From Maladaptive Daydreamer to MD Recovery Coach

For six years, maladaptive daydreaming had control over my life. I would cancel plans with friends just to stay in my room for hours, lost in my daydreams. I remember lying awake all night replaying the same scenarios in my head. It affected everything: my focus at work, my relationships with friends, my confidence.

And the worst part? No one seemed to understand. Therapists would tell me, "daydreaming is normal, we all do it," which only made me feel more alone.

This is what led me (years later) to become an MD Recovery Coach, active researcher, and training psychotherapist. But first, I had to find my own way out.

Everything started to change when I found out about a strategy called implementation intentions: an "if-then" plan used in behavior change psychology to redirect automatic patterns. With effort and consistency, I began to take back control of my mind.

I went on to complete a Master's degree in Psychology at Maastricht University, where I conducted academic research on maladaptive daydreaming and the effectiveness of implementation intentions in recovery. I am now training as a psychotherapist at the National College of Hypnosis & Psychotherapy (NCHP) in London, continuing my active research in the field. What I've learned, from both my own recovery and my research, became the foundation of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Recovery Framework I now use with my 1:1 clients.

The results made something clear: true recovery isn't about quick fixes. It's about uncovering the reasons behind daydreaming, meeting those needs in real life, and having ongoing support while you do it.

This realization inspired me to begin coaching maladaptive daydreamers. My work isn't about daydreaming less; it's about addressing everything that comes with being a maladaptive daydreamer: uncovering what you may have been escaping from, learning to manage your emotions without disappearing into fantasy, and facing goals you might have avoided for years because it was always easier to "achieve" them in your daydreams.

I've seen incredible transformations in the people I coach. Those who once felt trapped in endless fantasies are now building meaningful relationships, pursuing goals they used to only daydream about, and feeling present in their everyday lives. Their journeys have proven what I learned from my own story: healing from maladaptive daydreaming is possible, and that includes you.