| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 12:36:40 PM
Hello everyone. I'm a 20 year old student who is not very familiar with hypnosis, however I've been engaging in a specific type of mental activity and I'd appreciate if someone could help me identify if there are some hypnotic elements in it.
So, I have an emerging condition called Maladaptive Daydreaming which is characterized by intense episodes of immersive daydreaming and fantasizing, and unlike normal daydreaming, it is followed by certain mental and behavioral symptoms, and it's a bit addictive. Needless to say, like any obsessive fantasizing, it's a maladaptive coping mechanism and a way to act out repressed emotions and distract oneself from underlying problems, however it's the nature of the daydreaming episode that baffles me and in certain occasions it reminds me of self-hypnosis which is why I ask here for help and information.
In order to start an episode of maladaptive daydreaming, I do the following thing: I lock myself in a room so that no one can see or disturb me, I put on my headphones, turn on my mp3 player and an intense daydream begins; in this state of daydreaming, I feel the need to pace around the room or engage in some other repetitive body movement, I cry or laugh as I imagine different scenarios seduced by music, I feel bursts of energy, I even get high and extremely euphoric feelings, emotions are far stronger, sometimes my heartbeat increases as a consequence of strong emotions. In other words, I'm acting out a really intense daydream. I feel disconnected from everything except my daydream which I'm focused on intensely, I feel power, immersed in my own mind, yet at the same time, I'm aware of my surroundings and I can snap out of the episode when needed. But as soon as I snap out, I'm back to my normal dull self.
Also, in this intense state of daydreaming induced by music and mental imagery, I also noticed I tend to be exceptionally creative. Numerous ideas come to me spontaneously, something that rarely happens in normal state but as soon as I stop the episode by turning off the music, my creativity is really weakened. Another interesting thing is that I tend to make somewhat irrational conclusions during the daydreaming episode and my critical and logical thinking are not as sharp as in the normal state. I guess I feel a bit suggestible; for example, during the episode, I'll conclude there's a connection between event A and event B based on some coincidental mutual element they share. Of course, when I reanalyze things in normal state, I see that there were no rational connections.
So, my question is: could this be some sort of hypnosis? Or it's a normal act of daydreaming, just more intense? I've visited a psychiatrist in order to rule out other conditions, and we agreed that my immersive daydreaming is a defense mechanism that I use to shut off from the harsh reality, occasional depression, and dissatisfaction with who I really am, but they didn't comment the nature of daydreaming.
Thank you.
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| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 3:26:42 PM
Ok.. I don't know anyone in Serbia :/ |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 3:19:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by patrickg
Which country are you in?
I'm from Europe, Serbia. |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 12:54:29 PM
Which country are you in? |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 12:52:06 PM
Thank you! I was definitely considering hypnotherapy, because I think I'd have some success with it since I seem to be a bit prone to it, but unfortunately there aren't any trained professionals in my country, so I had to rule it out. |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 08:57:04 AM
It will be somewhat similar if you go to a hypnotist. The difference will be you NOT guiding yourself while in state. And, instead, allowing the hypnotist to guide you.
Good luck!! |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 06:27:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by patrickg
Will often see that tendency/skill to dissociate with people that have experienced repeated trauma/abuse.
But, obviously people experiencing any negative emotional 'trauma' can develop this.
Addressing those negative emotional motivators will reduce your "desire/compulsion/urge" to daydream.
Finding a balance with this skill is probably a good thing to pursue. There are benefits to that state of mind, as you know. Curbing the behavior so it does not detract from real life is the direction to work.
I understand, and in fact, the first thing my psychiatrist suspected was trauma but she ruled out the possibility after our first session. Personally, I think my low self-esteem, which is such a minor problem in contrast to problems like abuse, only fueled the daydreaming episodes. I was always prone to intense immersion, so when the first problem arose, I probably took an advantage and misused it as a coping mechanism.
Anyways, according to a research carried out about this syndrome, only 27% of participants reported an early childhood trauma or abuse, so it's definitely not that. The research also excludes the possibility that it's a form of dissociation used to cope with something negative.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/71763571/Compulsive-Fantasy-proposed-evidence-of-an-under-reported-system-through-systematic-study-of-90-self-identified-non-normative-fantasizers
I've never engaged in hypnosis induced by a professional, so I can't tell if it's similar, but it really feels like I'm closer my own subconscious, and the ideas that I come up with when I'm in this state usually remain rooted in my persona and it's hard to let them go, which is partly responsible for the compulsion bit.
Once again, thanks a lot! |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 6:14:04 PM
Will often see that tendency/skill to dissociate with people that have experienced repeated trauma/abuse.
But, obviously people experiencing any negative emotional 'trauma' can develop this.
Addressing those negative emotional motivators will reduce your "desire/compulsion/urge" to daydream.
Finding a balance with this skill is probably a good thing to pursue. There are benefits to that state of mind, as you know. Curbing the behavior so it does not detract from real life is the direction to work. |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 6:01:33 PM
quote:
Originally posted by patrickg
No problem.
So then the "core" issue is your low self-esteem/confidence/whatever, as that motivates your mind to try to feel "better".
If that negative motivator is addressed, it should reduce the relative importance of the daydreaming. ???
I think addressing underlying problems will reduce the urge to daydream. I already started doing so and noticed some improvements. However, I think my ability to immerse and dissociate like this will always remain. I guess I see it as both talent and a curse - talent because it feels like as if I have a communication with my subconscious and is a state of extreme creativity and ideas, and a curse because I obviously misused it as a defense mechanism which distracted me from living real life. I guess it was a double-edged sword. |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 5:32:27 PM
No problem.
So then the "core" issue is your low self-esteem/confidence/whatever, as that motivates your mind to try to feel "better".
If that negative motivator is addressed, it should reduce the relative importance of the daydreaming. ??? |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 5:21:28 PM
quote:
Originally posted by patrickg
Well... the excessive theta and alpha might appear to be a RESULT of your emotional/behavior issues, rather than a cause...
When/how did you start dissociating like this? I have my assumptions but would be interested in hearing your perspective.
Oh. Thanks.
The onset took place when I was 12 and it more or less coincides with the time I entered puberty. Majority of people who have Maladaptive Daydreaming report that the onset usually happens between the age 6-13. An interesting thing is that I never suffered from any trauma or abuse. In fact, many people with MD never experienced any kind of trauma, but we do have issues with, say, low self-esteem or loneliness or issues with intimacy, and that's why it grows to be a coping mechanism. We build alternate inner worlds or even realistic scenarios which we constantly daydream about and which are very vivid on an emotional level. Of course, we never confuse fantasy and reality.
As for how it began, it's strange. It began by immersing too much in books and movies. Sounds ridiculous, but I could get so immersed in a certain movie that I'd end up crying about fictional events as if they were real or I'd even develop feeling for certain characters. So, in this period, I had a tendency to rewatch intense movie scenes (but oddly enough, only if they had a background music I liked) numerous times, and my mind would simply drift off in the process. Eventually, I started imagining my own scenarios to music with my own mental imagery and the act of daydreaming became even deeper, involving kinesthetic activities, such as pacing around the room and some repetitive movements.
I don't know what precisely triggered it. I analyzed myself countless times in search of a specific trigger but with no result. What I do know, though, is that I had low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy at the time when my daydreaming became intense. I also became socially withdrawn when I noticed the power of my imagination; through daydreaming, I could experience and create any emotions I wanted so I simply didn't bother seeking it out in real life. Naturally, it was such a childish mistake and I'm paying for it now. My psychiatrist said that daydreaming to music became addictive because I was dissatisfied with who I was so I constantly needed it to distract myself from being who I am. And I agree with that. But the only thing that confuses me is the origin of my capability to immerse this much in the act of daydreaming or fiction.
By the way, thank you very much. |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 4:03:25 PM
Well... the excessive theta and alpha might appear to be a RESULT of your emotional/behavior issues, rather than a cause...
When/how did you start dissociating like this? I have my assumptions but would be interested in hearing your perspective. |
| Eretaia |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 3:42:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by patrickg
Short answer: Yes
Sounds like a self-induced dissociated hypnotic state that you have learned to use as a coping mechanism. Expressing emotions that you may have trouble expressing other ways.
If you were my client, I'd be interested in addressing the source of these strong emotions and, possibly, the behavior that, otherwise, represses them.
Thank you very much for your reply and advice. It's true, I learned to use it as a coping mechanism and almost grew addicted to it because it gives me fulfillment which I otherwise don't have in real life. I was recommended to take a psychoanalytic psychotherapy where I'd analyze repressed emotions and learn to allow myself to feel them consciously.
Anyway, what makes me so prone to this self-induced hypnosis? I apologize if this isn't relevant, but I also have enormous problems with concentration and attention and my doctor suggested I might have ADD-inattentive type. I read people with ADD tend to produce excessive theta and alpha brainwaves which are associated with daydreaming, creativity and some forms of hypnosis.
quote:
It sounds to me that your "normal dull self" is not so normal or dull as you seem to think.
May I ask what exactly you mean by that?
Thanks to both of you! |
| HypnoDoc |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 1:02:20 PM
quote:
I'm back to my normal dull self.
It sounds to me that your "normal dull self" is not so normal or dull as you seem to think. |
| patrickg |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 12:55:19 PM
Short answer: Yes
Sounds like a self-induced dissociated hypnotic state that you have learned to use as a coping mechanism. Expressing emotions that you may have trouble expressing other ways.
If you were my client, I'd be interested in addressing the source of these strong emotions and, possibly, the behavior that, otherwise, represses them. |
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