Anjelica asked 12 years ago
I like to make up characters in my mind that and pretend to be them. I used to do it only at night when I was in bed, but recently I’ve been doing it all the time. Also, it has become more difficult for me to snap back into reality.
Insight Psychological Staff answered 12 years ago
I would need more information in order to determine whether or not this is a personality disorder. I can however tell you that the more often you do this, the more it will become a habit for you. I’m curious if it might be a coping strategy. There are two questions you could ask yourself; 1) am i avoiding something, and 2) is this behavior negatively impacting my life (getting in the way of work, caring for my family, or having meaningful relationships). If it is, I would highly suggest talking to someone about it.
if pretending to be “made up” characters is helping you avoid something in your life, a therapist can help you find more productive ways of dealing with the issue you are avoiding (ways that will not cause you leave reality)
I can offer you a suggestion to snap back into reality. It’s about feeling your body in the real space around you. Put both of your feet firmly on the ground, push your tongue against the floor of your mouth (against the salivary gland) to create saliva, and focus on the environment around you (the details of the painting on the wall, the color of the carpet, the other furniture, etc). This should help you get back into reality. You could also look up “mindfulness” on google to help get you back into reality.
