Why You Feel Safer Imagining Life Than Living It | Maladaptive Daydreaming

Why does real life feel harder than the world inside your head?

In Snack Size Deep Dive 6 on the Things We Say in Therapy Podcast, we break down maladaptive daydreaming: why we retreat into imagined scenarios, worst-case thinking, or fantasy worlds when life feels unsafe, overwhelming, or unpredictable.

Maladaptive daydreaming is a coping mechanism, often developed through trauma, anxiety, or emotional pain that once kept you safe but may now be keeping you stuck.

In this video, we explore:
What maladaptive daydreaming really is
Why your brain chooses imagination over reality
How avoidance fuels anxiety and social fear
The link between maladaptive daydreaming and trauma
Why discomfort is necessary for healing
How to start choosing real life over imagined safety
Practical tools to reconnect with the present moment

If this resonates, you’re not broken. Your nervous system has adapted to cope, but change is always possible!

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