Researchers believe that “compulsive daydreaming disorder” should be considered a psychiatric disorder in its own right.
- Compulsive daydreaming disorder was first described in 2002 by Israeli psychologist Eli Somer.
- In 2016, a scale was developed by Somer and his team to try to measure this disorder and better understand it.
What if being constantly on the moon was actually a real mental illness? In any case, this is what a new studypublished in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
imaginary activity
The researchers looked at the “compulsive daydreaming disorder”, known in English as “maladaptive daydreaming”, to determine if it was a psychological illness distinct from the famous ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder).
Compulsive daydreaming disorder is indeed a behavior associated with many mental illnesses, even if it is not officially recognized by psychiatrists. It is characterized by intense daydreaming sessions, which can last several hours and occur daily. During crises, we can observe on the person disconnected from reality movements and/or emotions related to the imaginary activity (facial expressions, lip movements, repetitive gestures, laughter, tears, etc.).
“Unique clinical characteristics”
To find out more, scientists asked 98 people with ADHD to list their symptoms via an online questionnaire. Among the respondents, they identified that 17 individuals also had compulsive daydreaming disorder. “Only 20.5% of patients with ADHD met the diagnostic criteria for compulsive daydreaming disorder. And compared to participants with ADHD alone, members of this subgroup were less confident overall, were more depressed and suffered more from loneliness”, write the researchers.
They therefore conclude: “Compulsive daydreaming disorder has unique clinical features that are distinct from ADHD. Future research should be conducted to better differentiate between compulsive daydreaming, ADHD, and related concepts such as mind wandering.”
