Maladaptive Daydreaming: Overview

Pages: 370-375
Shubh Rana and Mahimna Vyas (Amity Institute of Behavioural and Allied Sciences, Amity University, Maharashtra)

This review involves an in-depth look at the available literature on Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD), a compulsive condition of creating fake scenarios that lead to immense distress and issues in various domains of life. The fake scenarios are continuous and are initiated by music, image, and speech. Neuro-biologically, the cognitive activities associated with this condition have their bases in the default mode network of the brain. On one hand, MD promotes creativity, future planning, and self-awareness but on the other hand, it makes it hard to engage in daily activities fully by creating performance issues and distractions. Psycho-dynamically, an Ambivalent-fearful type attachment style can be seen in maladaptive daydreamers. In certain cases, this condition might take the form of celebrity worship and reality shifting. Keeping the severity and issues created by this condition in our mind, we have carefully explored the peripheral facets of Maladaptive Daydreaming to reach to its core.