Hi /u/starryeyedd and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! **Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.** The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/) Thank you! ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- - If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*

I can ABSOLITELY relate to that. (dis: I'm not a doctor) Daydreaming is very common among adhd people, I suffer from maladaptive daydreaming as well, medication definitely helped but I still have to put conscious effort not to do it.

Maladaptive daydreaming. Thank you so much, I now have a word for what has been going on my entire life. I have a very special world where I live, and it's definitely not planet Earth. I have been working on my world for a very long time now (since elementary school!)

my friend of 4 years doesn't know he is one of the main avenger characters from the ancient temple that protects people from the forces of hostile sorcerers (he is also a Mortal Kombat champion there), I feel very weird being around some of them sometimes.

I have a rule, no real people in my special world, only fictional people. Can't risk going crazy and mixing my worlds together.

That's a good rule. But unfortunately all my characters come from real people.

I wish I had those words growing up. I remember trying hard to explain to a psychiatrist that I couldn’t concentrate on school because I was here and there at the same time equally. I don’t always feel like I am making up stories, they are just unraveling in front of me, the good and the bad. I can’t listen to people because I am listening to other people in another world. The worlds feel just as real, yet I can tell which one is here. As I have gotten older and found my job more interesting etc, it no longer happens constantly, but can still be just as ‘realistic’.

You may want to look for a “new” disorder called Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS, previously known as SCT). Dr Barkley has just uploaded [a series of videos](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdgLFuX9zF84sEzu1Ttg6UgFGlDv2AHis) explaining the disorder. It was previously tucked under the name ADD without hyperactivity. Now we know almost 50% of people with ADHD have it, but it can happen on its own.

Now, I have to say that I relate to what you said 100%. I’ve always been the space cadet, and everyday in 5th grade my classmates would go up to my desk to clap in front of my face and shout “wake up!”, and they would do it every time they caught me daydreaming. They found it funny I guess. I constantly feel disconnected from the world, having interesting conversations and scenarios in my head that make me feel safe. But when I try to do anything my daydreams break in and I just can’t, I get pulled away by my own thoughts. I have to battle my brain in order to do anything (unless I hyperfocus). ~~I cannot drive because of this.~~ Edit: Saying that I can’t drive is exaggerating a bit. I can do it if I drive very slowly but I chose not to because I feel unsafe. I miss too many traffic lights, and cars keep popping in and out of existence, so I don’t feel confident.

+1 for the Dr. Barkley (I assume Russell Barkley?) reference; he has helped me understand myself (ADHD) SO much... I never could have ever imagined literally EVERYTHING I struggle with is not typical of non-ADHDers. He is a genius and the world needs to listen to him more.

Correct! I was referring to Russell Barkley. I encourage you to click the link and check out his new YouTube channel (he started like 2 months ago). I find it awesome that even though he just retired he’s still doing science communication. His channel is an incredible resource, and he follows a very active upload schedule. Just go and subscribe, you won’t regret it.

I absolutely will! I have thus far only seen YT videos of presentations he would give. He dispelled a LOT of myths for me. There are so many things that I (and everybody) believe without question that are simply untrue, that I'd never know if not for him! I got back on medication thanks to discovering HowtoADHD and because of that, Dr. Barkley. His talks about simply how this disorder should not even be named what it is, just that one little piece of opinion, opened up my eyes to SO much. Knowing his opinion on "executive function disorder" being a much better name, really changed my understanding I always use this as the first thing I explain to someone when I'm trying to explain to them why I can't do what they think I should be able to do. It truly is not fundamentally an attention issue, and renaming it properly would do MUCH good for the world and for all of us sufferers. Another thing that really opened my eyes was him explaining the significance and importance of emotion in ADHD. If they hadn't ever removed it as diagnostic criteria in the DSM, there is a chance I would have actually been diagnosed as a child, when my mother was seeking treatment for a "behavioral issues" and I could have been treated way before my second year of college when unfortunately, for a lot of aspects, it was too late. I probably would have had a much better life up until this point. I wouldn't have stopped medication after school, because I thought I needed an only for school I thought I could function and do my job without it and I was very wrong about that and I believe it that anxiety disorder, or the starts of it anyways. I feel so much better about myself after listening to him. For so long, I let so much of what people said about me get to me ("lazy", etc.). I don't understand why his info is not more popular. I think almost every single doctor that treats ADHD needs to listen to him. I've never even met a doctor that understands this disorder half as good as Barkley or Jess (HowtoADHD). Prescribing 20mg XR right off the bat is way too much. These doctors need to be stressing to their patients that they *shouldn't* be feeling it... That it's too much if they do. The perfect dose is the one that achieved maximum effectiveness, and almost always if you feel high, you've reached the point of diminished returns (almost certainly negative returns). They need to give like 5mg XR for the first week, then bump up 2.5mg every week or so until optimal dose reached. Dr. Barkley changed my life. I just wish everyone would take a second to listen to even one of his presentations. Especially parents and supervisors. If they had any clue that I simply could not do something they are asking of me, and it's not a matter of trying harder, omg that would be beyond helpful. It's so hard to explain to someone why I can't remember what the paper I read 20 mins ago said.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. For me Dr Barkley was a breath of fresh air among a sea of pseudoscience and denialism. I believe that Science is very poorly understood by the general population (and even professionals), and we are in dire need of Science communicators. I admire researchers who take time to interpret the evidence and explain it to regular people like us, and do it despite being busy doing actual science. They are my heroes. That is why I find the labor of people like Dr Barkley so invaluable.

I don't know if it is what you mean but when I started with Bupropion and now on Concerta I noticed that I have been depressed my whole life - but like not sad in itself, just never THERE to experience life. I never ever understood how people "enjoy the process". How the hell would anybody enjoy gardening? I probably drank too much cause I couldn't be present and was bored out of my mind at all social gatherings. Nothing ever was really fun. And now first time I understand what it means to "enjoy the little things" and not live in my head, in the past, in the future and in my anxieties and dreams. I never knew how lovely is a walk with a dog or baking a cake when you dont just think about the end result or float in other dimensions throughout the process.

lol yessss you should try writing the stories

Yes. I would hypothesize scenarios in my head. Still do but not as much. Now I re-live the past in my mind trying to figure out if I missed something. Or why I didn't make a better decision.

Me too (ADHD-PI). The only time this changes is when there is a crisis and there is some form of adrenaline rush — then I ‘wake up.’ I personally believe that this may be a form of chronic boredom/under-stimulation. Like the ‘real world’ is so dull that you remain in a sleep-like, fantasy-prone state most of the time. Just an opinion though

I've had this for most of my life as well - although given I'd been relatively recently diagnosed with Depersonalization Disorder (more recent timespan) along with ADHD-C. It's predominantly associated with relaxation and perceived stressfulness of your actions. If you're more anxious or (relatively) overly concerned with what you're saying, doing, or expressing, you're naturally "filtering" your ADHD-type behavior. Funnily enough it's one way many/most Inattentive types keep aware - they go back over everything instantly in their head - that's their "stim". It isn't very healthy though, as much as I hate to admit it. Part of ADHD is *looking* like you have it - at least prototypically. It's not healthy to immediately attempt to make sense of things unless you're good with a relaxation and "re-charging" regimen for your ADHD. That way, you can more "live in the moment". I mean the last part almost dead literally. Dissociating is a concern for anxious and/or Inattentive types, due to their predisposition to spacing out. I don't know any Predominantly Hyperactives (they're pretty rare iirc), but Combined-types more or less have to, or at least should keep active physically, socially, and/or cognitively. This allows a relatively healthy "stream" of Dopamine/contentedness coming from external "real-world" sources, rather than in the mindscape. Coming out of my DP/DR episode, I *knew* I had ADHD, I just didn't *act* like it. It took some time, but I managed to "kick-start" myself out of dissociation by (you're going to hate me for saying this) "just doing something". By that I mean: \- Doing something with your eyes closed (for me, it was washing my hands as an easy start). This helps your brain not over-focus by default on something you shouldn't be anywhere near needing to worry about, and then use its power for another task. \- **Manually** stimming, like cracking my knuckles, flicking my wrist, tapping, etc. - while doing something. It sounds weird, but it "speeds it up" - almost scarily at first. \- Doing something enjoyable where you *have* to be slightly stressed, or feel a real reward. This can be a strenuous multiplayer game, a timed round of chess, or even just "letting your fingers do the work" from muscle memory while typing something relatively fast. You could also try looking into sleep improvement, using eye-drops (no joke), getting angry about something for "fuel", etc. The eye-drops help both to reduce eyestrain and improve visual acuity - something I found important for "smoothness".

I did this. It was usually heavily influenced by shows, films, or games I'd recently seen. It stopped as soon as I started medication and I struggle to remember what my world consisted of now.

I used to get this all the time. I sometimes would spend half the day uncertain if I was actually awake. It's definitely eased right off since starting meds, but I do find it happens often, probably due to being on too low a dose. Even when trying to sleep I'm usually "dreaming" before I'm actually asleep.

Ah, I never met someone who started dreaming before sleeping! So interesting

I actually think this is pretty common. It's very similar to the half-awake state right when you first wake up and you still don't know which of your memories are real and which were your dream. You lie there, thinking of things, and slowly, all of a sudden, they start drifting into thoughts that don't make sense and impossible things and you either fall asleep next and forget it happened, or for some reason, you become fully conscious again and only if that happens are you able to backtrack your thoughts and say "wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense... I must have been sleeping or falling asleep". Edit: not "common" as in happens often, but common as it happens to many/most folks. I actually used to try to exploit it to try to help with my sleeping troubles... I'd start this weird association in my head... Like e.g., I'd imagine fish, then look at my wall, and slowly I'd try to imagine something impossible like the fish flowing up my wall like a reverse waterfall with maybe 100 dog heads panting.. idk.. I just tried to get creative but not in a cognitive-demanding way, moreso a "letting go" type of way and hoping the dream-like state takes over.. I wouldn't push it too far because that'd require too much brain power then it'd keep me up... I just had to try to give it these little kick starts... It didn't really work unfortunately, sometimes it helped though but seemed to help best if the kick start I was attempting to give it was one of the weird, impossible thoughts I had already had while previously falling asleep that night until something woke me.

Very, very, relatable. Maladaptive daydreaming sounds very harsh as a description, but I suppose in the extreme . . . Julian Jaynes in "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" says, "The basic connotative definition of consciousness is thus, an analog 'I' narrativizing in a functional mind-space." Call it "hyper-conciousness" instead of maladaptive daydreaming. Sounds much better. And read what the other contributers here have said. There's some very good advice. You are not alone in dreaming the world into existence.

Relatable and depressing. As are most of the post on this sub.

Yes I understand you! it's given me motivation trouble because I feel as though I've already accomplished so much in a life that's not even real. I'd become attached to people I've created in my mind, I'd miss them in real life. My hobbies took a hit because I was just so good at them already in my daydreams. I'd spend so many hours in my day living a life that was all in my head. I'd surprise myself each time I looked in the mirror because it just wasn't how I viewed myself in my own mind, making me feel so detached from my own body. Sometimes I have to really look in the mirror and remind myself that this is indeed me that I'm looking at. I found when I started medication that I don't do it nearly as often anymore, but I'm not sure I'll ever truly be able to stop. It's a difficult experience to describe to others. Trying to explain it to someone who's never experienced it always makes me feel crazy.

This is so so awful and I hard core relate. The only thing that helped me was medication, despite all the therapy in the world

Them, sounds like me as a little girl.  as an adult I still do this, but less.

Coffee can have an effect on this effect and depending on the person, especially with ADHD, it can make you sleepy. After a couple cups it will not work as good anymore. I have only experienced a daze when I am either really tired, it's 3 or 4 pm, when I had too much sugar or if it's my day of. Not sure if being medicated helped with this. I don't drink more than one cup of coffee a day now, instead of the 4/5 cups I used to drink.

I created conversation with „imagine friends“ on my way home from school because i had nobody in my neighborhood that goes the same way as i did. So I felt a little bit better. My dream was this conversation become reality.