[4815162342]

Hello. I have signed up to this community only because things have started to go extremely spiral for me.

Let me start off by saying that I have severe imagination problems. I have my own world in my head. I've hardly ever had real friends. Since I was young I would imagine myself as an outgoing person(I was and still am shy.)
That's how it all started. Later it developed into other stories and characters. All the stories we're random. Some we're about me, some we're about other people(People I made up.). I would spend all day imagining it all in my head. These imaginations became my world. I always thought that the imaginations couldn't go anymore rapid, but I was wrong.
Nowadays I have lost track of reality. Almost all day I stay at home imagining my life away. It's getting worse by the month. I've tried to change myself but I can't. Maybe one of the reasons why I can't live without my imagination is because I had no friends to count on when I was young.
Now I am frustrated with myself. Everyday I'm depressed with myself that my life is such a fail. I want to be normal, have some friends, go out late at night and party like the rest of the people but I don't go on well with that. I'm frustrated and depressed about my way of life. I've even thought about suicide, if it would be the right option for me. I mean I have nothing worthwhile to live for. It's all in my head and it hurts so much. I don't know what's wrong with me but I don't think I can fix it anymore. I probably spend about more than 5 hours a day imagining stuff. I don't think I can live like this anymore. I'm frustrated with my life.

[Leed]

Hi ~ Bless your heart. An imagination is good, but not when it gets the best of you.

My friend, you need therapy. Talk with your medical doctor and have him refer you to a good therapist. He will know the best one to refer you to. Therapy WILL help you -- I've been thru therapy, and it was the best gift I ever gave myself. And I'm sure it will benefit you greatly too.

So talk with your doctor, ok? And let us know what he has to say.

I wish you the very best. God bless and please take care! Hugs, Lee

[Rohag]

Hello & Welcome, 4815162342!

Originally Posted by 4815162342

Maybe one of the reasons why I can't live without my imagination is because I had no friends to count on when I was young.

That makes sense. You had to adapt to emotionally survive in specific circumstances.

Originally Posted by 4815162342

I've tried to change myself but I can't.

Problems such as yours, especially if combined with depression, often (almost always?) require outside assistance. Leed is correct; please see your doctor if at all possible.

Make yourself at home here, 4815162342!

[Cocosurviving]

Hi,
I hate your going through this but glad
you reached out for help. I also attend
therapy plus a support group. Both have
really helped me. I wish you the best.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Rohag

Hello & Welcome, 4815162342!

That makes sense. You had to adapt to emotionally survive in specific circumstances.

Problems such as yours, especially if combined with depression, often (almost always?) require outside assistance. Leed is correct; please see your doctor if at all possible.

Make yourself at home here, 4815162342!

Originally Posted by Cocosurviving

Hi,
I hate your going through this but glad
you reached out for help. I also attend
therapy plus a support group. Both have
really helped me. I wish you the best.

Therapy or outside assistance is not an option. It will take too much time to trust those people. I'll be just wasting my time by doing that.
Thanks for the replies.

[bharani1008]

You don't have to trust right away. Just talk in a protected environment. Or maybe go to a support group like Cocosurviving suggested and just listen for a while. Don't speak up until you're ready. But you have to have something to aim at that is outside of your head. Maybe if you get a pet, or plant some flowers that will need your attention and give you company and purpose. Maybe just talk on the phone to some hotline numbers.
Watch TV or read. When I was my craziest TV would allow me to focus on something outside and let my mind rest for a while. Eventually I regained control of my thoughts and got well.
Please keep posting. and stay safe

I'm happy with my imagination. My thoughts bring me relief. I understand that you want friends. Have you considered taking a class or two? It might help you meet people or at least get you out of your head for awhile.

[Rohag]

??? -
PsychCentral forum thread on maladaptive daydreaming

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by bharani1008

You don't have to trust right away. Just talk in a protected environment. Or maybe go to a support group like Cocosurviving suggested and just listen for a while. Don't speak up until you're ready.

I can't stand being in groups or even outside anymore. I'm too afraid of what people think of me. So when I'm able to I tend to stay alone at home.

Originally Posted by bharani1008

But you have to have something to aim at that is outside of your head. Maybe if you get a pet, or plant some flowers that will need your attention and give you company and purpose. Maybe just talk on the phone to some hotline numbers.
Watch TV or read. When I was my craziest TV would allow me to focus on something outside and let my mind rest for a while. Eventually I regained control of my thoughts and got well.
Please keep posting. and stay safe

I do most of the stuff you mentioned above. It does help me for awhile.

Originally Posted by Sadendings

I'm happy with my imagination. My thoughts bring me relief. I understand that you want friends. Have you considered taking a class or two? It might help you meet people or at least get you out of your head for awhile.

I was happy too, until it started to get uncontrollable.
I am taking classes but that doesn't help much with friendship.
Most of the interaction I do with people is: "Hello/Bye". That's pretty much how any social day goes for me.

Originally Posted by Rohag

??? -
PsychCentral forum thread on maladaptive daydreaming

I've done some research on maladaptive daydreaming. I have all the "symptoms", but still I'm not comfortable with diagnosing myself.

[Pierro]

It must be exausting living in your own head. I know when my mind is is going non stop after a few days it gets so bad that I think my head is going to burst. You need a distraction, and a big one at that. Bharani is right, t.v. is good and will get you out of your mind.

Although sooner rather that later you will eventually have to talk to someone. I'm in therapy and when I find it hard to speak my therapist lets me paint. So you see you could do something like that. I bad to live in your head all the time. I wish you all the best and I hope that you give yourself a break and get yourself the help you need.

[l8blmr]

I've just posted on the MD thread here where I listed some other forums that I've found which deal with that issue. My point is that there's a lot of people out there with the same issue including me. And it's only recently getting attention. I had no friends when I was a kid and made up fantasies that I did too. Not that I'm a social animal now.

There are methods for learning to stay in the moment, recognizing when a trigger causes you to escape into your favorite distraction. PM me if you want to discuss in private. Check these out:

Getting Unstuck: Pema Chodron: 9781591792383: Amazon.com: Books

Wild Minds Network - Where wild minds come to rest

Believing you're the only one and that everyone else has it together are common symptoms. Therapists know their first job is to win your trust. You're worth the effort.

[Cheshire Grin]

First of all, 485162342, I want to say that I was surprised by how many of your comments I found I could relate to. I have always had what has been called an "overactive imagination" and, more often, by the less eloquent, that I "think too much."

I think that imagination is a tremendous asset that can, as you have found, be overwhelming. I've found that most people are capable of memorizing other people's ideas and regurgitating them, as need be, but that imagination is something that cannot be bought at any price.

"I want to be normal, have some friends, go out late at night and party like the rest of the people but I don't go on well with that."

I was a wild partygirl when I was young. I went out most nights and drifted from clubs and parties, not going home till the sun rose. I was running away from myself, trying to hide from all the pain I was in. And most of the people I caroused with were doing the exact same thing.

When I was young, I also thought that therapy was for other people. When I did decide to go, I thought it was something that could be done quickly, like I seemed to achieve so many other things in my youth. I'm about to make a statement, NOT to discourage you, but to try to help you be more realistic about therapy. Not all therapists will have all the qualities that you may need to make progress. Not all will be worthy of your trust. But until you begin to open up to one, I'm not sure how much progress you will make on your own, in your current mindset. Also, when I started therapy I thought I could tidy myself up in a couple of months. It's 16 years later and I'm still learning and growing from work I do in continued therapy. It's not an easy thing to do, to commit to therapy, but you are worth the effort.

[Clara22]

It is hard to start therapy sometimes. I am at the same point. At least, try to stay here, post about your feelings. I think it would help. I think that part of the blame about your daydreaming is on society. This society offers models impossible to achieve. All these lives on TV, on Facebook are just fake and we buy in! we see our lives to be so distant from those luminous lives, our lives are so poor in comparison! then, we close our eyes and dream of perfect lives. We are heroes, beauties, riches, and famous.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by l8blmr

I've just posted on the MD thread here where I listed some other forums that I've found which deal with that issue. My point is that there's a lot of people out there with the same issue including me. And it's only recently getting attention. I had no friends when I was a kid and made up fantasies that I did too. Not that I'm a social animal now.

There are methods for learning to stay in the moment, recognizing when a trigger causes you to escape into your favorite distraction. PM me if you want to discuss in private. Check these out:

[links]

Believing you're the only one and that everyone else has it together are common symptoms. Therapists know their first job is to win your trust. You're worth the effort.

I don't want to fix this anymore. I prefer to just be alone. I don't mean to sound like a douche but I will not click those links because it won't change anything for me.

Originally Posted by Cheshire Grin

First of all, 485162342, I want to say that I was surprised by how many of your comments I found I could relate to. I have always had what has been called an "overactive imagination" and, more often, by the less eloquent, that I "think too much."

I think that imagination is a tremendous asset that can, as you have found, be overwhelming. I've found that most people are capable of memorizing other people's ideas and regurgitating them, as need be, but that imagination is something that cannot be bought at any price.

"I want to be normal, have some friends, go out late at night and party like the rest of the people but I don't go on well with that."

I was a wild partygirl when I was young. I went out most nights and drifted from clubs and parties, not going home till the sun rose. I was running away from myself, trying to hide from all the pain I was in. And most of the people I caroused with were doing the exact same thing.

When I was young, I also thought that therapy was for other people. When I did decide to go, I thought it was something that could be done quickly, like I seemed to achieve so many other things in my youth. I'm about to make a statement, NOT to discourage you, but to try to help you be more realistic about therapy. Not all therapists will have all the qualities that you may need to make progress. Not all will be worthy of your trust. But until you begin to open up to one, I'm not sure how much progress you will make on your own, in your current mindset. Also, when I started therapy I thought I could tidy myself up in a couple of months. It's 16 years later and I'm still learning and growing from work I do in continued therapy. It's not an easy thing to do, to commit to therapy, but you are worth the effort.

The thing that I am most afraid of going to a therapist is the time that it's going to take to get any results done. You mentioned that it's been 16 years since you started seeking help. This makes me think that I don't really want to waste that time for achieving small efforts, because I know that this will be really hard to let go off. So I won't do anything because i'm no one. This won't change. All I can do now is just write the ideas down.

Originally Posted by Clara22

It is hard to start therapy sometimes. I am at the same point. At least, try to stay here, post about your feelings. I think it would help. I think that part of the blame about your daydreaming is on society. This society offers models impossible to achieve. All these lives on TV, on Facebook are just fake and we buy in! we see our lives to be so distant from those luminous lives, our lives are so poor in comparison! then, we close our eyes and dream of perfect lives. We are heroes, beauties, riches, and famous.

I don't think i'll be making anymore future posts about myself. It makes me feel weird when I tell others about myself, so I would rather not do it.
So what i'm going to do is give in and just go with the flow.

Thanks for the replies.