Today we’re going to explore a question many maladaptive daydreamers often ask: Why do you relapse into excessive daydreaming? You might find yourself in a cycle where you gain control over your daydreaming for a while, only to slip back into its compulsive grip. To understand this phenomenon better, let’s draw parallels to addiction and explore the importance of addressing root causes rather than merely managing symptoms.

The Relapse Paradox

Picture this: You’ve been on a journey to regain control over your daydreaming habits. After days or even months of concerted effort, you start feeling victorious. You’ve seemingly conquered your excessive daydreaming tendencies, and for a moment, life seems back on track. However, the euphoria is short-lived, as you soon notice that your daydreaming is making a comeback. It’s a frustrating cycle that many maladaptive daydreamers can relate to.

The Addiction Analogy

Before going into the heart of the matter, let’s consider the similarities between relapsing into excessive daydreaming and relapsing in substance addiction, such as alcoholism (without the biochemical aspects). Just as someone battling alcohol addiction may have periods of sobriety followed by a return to excessive drinking, you can experience a parallel struggle.

So, why do you relapse as a daydreamer? The answer lies in your approach during periods of control. Often, when you manage to temporarily curtail your daydreaming, you fail to address the root causes that trigger your compulsion to daydream excessively.

Dealing with the Root Causes

Imagine your mind as a house with various rooms. The daydreams you indulge in serve as a means to escape into one of these rooms, away from the painful emotions you prefer not to confront. When you take a break from daydreaming or reduce its frequency, it’s similar to locking the door to that room temporarily. But the contents of that room — the unresolved emotions and experiences — are still there, untouched in the depths of your subconscious.

The Relapse Connection

The reason you relapse is that you haven’t ventured into that deep, often dark, basement of your mind to address those stored emotions and memories. These unprocessed emotions are the root causes of your excessive daydreaming. By not dealing with them on a deeper level, you merely close the door without truly addressing what’s inside.

Even if you successfully stop daydreaming for a while, these unresolved emotions and experiences continue to exert their influence. It’s like a hidden force compelling you toward compulsive activities — daydreaming being just one manifestation. This is why you might find yourself overthinking or overworking when you’re not daydreaming — because the root causes are still at play.

Breaking the Cycle

To truly break free from the relapse cycle, it’s crucial to work on yourself at a deeper level. This means addressing your traumas, healing emotional wounds, and processing those hidden aspects of yourself that may not be immediately apparent. Remember, engaging in compulsive activities signifies that something within you is controlling your life to the point where you cannot consciously resist.

So, whether you’ve experienced relapses or are still on your journey to overcome excessive daydreaming, always prioritize dealing with the root causes. This is where lasting change happens. Instead of feeling defeated by relapses, view them as opportunities for self-discovery and growth. Understand that there may be more work to be done to completely overcome maladaptive daydreaming.

Conclusion

In the journey of a maladaptive daydreamer, relapses can be discouraging. However, they also offer a chance to delve deeper into your own psyche and address the root causes that drive excessive daydreaming. By working on your subconscious beliefs and healing emotional scars, you can gradually break free from the cycle. Relapsing isn’t a sign of failure but rather a reminder that there is more inner work to be done. Embrace it as part of your journey toward living a more balanced and fulfilling life. Until next time, keep striving for self-improvement, and have a wonderful journey ahead.

Note from the Author

If you’re ready and you’d like my help with overcoming and managing maladaptive daydreaming without spending years in therapy, then you can book a FREE BREAKTHROUGH CALL with me HERE. Happy healing 💙💙. Feel free to share and comment! Use this information with caution, it comes from my own thoughts & bias, experiences and research😊.