TikTok Is Fascinated By Maladaptive Daydreaming. So What Is It?

Woman daydreaming.

Daydreaming, zoning out, getting lost in your thoughts — we've all done it from time to time, whether we're bored, distracted, or need a break from the real world. But have you ever had a daydream that felt more real than reality? One that so vivid, it had a plot and cast that could be turned into a movie or book?

Well, this type of vivid, excessive daydreaming is called maladaptive daydreaming, a term coined in 2002 by psychology professor Eli Somer, PhD. The term has recently started to attract mainstream attention, particularly on TikTok. Characterized by extraordinarily vivid and lengthy daydreams, maladaptive daydreaming is sometimes associated with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and is often related to trauma. It can act as an escape valve, a coping mechanism, or a way to retreat into your own head for as long as you need.

"It's very vivid and very fanciful and very, very enjoyable," says Nirit Soffer-Dudek, PhD, director of the Consciousness of Psychopathology Lab at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and a researcher at the International Consortium of Maladaptive Daydreaming Research (ICMDR). These epic daydreams can be entertaining to the point of becoming addictive, with some daydreamers preferring them to real life.

What Is Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Maladaptive daydreaming is defined as daydreaming that is both very excessive and extremely immersive. It's "the ability to daydream in a very unique way, which is more immersive, fanciful, vivid, emotional, than most people," Dr. Soffer-Dudek explains. People experiencing this likely also have the compulsion to do it "excessively, to the point where it harms your life or impairs different domains of functioning."

Dr. Soffer-Dudek compares it to watching a soap opera or a movie, "but you're in the movie, so it's even more exciting." People with maladaptive daydreaming can spend hours in the daydream without wanting to stop, and yes, the behavior tends to become addictive. In her research, Dr. Soffer-Dudek has observed that maladaptive daydreaming also appears to be more prevalent among young people, though people of any age can experience it.

How Do You Know If You Are Maladaptive Daydreaming?

If you're wondering whether your daydreams qualify, know that Dr. Soffer-Dudek describes maladaptive daydreaming as a spectrum, with varying experiences between people. If you're experiencing maladaptive daydreaming, though, two things are always true:

  • Your daydreams are extremely vivid and fanciful. Maladaptive daydreams often feature plots and characters that provoke intense emotions. People may even cry or laugh while daydreaming, and the daydreamer is often a character within the storyline. "It's tragic, and then it's funny," Dr. Soffer-Dudek says. "It sucks you in."
  • Your daydreams interfere with your daily life. People with maladaptive daydreaming typically prefer the daydream to real life. "You just want to daydream all day," Dr. Soffer-Dudek explains. "People with maladaptive daydreaming sometimes say, 'I can just sit for five hours if you just give me the time . . . It's so much fun. It's so much easier than other things in life.'"

Dr. Somer created a 16-item questionnaire to help doctors assess whether their patients have maladaptive daydreaming, which goes into more detail about what the daydream experience is like.

Is Maladaptive Daydreaming a Symptom of a Mental Condition?

Maladaptive daydreaming is not a direct symptom of a mental condition, nor is it considered an official diagnosis or disorder. However, Dr. Soffer-Dudek notes that maladaptive daydreaming is often related to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and ADHD, as well as other disorders on the compulsive spectrum.

Maladaptive daydreaming is often a result of trauma or stress, she adds — as many TikTokers can attest to. It can develop as a coping mechanism following a traumatic experience, or as a way regulate your emotions and escape from negative stressors and feelings, such as anxiety. Dr. Soffer-Dudek gives social anxiety as an example: it might be very stressful for you to be around people or in certain social situations, and it's easier and more enjoyable to slip into a daydream instead.

Is Maladaptive Daydreaming Bad?

Some people feel shame or guilt over maladaptive daydreaming, Dr. Soffer-Dudek says. "They feel that it impairs whatever they do or want to accomplish with their lives," either by making it hard to concentrate on tasks and relationships, or by taking up large amounts of time that could spent elsewhere. That said, maladaptive daydreaming is not inherently "bad." It's possible to have long, vivid daydreams, but not see the habit as an issue. "If you never thought it was a problem, then it's not a problem," Dr. Soffer-Dudek says.

On the other hand, you might feel that maladaptive daydreaming is restricting your life or getting in the way of things you want to do. If you feel like maladaptive daydreaming isn't good for you, then you can take the steps below to address it.

How to Stop Maladaptive Daydreaming

Maladaptive daydreaming is treatable, Dr. Soffer-Dudek says. Certain types of therapy may be helpful for controlling your maladaptive daydreaming, including cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness training to help you identify triggers and monitor the behavior. Psychodynamic therapy, which focuses on self-reflection and self-examination, could also be helpful.

However, many people have difficulty finding a therapist who is familiar with maladaptive daydreaming or even explaining why the behavior is an issue for them. In that case, Dr. Soffer-Dudek recommends looking for therapists with experience in habit reversal and behavioral addictions. If your therapist is open-minded, you can also send them some of the research done on maladaptive daydreaming, which they could use in your treatment. (The ICMDR website has an archive of research on maladaptive daydreaming.) "Good therapists could probably treat it even if they're just learning of the concept," Dr. Soffer-Dudek says.

You can also find support groups online and learn how others have overcome maladaptive daydreaming. With a condition like maladaptive daydreaming, which is still gaining widespread recognition, it can be comforting to just know that there's a word for what you're experiencing and a community outside of yourself that can relate to you. "It is really good to see that you're not alone in this," Dr. Soffer-Dudek says. And for many people on TikTok, they have found that community.