My Version of Maladaptive Daydreaming

I don't seem to fit in again.  Story of my life?  

Further to my last post, on the subject of maladaptive daydreaming - it seems that people are describing fantasy worlds in which they have a whole new identity, maybe have magical powers, and so on.  One girl mentioned hanging around with cartoon characters.  That's not what I meant really.  

I actually have fantasies which involve real people.  In a way, that is worse.  They can be very elaborate.  I have invented children for myself in some of them.  I don't have a different name in my daydreams, but I guess that I am more of an idealised version of myself.  I do lose a lot of time on being "in a world of my own", though.  I know that. 

Anyway, I don't know if I have found much that I relate to, after all.  It's disappointing.  Maybe I really am the only one who is like this.  I doubt it actually, but I don't think that the "maladaptive daydreaming" label, as it stands, seems to cover it. 

Maladaptive Daydreaming and Dissociation

I have just discovered the term "maladaptive daydreaming", and I feel overwhelmed. I cannot believe that I have never heard of it before, as this is something to which I totally relate. 

I first heard the term in relation to Dissociative Identity Disorder, which I don't have, although I do experience dissociation, and many aspects of DID overlap with my own mental health issues. I have now done a search on Google, and there are people discussing "Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder" or "MDD", although it appears that this is probably not yet an official diagnostic category.
 

I have been trying to piece together my own jigsaw, due to the lack of interest and support from the mental health team, none of whom will even seriously discuss my depression with me, since changing my "primary diagnosis" to OCD. I know that they often resent my attempts to investigate my own mental health, and to learn about mental health disorders in general, but I only want some answers, and to find out what is going on with myself. 

I am also interested in finding out about different mental illnesses, so that I am in a better position to help and understand others. 

I am so fed-up with hearing that people shouldn't "self-diagnose", with either physical or mental health problems. I wouldn't even be diagnosed with dyspraxia had I not first "self-diagnosed", later having the diagnosis confirmed by professionals. Self-diagnosis can be dangerous, but so can just "going along with" what you know to be an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis.

Anyway, I am going to research "maladaptive daydreaming" some more. I don't feel ready to explain it yet, as I am only just discovering about it myself, although believe me, it is nothing new that I am hearing about. The only aspect that has come as a shock to me is that there is actually a name for something which I have experienced since childhood.