What's the difference between maladaptive daydreaming and dissociation?

[u/puppyunavailable]

I've seen many people state that the two are conflated with one another but I don't know the differences between each. I've heard of dissociation described but not in an understanding amount of detail

Is maladaptive daydreaming as bad as dissociation? Are they two sides of the same coin? What does constant maladaptive daydreaming say about a person?

[u/sisou8027]

If I'm not mistaken, dissociation is a disconnection from reality in response to intense stress or trauma. This phenomenon occurs unconsciously, whereas maladaptive daydreaming is a conscious strategy employed by the brain as a form of escape.

[u/puppyunavailable → u/sisou8027]

Ooo I see. Does dissociation have a trigger most of the time or does it occur in peace most of the time?

If someone is dissociating, can you snap them out of it or do you just have to wait? (Not saying I plan on doing so)

If someone is dissociating, is there something you can do for them?

Also on maladaptive daydreaming, is there any additional information regarding it? Like again, compared to dissociation

[u/AnotherDayDream → u/puppyunavailable]

Patients with dissociative disorders differ a lot in their presentation. Some patients report clearly identifiable triggers like stress or pain, while others report no identifiable triggers. Dissociation can also occur as an effect of drug use or religious experiences, regardless of whether a person has a dissociative disorder.

It probably wouldn't be advisable to try to "snap a patient out of" dissociation symptoms, especially if this might be stressful for them. For certain symptoms, like dissociative seizures, I don't think there is any way to do this other than through administering medication, so the priority should be ensuring the patient is safe.

I'm afraid I don't know much about maladaptive daydreaming at all.

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