Prof. Nirit Sofer-Dudek from the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has led the publication of a new paper calling for the recognition of "maladaptive daydreaming" as an official psychiatric disorder. The position paper presents how the syndrome impairs the daily functioning of those who suffer from it and proposes including the syndrome in leading psychiatric diagnostic manuals.
We've all experienced moments of daydreaming. A never-ending meeting, a too-long conversation with the neighbor, or a quiet moment at home where we find ourselves immersed in reliving the day's events or worrying about tomorrow's tasks. Sometimes we can even dive into a completely imaginary world that includes notes, imagined conversations, and unfulfilled fantasies.
For many, daydreams are a moment of pleasant escape from reality. But what happens when fantasy becomes an obsession? When a rich imagination spills over into life itself, disrupting routine and harming daily functioning and personal relationships? This is exactly the situation that Prof. Nirit Sofer-Dudek of Ben-Gurion University and her colleagues seek to raise awareness.
Maladaptive daydreaming, as Super-Dudek describes it in her article, is a syndrome in which immersion in imaginary worlds is not temporary or controlled, but becomes a chronic phenomenon that impairs daily functioning and personal relationships. These are people who immerse themselves in imaginary worlds for prolonged episodes, have difficulty stopping thinking about them even when it bothers them, and sometimes even prefer dreams to real life. In fact, "among people who suffer from this phenomenon, the brain serves as a kind of free viewing service in which they are the directors, the screenwriters, and in many cases even the main actors," explains Super-Dudek.
People with the syndrome sometimes use fantasies as a coping mechanism for emotional distress, and even experience feelings of frustration or irritability when interrupted in the middle of a daydream. In addition, the syndrome sometimes includes repetitive movements that accompany the daydream, and repeated attempts to stop being immersed in fantasies without success. Another characteristic is a persistent preference for imaginary worlds over social or realistic activities, which increases the detachment from reality and impairs the quality of life.
Because this phenomenon has received little research attention to date, many sufferers are unaware of their condition and are forced to seek answers and support in online communities. On these platforms, they share their stories and struggle to understand the source of their undiagnosed distress. "Without official recognition, the syndrome remains outside the psychiatric discourse, which prevents sufferers from receiving the treatment they need," explains Sofer-Dudek.
In the present article, it is argued that the characteristics and mechanisms of maladaptive daydreaming share many similarities with the mechanisms of dissociative disorders, such as a disconnection between the sense of self and reality, and therefore, the authors argue, it should be recognized as a new dissociative disorder. Its inclusion in the dissociative disorders chapter of psychiatric diagnostic manuals will give it a professional context and help deepen the scientific understanding of the relationship between imagination and mental distress.
The signature of B.
The position paper reflects the broad support for the recognition of this syndrome, and constitutes a significant breakthrough in the field, which has been led in recent years by Super-Dodek and her research partner, Prof. Eli Sommer of the University of Haifa, who coined the term "maladaptive daydreaming." Although it is too early to announce the syndrome's entry into psychiatric manuals, the current study, published in a prestigious journal with the support of the world's leaders in the field of dissociation, places the phenomenon at the center of scientific discourse, opens a window for a broader and more in-depth professional discourse, and constitutes a significant milestone on the path to recognition that will lead to significant relief for those who suffer from it.
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Response to Keren: You probably haven't encountered the real phenomenon. Everything moves on a spectrum, and many disorders overlap to some extent with others, but this is a far cry from the symptoms of attention deficit disorder. In general, diving into fantasy is a common coping mechanism, but the article talks about very extreme cases that you probably haven't encountered.
As a professional who has worked with mentalization for years, this is very disappointing. I bothered to read the article in English. At first I was excited about the novelty, and as I delved deeper, I realized that you have given a different name to attention deficit disorder. For years, there has been a distinction between attention deficit disorder - classic ADHD, and attention deficit disorder. Anyone who works with patients in a clinic immediately understands the difference. Especially in women, attention disorders can be seen that lead to a lot of difficulties due to the lack of diagnosis. In 99 percent, there are also flashes of fantasy, long and detailed stories, sometimes as a phase, sometimes as an addiction, sometimes something that has grown into a narcissistic characteristic, like a bubble. So there is no new disorder here as you claim to present, just a new name for a type of attention disorder that looks different from the one you chose to describe in your article.
How come you didn't mention that the person who first researched, identified, and described the phenomenon was Prof. Eli Sommer?
She kind of took ownership without mentioning his research achievement?