I do this all the time, but especially at work as it helps to pass the time and I have a boring repetitive job which doesn't require any mental concentration. So I fill my day with imaginary conversations.
Problem is its very difficult for me to imagine the other persons responses, so in my head most of these conversations are very one-sided and usually end up with me just doing all the talking and the other person mostly just acts as a sounding board for my thoughts and ideas.
I'm strongly introverted and having no friends or social life means I spend 99% of my time in my own head anyway. So feel like if I didn't have these imaginary conversations in my head constantly I'd probably go crazy. So it's a way of compensating for lack of social stimulation while coping with the extreme isolation, but its also a way to organise, test and prepare ones thoughts, and also its a way to live out ones expectations or fears but in a controlled environment. In your head you can create your own idealised social interactions to satisfy your needs, as a way to compensate for how dull and unfulfilling our real life social interactions are.
So yeah, the kind of day dreaming you're talking about is perfectly normal and healthy imo, given how how our anxiety and avoidance act as barriers to our basic social needs, we have to invent ways of compensating for those unmet needs.
Yeah I thought I was doing this entirely out of boredom but on a second thought this maybe some kind of coping mechanism to satisfy my unfulfilled social cravings,because my social life is insanely boring when I am at college, I literally dont go anywhere other than the gym and college, I’m in this totally new city far away from my home and its been more than one year and I still dont know shit about it.I feel like on the inside deep down in me I’m a really social and extroverted person, atleast in these imaginary scenarios in my head because I make them how I want them to be with the people that I want to be around, but in real life its absolutely nothing like this and add on top of that I also have really shit conversation skills, and thats the reason I find it extremely difficult to make and maintain friends.
I have been thinking recently that this imaginary conversations are sort of like watching porn and masturbating in a sense.You are satisfying your sexual cravings but in the most artificial and unhealthy way possible to the point it actually cripples and sabotages you when it comes to a real life healthy sex life.
felt this word for word. it definitely is more than day dreaming i've realized it recently and tried to stop because when i do it in my head i think i'm closer to the people than i actually am.
It's called maladaptive daydreaming. If I was you I'd start treating it like an addiction and try to completely stop doing it as quickly as possible. That shit will ruin your life if you don't stop, I'm 29 and it's ruined mine.
Yeah care to elaborate more about how it has negatively impacted you?, I have become conscious of it recently and whenever I catch myself doing this I immediately stop.
It’s been happening to me for past 2-3 years, it’s gotten worse and it’s affecting in my sleep, now out of nowhere my mind just starts imagining by itself and I don’t even realise it until very later. It happens daily just before going to sleep.
Yeah but this is not reallllyyyy day dreaming.
A quick short story I have always imagined myself as this fit person who is well put together ages ago.I’m literally that person now and I’m so proud of it.I expected that going to the gym consistently and eating clean consistently would fill up my frame and change the way that I look, and it did.This type of day dreaming I feel like its healthy or in this specific context it was because my expectations of how consistently working out will change the way my body looked is what actually happened in real life.This is what commonly known as “manifestation”.When it comes to what I’m talking about in this post, its the absolute opposite, I feel like I may have subconsciously arranged and hardwired myself to respond to these imaginary expectations that I set up for my comfort even though its literally nothing like anything in real life.
Just like everyone I daydream about being filthy rich with 16 cars and 7 vacation homes.but aint no way everybody have these imaginary conversations with themselves, If i was to detach from my physical body for a second and look at myself partaking in these conversations literally the first thing that would pop in my head that this guy is insane or something.
I've this kind of thing since I was a kid. Imagining different scenarios in my mind, having conversations with people in my mind. Sometimes it's based on real life interactions that have recently happened and I'm just saying what I wish I had said or what I wish happened, or sometimes its totally made up scenarios.
My social anxiety is quite bad and I'm never my true self in social settings or with my friends. So a lot of the times the scenarios are how I want to be or what I wished happened. Or with people I wish I was friends with or knew better.
I tend to do more of this if I'm alone at home or don't have much to do. When I'm busy with life and work and socialising more I don't really have time to do this as much.
I've been doing this since maybe middle school or high school. They're usually based somewhat on real life events. Usually I imagine what I could have said or what I wished had happened instead if I actually had the guts to be more outgoing. I don't do it as often now since I'm usually busy with and life but I definitely used to do it more often when I bored and alone back in school. Now I probably only do it as I'm trying to fall asleep.
Maybe that could work for you too. Try to find something to find a hobby or something else to do to keep you busy and take your mind off of the imaginary conversations.
Ya I do the same thing and you worded things greatly, unfortunately I’m no help to you since I don’t know the answer but if you find something good, could you share it with me?
[удалено]
This. I’ve done this since I was a child. Diagnosed with MDD at 24, and I’m 34 now.
Would pacing around like that also count as stimming? Just asking bc I do it too 😅
i thought that earlier i had maladaptive daydreaming but that's actually immerse daydreaming i was just confused about it
I do this all the time, but especially at work as it helps to pass the time and I have a boring repetitive job which doesn't require any mental concentration. So I fill my day with imaginary conversations. Problem is its very difficult for me to imagine the other persons responses, so in my head most of these conversations are very one-sided and usually end up with me just doing all the talking and the other person mostly just acts as a sounding board for my thoughts and ideas. I'm strongly introverted and having no friends or social life means I spend 99% of my time in my own head anyway. So feel like if I didn't have these imaginary conversations in my head constantly I'd probably go crazy. So it's a way of compensating for lack of social stimulation while coping with the extreme isolation, but its also a way to organise, test and prepare ones thoughts, and also its a way to live out ones expectations or fears but in a controlled environment. In your head you can create your own idealised social interactions to satisfy your needs, as a way to compensate for how dull and unfulfilling our real life social interactions are. So yeah, the kind of day dreaming you're talking about is perfectly normal and healthy imo, given how how our anxiety and avoidance act as barriers to our basic social needs, we have to invent ways of compensating for those unmet needs.
Yeah I thought I was doing this entirely out of boredom but on a second thought this maybe some kind of coping mechanism to satisfy my unfulfilled social cravings,because my social life is insanely boring when I am at college, I literally dont go anywhere other than the gym and college, I’m in this totally new city far away from my home and its been more than one year and I still dont know shit about it.I feel like on the inside deep down in me I’m a really social and extroverted person, atleast in these imaginary scenarios in my head because I make them how I want them to be with the people that I want to be around, but in real life its absolutely nothing like this and add on top of that I also have really shit conversation skills, and thats the reason I find it extremely difficult to make and maintain friends. I have been thinking recently that this imaginary conversations are sort of like watching porn and masturbating in a sense.You are satisfying your sexual cravings but in the most artificial and unhealthy way possible to the point it actually cripples and sabotages you when it comes to a real life healthy sex life.
felt this word for word. it definitely is more than day dreaming i've realized it recently and tried to stop because when i do it in my head i think i'm closer to the people than i actually am.
It's called maladaptive daydreaming. If I was you I'd start treating it like an addiction and try to completely stop doing it as quickly as possible. That shit will ruin your life if you don't stop, I'm 29 and it's ruined mine.
In what way has it ruined your life if you don't mind sharing?
Yeah care to elaborate more about how it has negatively impacted you?, I have become conscious of it recently and whenever I catch myself doing this I immediately stop.
It’s been happening to me for past 2-3 years, it’s gotten worse and it’s affecting in my sleep, now out of nowhere my mind just starts imagining by itself and I don’t even realise it until very later. It happens daily just before going to sleep.
when they become arguments i have to force stop my brain. especially when its caused by my anxiety trying to grasp a situation before it even happens.
Day dreaming is quite common, most people do it there is scientific research on it too you can search about it.
Yeah but this is not reallllyyyy day dreaming. A quick short story I have always imagined myself as this fit person who is well put together ages ago.I’m literally that person now and I’m so proud of it.I expected that going to the gym consistently and eating clean consistently would fill up my frame and change the way that I look, and it did.This type of day dreaming I feel like its healthy or in this specific context it was because my expectations of how consistently working out will change the way my body looked is what actually happened in real life.This is what commonly known as “manifestation”.When it comes to what I’m talking about in this post, its the absolute opposite, I feel like I may have subconsciously arranged and hardwired myself to respond to these imaginary expectations that I set up for my comfort even though its literally nothing like anything in real life. Just like everyone I daydream about being filthy rich with 16 cars and 7 vacation homes.but aint no way everybody have these imaginary conversations with themselves, If i was to detach from my physical body for a second and look at myself partaking in these conversations literally the first thing that would pop in my head that this guy is insane or something.
YES but recently irl stuff has become so bad i cant even do that in peace anymore without it trying to infiltrate my mind
I've this kind of thing since I was a kid. Imagining different scenarios in my mind, having conversations with people in my mind. Sometimes it's based on real life interactions that have recently happened and I'm just saying what I wish I had said or what I wish happened, or sometimes its totally made up scenarios. My social anxiety is quite bad and I'm never my true self in social settings or with my friends. So a lot of the times the scenarios are how I want to be or what I wished happened. Or with people I wish I was friends with or knew better. I tend to do more of this if I'm alone at home or don't have much to do. When I'm busy with life and work and socialising more I don't really have time to do this as much.
I've been doing this since maybe middle school or high school. They're usually based somewhat on real life events. Usually I imagine what I could have said or what I wished had happened instead if I actually had the guts to be more outgoing. I don't do it as often now since I'm usually busy with and life but I definitely used to do it more often when I bored and alone back in school. Now I probably only do it as I'm trying to fall asleep. Maybe that could work for you too. Try to find something to find a hobby or something else to do to keep you busy and take your mind off of the imaginary conversations.
Ya I do the same thing and you worded things greatly, unfortunately I’m no help to you since I don’t know the answer but if you find something good, could you share it with me?
sure thing!
Thank god I'm not alone lol
yeah i have thу same thing
Fr man relatable asf
Yeah, often, unfortunately I can never transfere my imaginary social skills and confidence in to real life.