[silverfox1988]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and still kind of shy to ask about things. I guess before I ask this question I should tell a little bit about myself. I'm currently 20 years old and have always been pretty much a closed book when it comes to my thoughts and feelings- I have a very expressive face apparently, however a lot of my friends have always considered my fairly mysterious due to my bottling-up tendencies. Anyway enough blabbering.

I've always been a daydreamer, and I know that fantasies are a normal thing. However, when I was 14, 15 roughly, I went through a very heavy period of it. I would wake up, and wonder to school in a daydream- ignore most of the people as I lived out a life in my own little world, talking to myself in my head as if having conversations, and then in some cases, when I got home, I'd go upstairs and lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling. Except I wasn't really staring at the ceiling, I was daydreaming. For hours. Living a life in my head, like a video game or a book or something.

And I was always convinced that I was going to go to this place in my head one day, and leave the real world behind. I was obsessed with it.

On a more morbid note, I firmly believed that, when we die- we'd re-encarnate somewhere. I don't know why I convinced myself this, I've not been brought up to have religious beliefs. Yet I believed when I died, I would go to my fantasy world. And the saddest part is, I was looking forward to it. I don't think I ever considered suicide, however I was in a hurry to get to this 'next world'.

Is this a normal, over-active imagination- or was there something more to it? I don't do it as much now, and I think it may have something to do with me being happier with my real life. Thanks.

[simoneaugie]

I used to do that. Real life was such a gray and unpleasant place to be. The daydreaming began to interfere with normal activities and my family tried to get me to stop. They failed.

Then I realized that my imagination, and all the years spent making things up could be beneficial. Now I write.

Whatever is happening in your real life needs your attention, now, while you are learning to live. Even if you need to "check out" several times in a day, learn somethinng new, every day. Ask someone to teach you how they accomplish a task. Then do productive things alone, then improve your method. Don't give up on you.