Screaming into the Void, diary

Objective: Studies on maladaptive daydreaming have shown that it has a number of comorbidities including dissociative disorders, yet no studies have examined the reciprocal relationship. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of maladaptive daydreaming in a sample of psychiatric inpatients with high levels of dissociation. 

Methods: The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Self‐ Report Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale‐16 (MDS‐16), Structured Clinical Interview for Maladaptive Daydreaming, and the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory were administered to a sample of 100 inpatients in a psychiatric hospital program specializing in dissociative disorders. 

Results: Of the 100 participants, 93 reported childhood physical and/or sexual abuse, 33 met criteria for dissociative identity disorder; 56 met criteria for other specified dissociative disorder, 49 met criteria for maladaptive daydreaming disorder, and 23 met criteria for unspecified maladaptive daydreaming. The average score on the DES was 39.1 and the average score on the MDS‐16 was 33.9. Individuals with maladaptive daydreaming disorder scored significantly higher than those without on many different symptom clusters.

there are a lot of gray areas and overlap between different disorders, so trying to self-diagnose can be very confusing. and it can be a lot more confusing when you’re trying to figure out if you have a disorder that is very under-researched and that isn’t “officially recognized" which makes getting a professional diagnosis near impossible.

people are going to misdiagnose themselves as maladaptive daydreamers a lot. and that’s okay. trying to figure out and understand your mental health is a difficult and exhausting process, especially when you have multiple mental illnesses all interacting with and affecting each other to make things more muddy. you don’t need to make it harder on people by yelling at them or making them feel guilty because you think they misdiagnosed themselves. nor should you be demanding that they reveal more details about their disorder so you can judge if they’re wrong or not. and you don’t need to comment on every post you see from someone who you think may have misdiagnosed to tell them that you think they misdiagnosed.

constantly trying to un-diagnose strangers on the internet is a lot worse than anyone accidentally misdiagnosing themselves. and by doing that, you could end up harming someone who actually does have madd by making them scared to talk about it and seek help.

I've had violent daydreams for like as long as I can remember?