When Daydreaming Becomes An Addiction: The Psychology Behind Escaping Into Your Mind

In your daydreams, pretty much anything is possible. You can win the lottery and dramatically quit your job the next morning. You can finally confess your feelings to your crush without worrying about the consequences. Or perhaps you’re a mysterious life form on a distant planet, where all those pesky human problems are no longer your concern.

It’s nice to escape into these little fantasies occasionally, especially when real life isn’t quite as exciting. Eventually, though, most of us return to whatever we were doing. But some people have imaginations that are far more vivid and much harder to control.

Inside their minds, they create entire universes, with characters they grow attached to and storylines that have been developing for years. They might pace around their bedrooms for hours, listening to the same song on repeat as they act out scenes from their stories. They may even laugh or cry in response to events that have never actually happened.

This phenomenon is known as maladaptive daydreaming, and one study found that those experiencing it devoted an average of 56% of their waking day to it. It can interfere with work, lead to neglected responsibilities, and strain personal relationships. Researchers are now trying to understand what causes it and why it can be so difficult to stop, even when it’s creating serious problems.