Feeling frequently interrupted

I find that the more stressful life is, the more I retreat into my fantasy version of life. I didn't realise that other people did this. I mostly do it lying on my bed but also walking or on public transport. It can be very jarring to be interrupted, especially by people wanting to talk.

I'm aware now that the more I do it, the more depressed I get so I am starting to notice and force myself to stop if I'm spending more time in my head than in the world.

Reading helps me as I guess it's similar in that I'm living a different life but via the book, but without the negative side effect of now having a fantasy version of my life where everything is better.

I really relate to this - during one of the worst times of my life, I genuinely had a fantasy character that would "follow me around" (not a hallucination - I knew they weren't there, but I imagined they were). I thought it was reassuring, but I found I was just missing out on more, spending more time alone, and feeling depressed that life wasn't as simple as it was in my fantasy world.

Reading definitely helps. I've also tried creative writing as an outlet and found that really helps.

I quite often have an "imaginary friend"! Usually somebody from TV. I guess because sometimes I get lonely and having a friend who says exactly what you want them to say is much easier...but probably not great for the mental health.

It's all really interesting. You were clearly ahead of the scientists on this one

I've managed this occasionally. I get a lot of deja vu, occasionally it happens when something in a real life converstion reminds me of something I imagined and I can use my unintentionally pre-prepared response. It does feel like a small sucess!

Ain't the populist zero hours contract world wonderful!?. ;-) It is a pity I didn't just drop completely out of it years ago. It would have been so much more personally productive. Instead, I rose to the Thatcherite dead-end challenge. What a waste!

She was actually the boss because her job was no longer funded so they moved her to the only available position despite having none of the skills for it. She barely knew how to turn on a computer! I think that's what wound me up the most!

Good way to be! I'd say. In my case, the swearing sometimes happened in full public. That, I reckon, was my version of the meltdown. I've been moving away from it for years, but it flares up out of the blue occasionally. I would say that  I have been getting out of that habit, through what I call 'day-dreaming rehearsal', for decades; long before I ever read about such things as self-hypnosis and auto suggestion. It seems the conscious and subconscious are capable of figuring out how to cooperate. But also worth noting that my pursuance of this approach took me even further into the realms of social invisibility.

She was the boss because she had the gift of the gab. And she definitely didn't stick to the script either. I know I can't really compete with a fast stand-up comedian, but I also know that my rather slow-track tortoise humour can catch up with the fast-talking hare.

It's already been done by 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. Google it if you don't already know it, and you will find it was an immensely popular book, radio series & TV series. And it is often quoted on this forum too.

Well, yes, there is perhaps some point in seeking to ground one's own daydreams. I can see in my own experience how that might well have helped me. And it would be hard to deny that life can benefit from the spirit of compromise. I note some comments here have indicated that rehearsal doesn't equate with automatic 'success', but it is bound to take time. And you might argue that it has taken me 6 decades to work that out.

Or worse...

Very true! I hate that so much... although imagining myself swearing at ignorant people can sometimes be satisfying

I think this is where people say "everyone does that" but maybe don't realise quite how often and for how long! I had a boss I couldn't stand once (totally incompetent) and we would frequently come to blows. Every single time I spoke to her I would run the conversation over and over thinking how I could have better responded. Or just imagine swearing at her...

Haha, I hate it when they don't stick to the script - so rude. Also, I often have a conversation and then re-script it in my head (e.g. "I should have said X"). Very annoying.

Marvin the Paranoid Android sounds like a good character for a children's book A lot of people don't really get my humour either. As long as you're amusing yourself, it's all good

Maybe this is where I'm going wrong... I'm not having the right daydreams!

Marvin the Paranoid Android sounds like a good character for a children's book A lot of people don't really get my humour either. As long as you're amusing yourself, it's all good

Maybe this is where I'm going wrong... I'm not having the right daydreams!

It's already been done by 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. Google it if you don't already know it, and you will find it was an immensely popular book, radio series & TV series. And it is often quoted on this forum too.

Well, yes, there is perhaps some point in seeking to ground one's own daydreams. I can see in my own experience how that might well have helped me. And it would be hard to deny that life can benefit from the spirit of compromise. I note some comments here have indicated that rehearsal doesn't equate with automatic 'success', but it is bound to take time. And you might argue that it has taken me 6 decades to work that out.