Does Anyone Fantasise to protect themselve?

[user56652]

Hello

We all daydream from time to time but I wonder if anyone creates their own fantasy worlds to shield them from trauma? I ask that because I do it often.

 

[captain jigglypuff]

In high school, I would imagine myself living in the Pokémon world and it was very comforting to me. No one understood why I kept insisting that I’d rather live in an imaginary world vs the real world and ignored the biggest reason I kept saying. I wanted to live in a fantasy world because “the Pokémon all accept me for who I am and won’t ever judge me or make fun of me.” My reality was becoming so badly that an imaginary world seemed like a much better option because no one had ever taught me any other coping skills. It was my brain trying to cope with the trauma I was encountering.

 

[arfie]

i do, mondo big time. i have had therapy supporters who call that, "creating a safe space" and "visualization." awareness and support are the biggest diffs between the childhood coping mechanism and the psychotherapy versions.

 

[Rose White]

I think creating fantasies to shield from trauma and stress and suffering is a fundamental quality of being human.

 

[Carlito2017]

Oh yes, I did that all the time as a kid. It got so bad that some of the fantasy world stuff started bleeding into my real life behavior, making me even more of a weirdo and exacerbating the bullying in school.

These days I still have a fantasy world that I transport myself to when I have trouble falling asleep. Breathing meditation used to do the trick, but now only fantasizing helps, and even that is hit or miss :(

 

[Cece0193848]

Hello

We all daydream from time to time but I wonder if anyone creates their own fantasy worlds to shield them from trauma? I ask that because I do it often.

I do too. Specially whenever a specific a moment triggers my trauma. But in my day to day I do sometimes think about a fantasy that I have created in my head. More specially a perfect world and life or a life I would what to have. Just to stay away from my day to day.

 

[captain jigglypuff]

I wanted powers like Carrie. I had fantasies where I used those powers on mu bullies but they never got killed or seriously hurt. All I would do in my fantasy is relekinecally lift them up into the air and start causing them to move around helplessly into the air and shake them around like a rag doll and slam their backs against the wall a few times enough to make them terrified of me and teach them not to bully anyone ever again. Then I just drop them onto the floor and teleport myself into a room far from the place I was or in the library so when the teachers come find me and claim that I attacked my bullies, I just innocent sit there and look at the, and simply ask how could I do such a thing when I’ve been where I currently am the entire time and so quickly? Then my bullies would know how it feels to be deemed as liars by teachers for once.

 

[user56652]

I wanted powers like Carrie. I had fantasies where I used those powers on mu bullies but they never got killed or seriously hurt. All I would do in my fantasy is relekinecally lift them up into the air and start causing them to move around helplessly into the air and shake them around like a rag doll and slam their backs against the wall a few times enough to make them terrified of me and teach them not to bully anyone ever again. Then I just drop them onto the floor and teleport myself into a room far from the place I was or in the library so when the teachers come find me and claim that I attacked my bullies, I just innocent sit there and look at the, and simply ask how could I do such a thing when I’ve been where I currently am the entire time and so quickly? Then my bullies would know how it feels to be deemed as liars by teachers for once.

I hear you and i feel you.

 

[Skylynx]

I don't want to imagine killing to protect myself, so I imagine I'm a warrior fighting with a light saber that can be set on stun, or transform my fear into a nice unicorn.

 

[Friday]

the short answer is : yes.
The long answer is more complicated.
Revenge fantasy? Ain’t my thing.

 

[user56652]

I'm glad i'm not alone in it. Right now im using it to get some kind of relief not just from the damn flashbacks but also a trying domestic situation

 

[ms spock]

@Imbroglio I am right there with you. You are definitely not alone. I go to my fantasy places when stressed. Or I practice what I will say with someone so I won't get attacked. I have other fantasies where I am able to do things and manage things. I think this is very common. I also have maladaptive daydreaming. So it is like @Friday said. It is complicated.