I prefer a fictional world over my own so much I can't stop thinking about it

I recently watched a new season of a show I really enjoy and I prefer it over my own life and I keep imagining myself there and having my own character there and I think about it all the time and when I imagine said world I imagine characters in that world to be my parents over my actual patents and I like my parents in the other world more and it's really weird and I don't know if this is connected but I also love my mother but I don't love my mother at the same time. I don't know if this weird or common.

Don't feel you are weird by this. I am sure there are many who would admit to this, including myself. The whole time I was married I had my pretend world I retreated into.

Love-hate is very common.

I can understand this in a way as I have been a deep fantasizer since childhood. I believe it is a coping mechanism for a less than fulfilling emotional situation or situations experienced in life. People who are deep fantasizers, I think are probably deep people who for whatever reason need more than the standard amount of emotional support from others and because they don't get that they begin to create an alternate reality where all of their needs are met. A place that they can escape to where they are appreciated, admired and above all loved in such a way that that place is preferable to their real life. So preferable that they would swap out their real life for it in a heart beatif they could. Anyway, that's my take on it. As I've grown older I don't do this nearly as much any more unless I'm maybe alone and relaxing with a good day dream. I can spend hours just day dreaming and going anywhere I want to in my own mind. I think that fantasy can be a healthy thing as long as you keep in mind that it is just fantasy and not let the perception of it cross over into reality.

I think it's common in some ways, and maybe stems from the desire for fulfillment or from the simple wish to be happy. It's not weird.

I live vicariously through shows and movies because my life is pretty much garbage. I do the same thing, imagine myself with those people in the same situations. Our brains might be trying to just go somewhere a little more interesting or find connection when we have none.

I like to do this too like I'm putting myself there. I also see myself in stories I read as one of the people present or in the same room as the characters. I even think sometimes about how they would react to my opinion on whatever the current situation is.

Maladaptive Daydreaming. I was constantly living out fantasy scenarios in my head for my entire life until I starting therapy. It was definitely an coping mechanism and away to escape. However it did stop me from being productive as all I wanted to do was be alone to fantasize. I was great in my head. Either I had special powers and saved the people I wanted to be with or I was being saved. Music would send me into those fantasies too.

i've certainly done that last bit.

asked myself,

now if such and such was in this situation, what would they do?