In recent years, maladaptive daydreaming (MD) has gained increasing recognition as a distinct psychological phenomenon that affects many individuals worldwide. As researchers delve deeper into understanding this condition, an important question has emerged: Should maladaptive daydreaming be classified as a behavioral addiction? This article examines the evidence for and against conceptualizing MD as an addictive disorder, exploring its similarities to established behavioral addictions while considering alternative frameworks.
Understanding Maladaptive Daydreaming
First identified by Dr. Eli Somer in 2002, maladaptive daydreaming refers to extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning. Individuals with MD spend hours engaged in elaborate, detailed fantasy worlds, often accompanied by repetitive movements such as pacing or rocking. While the content of these daydreams is typically pleasurable, the inability to control the behavior and its negative impact on daily functioning causes significant distress.
The Case for Classifying MD as a Behavioral Addiction
Several characteristics of maladaptive daydreaming align closely with established criteria for behavioral addictions, suggesting that an addiction framework may be appropriate.
1. Compulsivity and Loss of Control
One of the hallmarks of addiction is the loss of control over a behavior despite negative consequences. Many individuals with MD report being unable to limit or stop their daydreaming despite sincere desires to do so. In a study by Pietkiewicz et al. (2018), one participant described: “Time goes by and I am not really able to control it. I sit at my PC and daydream day by day. I start in the morning and realize it is already night.”
This compulsivity extends to powerful urges to resume daydreaming when interrupted, similar to the craving experienced in substance and behavioral addictions.
2. Tolerance and Escalation
Like substance addictions, many maladaptive daydreamers report that their fantasizing has increased over time, suggesting a tolerance effect. What might have started as occasional daydreaming gradually demands more time and intensity to provide the same level of satisfaction. Some individuals report that their daydreaming has become increasingly elaborate and consuming over the years, with escalation in both the complexity of fantasies and the time devoted to them.
3. Withdrawal-Like Symptoms
When prevented from engaging in their daydreaming, many individuals with MD experience psychological distress that bears similarities to withdrawal. These symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, restlessness, and intense cravings to return to the fantasy world. As one subject in Somer’s (2002) study noted: “When the real world interrupts one of my daydreams, on average I feel very annoyed.”
4. Mood Modification
Behavioral addictions are often characterized by their ability to modify mood states, providing either excitement or relief from negative emotions. MD clearly serves this function for many individuals, offering escape from stress, anxiety, or depression. The euphoric or soothing qualities of daydreaming provide powerful reinforcement, creating a pattern where fantasizing becomes the primary coping mechanism for emotional regulation.
5. Negative Consequences Despite Continued Engagement
Despite experiencing significant negative consequences in their lives, individuals with MD continue the behavior—a defining feature of addiction. These consequences often include:
- Academic or occupational underperformance
- Social isolation
- Relationship difficulties
- Sleep disruption
- Neglect of basic responsibilities
In their 2018 paper, Pietkiewicz and colleagues specifically examined MD through the lens of behavioral addiction, concluding that it shares many cardinal features with established addictive disorders.
Alternative Perspectives on Maladaptive Daydreaming
While the addiction model offers valuable insights, other frameworks have been proposed that may better capture certain aspects of maladaptive daydreaming.
1. MD as an Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder
Some researchers suggest that MD may be better conceptualized as part of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. The intrusive, difficult-to-control nature of the daydreaming, coupled with the ritualistic aspects (specific movements, scenarios, or preparations), bears resemblance to OCD. Additionally, case reports have documented positive responses to medications typically used for OCD, such as fluvoxamine.
A study by Somer et al. (2016) found that individuals with MD scored significantly higher on measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to controls, supporting potential shared mechanisms between the conditions.
2. MD as a Dissociative Phenomenon
Somer initially identified MD in the context of studying dissociative experiences, suggesting it might be best understood as a dissociative phenomenon. The intense absorption and detachment from reality that characterizes MD does share features with dissociative states.
Research has consistently shown elevated scores on the absorption subscale of dissociation measures among individuals with MD. This framework emphasizes MD as an extreme form of normative absorption that becomes problematic when excessive.
3. MD as a Self-Regulation Disorder
Some researchers conceptualize MD primarily as a disorder of self-regulation, emphasizing difficulties in controlling attention and shifting between internal and external focus. This perspective aligns with findings of higher rates of attention deficit symptoms among maladaptive daydreamers and emphasizes executive functioning challenges over addictive processes.
4. MD as a Coping Mechanism That Becomes Maladaptive
Rather than a primary disorder, some view MD as a coping mechanism that initially develops to manage adverse circumstances but becomes problematic over time. This perspective emphasizes the adaptive origins of the behavior while acknowledging its eventual negative impact.
Evaluating the Evidence
To determine whether MD is best conceptualized as a behavioral addiction, we must consider how well the evidence aligns with established addiction criteria.
Neurobiological Considerations
Research on the neurobiology of MD is still in its infancy, but preliminary evidence suggests some similarities to addiction processes. Both involve alterations in reward processing and executive control networks. However, without more specific neuroimaging studies focusing on MD, definitive conclusions cannot yet be drawn about shared neurobiological mechanisms.
Response to Treatment
If MD were fundamentally an addiction, we might expect it to respond to treatments effective for other behavioral addictions. Limited clinical evidence suggests partial effectiveness of approaches used for behavioral addictions, including:
- Motivational interviewing
- Cognitive-behavioral techniques
- Mindfulness-based interventions
- Gradual exposure and response prevention
However, the specific treatment response patterns of MD remain incompletely understood due to limited controlled treatment studies.
Dimensional vs. Categorical Considerations
Rather than asking whether MD is or is not an addiction categorically, it may be more productive to consider it dimensionally. Different individuals with MD may present with varying degrees of addiction-like features. Some may primarily experience compulsivity with minimal reward-seeking behavior, while others may show a stronger addiction profile with prominent craving, escalation, and withdrawal features.
Implications of Classification
The framework used to conceptualize MD has significant implications for both research and treatment.
Research Implications
Viewing MD through an addiction lens would:
- Direct research toward examining reward pathways and craving mechanisms
- Encourage investigation of shared mechanisms with other behavioral addictions
- Promote study of addiction-focused treatments for MD
However, this focus might inadvertently:
- Minimize attention to dissociative or obsessive-compulsive aspects
- Underemphasize developmental and attachment factors
- Limit investigation of novel mechanisms specific to MD
Treatment Implications
Classification as a behavioral addiction would likely influence treatment approaches:
- Greater emphasis on abstinence or controlled engagement goals
- Application of addiction-focused therapeutic techniques
- Potential exploration of medications used for addiction (e.g., naltrexone)
- Focus on identifying triggers and developing alternative coping mechanisms
Societal and Individual Implications
How MD is classified also affects how it is perceived:
- Addiction frameworks may reduce stigma by emphasizing the compulsive nature of the behavior
- However, addiction models might also increase shame for some individuals
- Classification affects insurance coverage and treatment accessibility
- Different frameworks influence self-understanding and identity formation among those with MD
Current Research Status
The most comprehensive examination of MD as a behavioral addiction comes from Pietkiewicz et al.’s 2018 paper titled “Maladaptive daydreaming as a new form of behavioral addiction.” The authors conducted a qualitative analysis of six patients with MD and concluded that it meets many criteria for behavioral addiction, including:
- Difficulty controlling the behavior
- Strong urges or cravings to engage in the behavior
- Continued engagement despite negative consequences
- Use of the behavior to regulate emotions
- Development of tolerance
- Withdrawal-like symptoms when unable to engage in the behavior
However, they also noted that more research is needed to determine whether MD constitutes a separate syndrome or is part of other behavioral addictions.
Conclusion: A Nuanced Perspective
The question “Is maladaptive daydreaming a behavioral addiction?” may not have a simple yes or no answer. Current evidence suggests that MD shares numerous features with behavioral addictions, particularly its compulsive nature, the difficulty controlling the behavior despite negative consequences, and its mood-altering properties.
However, MD also demonstrates unique characteristics that don’t perfectly align with typical addiction models, including its rich narrative content, frequent kinesthetic components, and complex relationship with identity and self-concept. It may be that MD is best understood through multiple theoretical lenses simultaneously—having addiction-like features while also involving dissociative, obsessive-compulsive, and self-regulatory components.
As research on MD continues to evolve, a more nuanced understanding will likely emerge. What remains clear is that regardless of classification, MD represents a significant source of suffering for many individuals that deserves greater recognition, research attention, and development of effective interventions.
For those experiencing MD, understanding its potential relationship to addiction may provide valuable insights into the compulsive nature of the experience and point toward helpful treatment strategies, while recognizing that the full complexity of MD may require broader conceptual frameworks beyond addiction alone.
Break Free from the Fantasy Cycle
Specialized Therapy Approaches for Maladaptive Daydreaming
Are you struggling to control your vivid daydreams? Do you find yourself retreating into fantasy worlds instead of engaging with real life? Two powerful therapeutic approaches may help you reclaim your daily functioning while addressing the root causes of maladaptive daydreaming.
Schema Therapy: Heal the Patterns Driving Your Daydreams
What is Schema Therapy?
Schema Therapy is an integrative approach that helps identify and change long-standing patterns (schemas) that drive persistent emotional difficulties and coping behaviors – including maladaptive daydreaming.
How Schema Therapy Helps Maladaptive Daydreamers:
- Uncovers root causes: Identifies the early life experiences and unmet emotional needs that may drive your retreat into fantasy
- Works with your “modes”: Recognizes different self-states that appear in your daydreams and helps integrate them healthily
- Transforms fantasy into reality: Uses techniques like chair work and imagery to bring the emotional benefits of daydreaming into your actual life
- Provides emotional reparenting: Helps meet the core needs you might be satisfying through daydream scenarios
“Schema Therapy helped me understand why I created my fantasy world in the first place. Now I can meet those needs in real life instead of escaping for hours into daydreams.” — Former maladaptive daydreamer
EMDR Therapy: Process the Emotions Fueling Your Daydreams
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-researched therapy that helps process disturbing memories and experiences that may contribute to current symptoms – including the urge to escape into daydreams.
How EMDR Helps Maladaptive Daydreamers:
- Processes underlying trauma: Addresses difficult experiences that may have triggered daydreaming as a coping mechanism
- Reduces emotional triggers: Decreases the intensity of emotions that prompt retreat into fantasy
- Installs positive resources: Develops internal strength and coping strategies to replace daydreaming
- Uses bilateral stimulation: Harnesses your brain’s natural healing capacity through guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation
“I never realized my daydreaming was connected to past experiences until EMDR. As we processed those memories, my need to escape into fantasy worlds gradually decreased.” — EMDR therapy client
Which Approach is Right for You?
- Consider Schema Therapy if: Your daydreams involve idealized versions of yourself, fantasies of perfect relationships, or scenarios where you receive validation, recognition, or care that’s missing in your real life.
- Consider EMDR if: Your daydreaming began or intensified after difficult or traumatic experiences, or if you notice your daydreams often involve themes of safety, control, or rescue from distressing situations.
Many people benefit from a combined approach that addresses both the underlying patterns and specific experiences that fuel maladaptive daydreaming.
Take the First Step
Speak with a qualified mental health professional experienced in Schema Therapy and/or EMDR to determine which approach might best address your unique experience with maladaptive daydreaming. Relief is possible, and a more balanced relationship with your imagination awaits.
