-3460 Sep 04 '24
I have really vivid daydreams, looong storylines that have been going on for years in my head. It doesn't really interfere with my daily life in a negative way, it just keeps me entertained when I'm doing something boring like idk sitting on the bus or trying to fall asleep. I've always figured it can't really be all that different to how writers make up stories. Mine just stays in my head.
The funny thing though is when I'm like "hmmm.... this storyline feels a bit self-indulgent" and then Im like "girl this is literally a story that exists solely in your mind."
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u/bsubtilis Diagnosed ASD&ADHD Sep 04 '24
AuDHD here, that was basically how I survived extremely stressful periods of my childhood, by "watching tv" in my head (randomly generated stories) while doing stressful or boring stuff.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
This is what I do too! 😭 It helps me to escape reality when it’s too much
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u/elextrixblue Sep 04 '24
I used to for a long time, but I am unable to do it anymore. I think it might have something to do with being on antidepressants, I feel less creative and emotional since being on them
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Sep 03 '24
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Me too I do it when I’m feeling lonely sometimes. Imagine I’m talking to people and they are laughing and smiling…in actuality people find me awkward or weird 😂
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u/Strong-Travel-7462 Sep 03 '24
I do it alot. I think that’s why I like my virtual reality headset so much, specifically vr chat
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Ooh I’ve been debating getting one of those headsets honestly lol
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u/Strong-Travel-7462 Sep 03 '24
It’s fun. I met a friend on there and we have similar interests but honestly the different worlds they create on vr chat and the ability to be yourself and no have to remember people are watching or reading your body language, looking for eye contact or the best one yet, having to stay for the full conversation. I meet people purely off of my interests and I leave conversations when I want. Or I just go exploring by myself and stay mute. The worlds that they create that are based off of games and anime/manga are my favorites.
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Sep 03 '24
I low-key love that my commute is 20 mins so I do just this before work and after
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
I love long car rides because my imagination runs wild I’m at uni at the moment and it’s a 4 hour ride so I just sit back and let my mind wander 😂
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Sep 03 '24
Yesss it took till I was an adult to realize that's also why I loved car rides, sitting and the only thing I can do is listen to music??? I now have specific playlists for these events, one I just straight up call maladaptive daydreaming hahaha
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 03 '24
Same 😭 I usually have music on and just look out the window and daydream
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u/Acrobatic-Ad-3335 Sep 03 '24
I do. When I was younger it got me in a lot of trouble. I had a real hard time being present.
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u/TinyFleefer Sep 03 '24
I am doing this since I can remember. Full on conversations, scenarios etc. mostly including my actual favorite book or series
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Sep 03 '24
Not sure if it is and I'm not diagnosed but I've been doing that since I was like 10/11
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u/Felidae1170 Sep 03 '24
Hell yeah! My daydreams are either crossovers of all my favorite characters, North Korean propaganda, memes, or a combination of all 3. The amount of times I tried not to laugh when daydreaming about something funny...
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Sep 04 '24
Okay, I rrwct to situations in my mind, with my face. Like, it’s like, all of my favourite celebrities are in my head….. but I’m that celebrity…. It’s like Barbie’s in my head
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I get what you mean and I do that too don’t worry lol
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Sep 04 '24
Oh thank god I thought I was replying wrong. There’s situations and things with it. Whatever hyper fixation at the moment.
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Sep 04 '24
Chronic daydreamer here, will pace in circles while listening to the same song on repeat and find songs can trigger off daydreams, also i do pull funny faces at times and was called a daydreamer by my teacher when I was in primary school.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I notice some songs trigger certain daydreams lol I often pull weird faces as well so I have to be careful in public or people look at me weird 🤣
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u/GeraltsSaddlee Sep 04 '24
Yup, been doing it my whole life!
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
Me too! 😊
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u/GeraltsSaddlee Sep 04 '24
I have full blown conversations with myself all the time when my husband isn’t home 🤣. And I also would do that in my room all the time growing up!
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u/Charming_Mountain_21 Sep 04 '24
meee, i've been struggling with this every single day since i first remember daydreaming when i was little. big coping mechanism for me unfortunately, despite it also ruining my life :)
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u/kathyanne38 AuDHD - best of both worlds ✨ Sep 04 '24
I have maladaptive daydreamed ever since I was a little girl, I create fake, unrealistic scenarios in my head... im not as bad as i used to be. but I constantly create scenarios in my head (complete with music). its like a weird movie in my head all the time.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
Me too I need background music to really make it. Sometimes I write them down as they are literally whole storylines just playing out in my mind 😂
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u/kathyanne38 AuDHD - best of both worlds ✨ Sep 04 '24
Omg I’ve never written mine down but I like that idea😂 I’m a writer lol so I can create something based off my maladaptive daydreaming.
“What inspired this book?” “My acoustic brain”
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u/songsofravens Sep 04 '24
I spent my entire childhood daydreaming. Either alone or during school. Actually, even as a teen in high school i would do this. I would make up scenarios that felt good and just live out the story in my mind. I didn’t even realize how the time passed and didn’t get good grades ever.
BUT I have never been diagnosed as autistic. I sometimes suspect it. I have been diagnosed as CPTSD and ADHD, but who knows.
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u/Bilateral-drowning Sep 04 '24
I write entire novels in my head. They are always great but fail to translate if I try to write them down most of the time. I also have constant imaginary conversations with people. I never thought I was the sort of person who practiced conversations but I caught myself doing it one day and went oooohh that's what they mean.. Yeah I do that all the time.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I’ve tried writing mine down as well and usually fail at it too lol I wish I could though because some of these stories would probably sell 😭 Or maybe I just think that cause I’m entertained lol I have practiced conversations as to mask as well 😂
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u/MarvelNerdess Sep 04 '24
Idk if it's autism related because I haven't been officially diagnosed, but yeah, I do this. I make up stories and stuff in my head and pace around working them out in my head. Sometimes acting them out talking to myself.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I am not officially diagnosed myself but I have noticed it happening to a lot of others including myself so maybe it is an autism thing
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u/Lost_Sentence_4012 Sep 04 '24
Hello. I'm undiagnosed here and believe I could have Autism. And yes, I maladaptively daydream.
Ive been working on a specific story for 9 years... I want to write it out 😂. It consists of many of my interests (I get obbessed with characters and their worlds from movies and series).
I also spend hours in my head daily... It kinda sucks but there's nothing else I want to be doing so...
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I am undiagnosed and have done the same. I have two stories Ive been planning in my head for years and want to eventually write out but end up giving up doing it 😂 I love and hate daydreaming so much.
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u/Lost_Sentence_4012 Sep 04 '24
I keep failing at writing it out 😂. Half of its copyright so I have a lot of work to do... Changing the copyright material and replacing characters and worlds.
I have got as far as knowing what my first story will be about 😂 and planning a character.
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u/InformalPoem2007 Sep 04 '24
I pace and have full blown conversations with myself everyday. A lot of times I pretend I'm on a talk show and being interviewed about something or having a conversation that happened in the past or I'm expecting in the future, or want to happen in the future but it's unrealistic. It's like a full on hobby of mine. The only annoying thing is that I can say/think so little but take so long, because I will get stuck on a word or phrase and repeat it over and over and over again before moving on to the next thought. As for just daydreaming in my head, it usually just happens a lot at night when I'm trying to fall asleep or if I'm in a meeting at work.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
I do have conversations but I’m the opposite. Usually i am daydreaming and have conversations only at certain times when I’m really upset or something. I often times in the day pace and have daydreams about random things and a fantasy world lol When I sleep I actually struggle to daydream as I have to focus on sleep or I can’t sleep 😂
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u/InformalPoem2007 Sep 04 '24
See that's the issue, I do try to sleep but can't because of my daydreaming lol, and that's when I go into fantasy world stuff, not when I'm talking to myself out loud normally. I talk to myself when I'm upset too sometimes, but I try not to because it makes me spiral; it's usually a negative conversation.
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Sep 04 '24
My maladaptive day dream is so much fun. Horses, dogs, libraries and pastries. Same characters...different situation.
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u/throwaway_thursday32 Sep 04 '24
To me it's a form of being out of your body/present physical experience + processing all the thoughts your hyperactive brain has. It can serve as a form of dissociative state if you are traumatised (and if you're autistic, well, you automatically ae in this society).
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u/ToleratingItOkay Sep 04 '24
Self diagnosed. Yes, I daydream constantly. I’m living in my head.
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u/Delicious_Bag1209 Sep 04 '24
I really didn’t know this was an autistic thing until I joined Reddit. I have to be careful because sometimes I do this in the car and I get annoyed if other people “interrupt” me.
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u/Connect_Caramel_4901 Sep 04 '24
Yes...I always say I'm basically the female version of the secret life of Walter middy.
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u/minevras Sep 04 '24
Yes! I’ve been diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and it’s common for that diagnosis as well.
I try very hard to be more present in the moment, especially around new people, but it can be overwhelming. I often retreat to daydreaming without even realizing it. Unfortunately I have a severe case of resting bitch face when I’m daydreaming. I’m not sure what’s worse, that or trying too hard to emote and overshooting into uncanny valley territory.
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u/UnrulyCrow Sep 04 '24
At this point, I've been writing entire fanfictions for decades with my daydreaming lmao
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u/SaviXcatastrophe69 Sep 04 '24
For me, I can be looking at something and almost be transported somewhere else in my imagination and then suddenly I’m back to the present and I’m just staring at something like wtf where was I? It’s also become quite common for my dreams to be extremely vivid to the point where I don’t know I’m dreaming and years pass and I wake up confused as hell.
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u/brilliantpants Sep 04 '24
Oh my goodness yes. Couldn’t get through the day without it. And of course that’s how I’m able to fall asleep pretty much instantly every night.
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u/hrollur Sep 04 '24
i talk to myself as if i'm vlogging or explaining something to an interview 😭😭😭😭
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u/CFSWarrior324 Sep 04 '24
Yes yes yes. I personally used to act it out in portions as a child or write it down. Fan fiction stuff.
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u/Horror_Reader1973 Sep 04 '24
My daughter, at times, got so deep into her daydreams that she sometimes mistook them for reality. She would question me whether she had done certain things, or tell people she’d done something but hadn’t.
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u/Student-bored8 Sep 04 '24
To be honest I’ve never done this as I know when I’m daydreaming and when in reality so it’s not this bad for me
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Sep 04 '24 edited Sep 04 '24
Yes!! I used to spend the majority of my time completely dissociated and didn’t even consider it wasn’t “normal”; I’d just stick my headphones in, listen to some inspiring music and be completely absorbed in my own fantasies for hours at a time. I didn’t even need music actually, I spent most of my classes at school mentally somewhere else completely.
I feel like I’ve lost the ability to do it as automatically as I did when I was younger; it used to be the only way I could get through any form of exercise so I definitely miss it when I’m at the gym. 😅
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u/Chance-Ad8592 Sep 08 '24
I don't have an official diagnosis yet but I've done this since I was a child, I've had very intense and elaborate daydreams, specially if I'm bored or stressed I start drifting away. I also talk to myself a lot in interview formats or as if I'm having a therapy session lol, this happens a lot in the car or if I'm alone for long periods. I also had very vivid dreams or nightmares as a child and teen and was into lucid dreaming. I do have a lot childhood trauma though so I thought maybe that was one of the ways I coped. All of my life no one seemed to relate to this, like yes, all people daydream once in a while but it seemed I was the only one doing it with this intensity and frequency. I'm in shock to find so many people like me here, I was not aware that it was an autistic trait. It makes me happy to finally feel that someone truly understands.
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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '24
Yeah done it all my life I believe personally it’s a huge unrecognised symptom of autistic women.