Friday, April 26

Informative

Understanding Maladaptive Daydreaming: Reining in a Wild Mind
15Aug By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Media

Understanding Maladaptive Daydreaming: Reining in a Wild Mind

OptimisticLearner publishes article on MD Amanda Eagleson, writer for OptimisticLearner.com, recently covered MD in an article for the publication. Optimistic Learner is a site dedicated to bringing you "research-based content... [relaying] psychological, sociological, physiological, and philosophical information in ways that are easy to understand."An excerpt from the article: As this disorder is relatively uncommon and still being studied it may seem an unnecessary subject of study for those who don’t suffer from it. But understanding maladaptive daydreaming and other lesser-known disorders helps in our collective efforts to produce more cooperative and positive societies. Comprehension is often the key to compassion. Below is an extensive list of sources and resources on this top...
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Maladaptive Daydreaming: epidemiological data on a newly identified syndrome.
28Apr By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Research

Maladaptive Daydreaming: epidemiological data on a newly identified syndrome.

​New Study Published A new study on MD was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry a journal which "publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research across a wide spectrum of translational, basic and clinical research." The study was conducted with 1,023 participants by Dr. Nirit Soffer-Dudek and Dr. Nitzan Theodor-Katz of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. A portion of the abstract is below: Results: The skewness of most items of the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale(MDS-16) supports the notion of MD as a binary construct rather than a normallydistributed trait. In the community sample, 4.2% exceeded the cutoff for suspected MD.Rates were higher when focusing on the young adult age group or student samples(5.5–8.5%), suggesting a likely age effect. Following clinical intervi...
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Could Immersive Daydreaming Underlie a Deficit in Attention?
31Mar By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Research

Could Immersive Daydreaming Underlie a Deficit in Attention?

The prevalence and characteristics of maladaptive daydreaming in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A new study on the relationship of MD and ADHD was published recently in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. From the abstract: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) entails excessive immersion and engagement in complex fantasy worlds, causing distress and impairing functioning. Maladaptive Daydreamers often report that existing diagnostic labels are unhelpful for them. Previous studies reported high rates of comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among persons with MD, raising the question of their separateness. This study explored whether MD differs essentially from ADHD by examining an ADHD sample, hypothesizing a much lower incidence of MD... In ac...
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30Jan By ValeriaNo Comments
Informative

Be focused on changing

Many people ask me if I have some suggestions about how to deal with maladaptive daydreaming. To start with, you should not expect a shortcut. There won’t be a pill that solves all your problems. First thing first, you have to consider psychotherapy.Even if maladaptive daydreaming isn't an officially recognized disorder, it is a mental issue anyway, so it can improve with psychotherapy. But when you go to a therapist, remember that he is not a sorcerer and won’t solve all the problems with a magic wand. You need to be an active part of the change. In fact, healing and getting better aren't something that falls from above. It is very much upon you, you have to decide if you really want that change. This could look trivial, but it is not.Many people aren't eager to ...
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Maladaptive Daydreaming in Relation to Linguistic Features and Attachment Style
31Dec By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Research

Maladaptive Daydreaming in Relation to Linguistic Features and Attachment Style

New research paper published Abstract: Background: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a concept that describes a significant imaginary activity that replaces human engagement and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning. We explored the interaction between attachment style, reflective functioning (RF), and the narrative dimension of MD. (2) Methods: 414 adults completed an online survey, including socio-demographic variables, the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Relationship Questionnaire, and Reflective Functioning Questionnaire. Participants were asked to write a short description of the most representative episodes of their daydreams. Eighty-four participants were identified as maladaptive daydreamers (MDers). (3) ...
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Your Brain Friend on Maladaptive Daydreaming
21Dec By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Media

Your Brain Friend on Maladaptive Daydreaming

Website has added a Maladaptive Daydreaming category Yourbrainfriend.com has added a category titled "Maladaptive Daydreaming" which, currently, has three articles. And they're pretty good XD. They give overviews of MD and it's connection to ADHD, an explanation of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale and a "What is Maladaptive Daydreaming" intro post. Here are the individual articles: Maladaptive Daydreaming and the ADHD Connection The Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale Explained What is Maladaptive Daydreaming? All You Need to KnowAnd here is a link to the category
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Perceived Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mediates the Association Between Self-quarantine Factors and Psychological Characteristics and Elevated Maladaptive Daydreaming
27Nov By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Research

Perceived Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mediates the Association Between Self-quarantine Factors and Psychological Characteristics and Elevated Maladaptive Daydreaming

New Study Published From the Abstract: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all countries have employed varying degrees of lockdown measures to limit the spread of the infection. Previous studies showed that individuals with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) are affected negatively by the lockdown. In this study, we explored a set of lockdown measures (e.g., self-quarantine) and personal factors (e.g., education, history of depression, and personality traits) that might potentially exacerbate MD experienced during the lockdown period. We also examined whether perceived stress acted as a mediator in the relationship between these factors and MD. During the frst lockdown from April to June, we analyzed data provided by 1083 individuals from the USA, the UK, Italy, and Turke...
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TherapyTips Interviews MD Researchers About New Study.
8Sep By DimmerNo Comments
Informative, Media

TherapyTips Interviews MD Researchers About New Study.

Mark Travers, PhD, talks with Eli Somer and Reut Brenner about the newest MD publication, Personality Traits and Maladaptive Daydreaming. Mark Travers, Of TherapyTips.org recently sat down with two MD researchers, Eli Somer and Reut Brenner, to discuss their most recent findings. Here's a brief excerpt from the article: Can you talk a little bit about why you narrowed in on the traits of grandiosity, separation insecurity, and Anhedonia and their relationship with maladaptive daydreaming?Eli Somer: We hypothesized that individuals with elevated MD would tend to address unmet emotional needs by engaging in compensatory fantasies specific to these personality needs. We thought that would be reasonable because the MD experience is reported to involve a powerful sense of presence, and ...
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5 Most Upvoted Questions from Dr. Soffer-Dudek’s AMA
9Mar By DimmerNo Comments
Event, Informative

5 Most Upvoted Questions from Dr. Soffer-Dudek’s AMA

Below are the most popular questions answered by a Maladaptive Daydreaming researcher. r/MaladaptiveDreaming’s annual AMA (ask me anything) was hosted by clinical psychologist Dr. Nirit Soffer Dudek, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, this year.  She’s a member of the ICMDR, a leading researcher on the topic of Maladaptive Daydreaming. Anonymouselo11 asked:Do you have a favorite part about researching MD or a part of it that you find most fascinating? Also, what are the next steps in the research that you and your colleagues are working on/ is there a specific piece of information that you are hoping to uncover? Well first of all, thanks so much for your kind words. It is very motivating that a lot of people want us to keep doing this... I have a few most-fascinating part...
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