Daydreaming and fantasy in of of themselves are fine and can help people to cope, think through issues, and more. There is definitely a point at which they become unhealthy, though, and just prevent you from making real-life less boring and dreary. They become the easy way out.

 

I live in my art fantasy world. I too have found that this day dreaming is the best escape, but to be honest it hasn't really helped me cope with the nasty awake world at all, some times its worse. I cant imagine living without it though so I don't know what to tell you. I escape as often as i can, and things are still the same if not worse when i come out. I applaud you for going to school i am struggling with just getting the registration done, im panicking about every step and wish so much it was easier. Fantasy land is my get away, but who is to say and how do we find out whats too much and whats just enough? When I go without im cranky and intolerant to my kids, when I indulge my husband thinks there is something really wrong with me. So beats me i just escape when i can without getting caught as much as possible by "hubby"

 

Fantasy as an Escape from a Miserable Life

That is a big one with me; living in a fantasy world.

I finally figured out that I do that to create a false happy fulfilled life in my mind since my real life is so lonely and empty and full of pain.

I spend a lot of time reading online and in books and thinking and meditating about everything imaginable. It really is an escape from the real world.

I think I am afraid to wake up and face reality because my reality is so horrible. Not good.

 

Maybe you have the fantasy prone personality?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_prone_personality

If you do, that's really cool. Well Maybe it's not really cool to you since you've lived with it your whole life, but to someone who doesn't have it, it sounds really cool. If I had it YOU BET I would coil up in the nearest fantasy world and STAY THERE. Or maybe we could even meet up in the same fantasy world if we got off at the same exit together (Is that how it works?). Don't feel bad about being in a fantasy world so much if you are, it's not really a weakness but more of a special power you have since if other people had it they would make use of it too.

 

Sometimes when I'm trying to sleep, I'd create my own fantasy with minor details and start from the beginning then progress further into the story. Eventually I'll fall asleep. Sometimes I'll continue where I last remembered, especially if its a really good fantasy, the following night.

 

Wow, i do that at times too.

 

It's therapeutic, and also unhealthy. Living in a fantasy world will cause you to avoid "real" problems.

 

It's does a little bit of both. At least for me, anyway.

 

I agree with most people here as well. Escaping is so normal. EVERYONE does it, even people without SA. But I guess it's safer to find a safe median where you can still face your real world issues.

Hell, I did/do it all the time. When I was a kid, I'd get lost in video games. Now as an adult, I mainly get lost in tv and movies, and most recently I began to collect comic books digitally like I did when I was a kid. Just like you, I can barely stomach the mundane day to day routine.

I often ask myself "I'm stuck in a real world with bills and social pressure and expectations. What is the CLOSEST that I can get to a fantasy world?" I then start to think about how great being a professional actor could be. I love reading about characters from books and comics and how cool it would be to BECOME one for a role. It's something that would be recorded and preserved forever. I usually end up right where I started because then I think about the kind of work it takes to become a star actor and the social prowess it takes.

 

It's damaging.

I've lived most of my life in my head. Like most of you, I was escaping reality.

When you escape reality too much you neglect your real life. It's like neglecting a lawn until it's full of waist high weeds.

Social anxiety is driven by what you think. Those who spend too much time thinking are more prone to SA.

You may have discovered that you can't control your these trips into fantasy land anymore. You can't focus on your job or school work because you're addicted to your fantasy escape (daydreaming, reading, video games, tv, etc).

You may find that you always have one foot in fantasy land. You're never really fully present in the real world. And surprisingly, that is the cause of your anxiety. Anxiety lives in the mind. If you live in your mind it's tough to escape it.

What I do now is take breaks from thinking. I'll take a walk and give myself a no thought challenge. I just feel the breeze, smell the air and hear the sounds. I try no to think. Just feel. Until you feel this sense of peace like you're at one with the wind and trees and all of nature. (I realize how flaky that sounds but it's real)

 

I find fantasy worlds as a dangerous thing for me. I can't stop daydreaming though. I set up these ideal situations where I am respected and loved. I will imagine things going extremely well, and even things go just okay, I become severely depressed because I have set such high expectations for myself.

I have one friend I always imagine having a blast with. Even if we do have a good time, just one wrong look from her will make me believe the situation being a catastrophe. I'm thinking about showing her Watamote when we hang out again. It would be a funny way of explaining my behaviors to her.

 

my biggest escape for me was playing world of warcraft. very good time killer and fun. i dont think it was damaging. helped keep me occupied when there was nothing else to do.

music is very therapeutic for me too. i dont do the world of warcraft thing anymore.

 

Maladaptive daydreaming (I have it) is a mixed curse. It's wonderful to be able to provide myself that kind of comfort. It does not provide an income, confidence, or skill in dealing with people, and it can be a barrier to those things.

 

But fantasy never lasts forever. You will have to come back eventually.

 

Doesn't sound therapeutic nor damaging to me. Unless there's some disorder scientists have come up to describe cases of extreme day dreaming?

Actually, your description somewhat reminds me of Schizoid personality disorder, which involves a "very rich fantasy world." Doesn't necessarily mean you have it at all.

 

Daydreaming was something I did a lot at school because I was bullied severely - I used to daydream about conquering my bullies though I never, ever did.

I still daydream now because I'm in the wrong (but recently new) job which I will be leaving in the New Year thankfully. I also daydream because it gives me a temporary, but much needed, rest from a ****ty situation in life.....which I then go on to deal with as best I can.

It has it's pros and cons like everything in life.

 

'Real life' is s*** regardless of whether or not escapism is thrown into the mix, so I don't think it matters.

Escapism just makes existence a little more tolerable while passing time. In that sense, I might label it therapeutic (though not necessarily healthy in the big picture...).

 

back when my depression and anxiety were high, i would resort to daydreaming all the time. In fact, it wouldnt be much of a stretch to say my life WAS a daydream. It was only until i decided to stop living in my mind that life got much more tolerable. So, at least for me, it was damaging more than therapeutic.

 

Do i have to quit daydreaming to cope with life?

Daydreaming is the way to cope with life. There was a thread were was listed the benefits of day dreaming. So i guess in small dozes it can do good. Otherwise i dont see it doing much good in the end.

If you like to make your actual life better, you have to live in reality.

 

I think it's good in moderate amounts. It's like an easy way to view other people and how they interact. Sure there's the idea of "if I don't watch it, then I'll wake up inside and be forced to interact more in reality", but that doesn't really work out for some people and just causes grief over nothing. I also have gotten lots of ideas and knowledge from fictional things. Someone once said that there's a lot of truth said in fiction. I'm totally into doing things naturally... daydreaming is a natural thing, in some ways all imagining is daydreaming and other animals can clearly be seen dreaming and imagining things also. Just don't go overboard.

 

From my experience, there's nothing wrong with it IN MODERATION. fiction has become just so important to me and I refuse to believe it's entirely negative, but I do admit that there's a point where you have to give it up a little to live your own life. I haven't gotten to that stage yet, but I hope to.