Escapism - how do you cope with the urge to escape?

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For a long time (and it's only gotten worse in the past year) I've felt like I just want to escape into something, anything. Most imaginatively, I want to hide away in France or another place in the countryside, where magically I won't need to work or deal with strangers and will just be free to do whatever I please. Because of course this is impossible, I bury myself in attainable fantasy. Films, music, sometimes drugs... whatever will give me a feeling that, at least for a few hours, I'm not living in the boring day-to-day world of depressing routine and petty BS.

So if I'm feeling stressed/depressed at school or wherever, overwhelmed by the crowds of people and constant uncontrolled stimulation, I can remind myself that it's ok cause when I get home I can relax and go on the internet (a kind of "safe place") or watch or listen to something that takes me to another place. But more and more now I feel like escaping all the time, and can stand less and less of the undesirable stuff (work, school etc) that's supposedly required to be able to indulge in fantasy in the first place.

I had a hard time with school, too. I had such a hard time with it that I dropped out of high school and got a GED. Every day, I channel my anxiety by swinging at the park and listening to my ipod. I imagine imagery to go along with the music. If I can't go to the park, I pace in my room while doing the same thing. After doing so, I feel as if I've taken a well-needed nap.

I often find myself bored or otherwise looking for a reason to laugh, and I think about things I've seen in videos, or maybe a song. People think I'm staring, but the eyes are mostly unseeing when I'm in this mode. I may show emotions that are inappropriate for the situation when I'm doing this.

Dinos eating cavemen!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywYgVDbA0Co[/youtube]

I feel the need to escape from the college atmosphere (and people,ahem) quite often, but I make myself stick it out. Do something you enjoy, but make sure not to label something as negative or in correlation with negative emotions, because then the escapist need will totally take over.
and you'll be STUCK!

Escapism, though I hate to admit it, is dangerous, and the point where you're at now shows it. I think music's probably the best choice, if you're looking for one. I wouldn't dismiss films or art, either, but I don't know how those come into play, necessarily.


From what I've learned and experienced, this kind of escapism leads to severe depression, especially if it seems like things have only progressively gotten worse. I had the same struggle, for a while, constantly trying to find something - anything - to escape to. Life just wasn't doing it, there was no fun or pleasure anywhere. The "need to escape" thing. I found that constantly trying to escape, while it would have highs, afterward it would just keep making things worse. Eventually Anhedonia came into play, and for me when that came in, nothing brought me joy, and technically, all the escapism before was a waste as I literally felt like there was nothing to escape to anymore.

I'm not trying to be the bearer of bad news or the overwhelmingly pessimistic comments, just saying... if you're feeling this way, be careful and pay attention to everything including how you're feeling; if not, you could end up doing something with an adverse reaction in the long-run. Stick with music, art, films, but yeah. If you turn to drugs in this state, you're probably going to end up becoming addicted. While I'm not stating it, there was another less-than-ideal alternative I turned to which screwed things up completely. So while it may not give the best, don't go beyond what was already suggested.

Mindfulness.

A link: Mindfulness in Plain English. This is a free book. I haven't read it all as it is quite long, but I recommend looking at chapter 13 (page 82), "Mindfulness (Sati)." I have always been prone to escapism myself, and have found this method of breaking the escapist habit to be very effective. Best wishes.

Mindfullness is really useful because when you are fully in the moment, not thinking about anything but the exact moment you are in...there is a peace that is refreshing.

I dont agree with everything that buddhism teaches, but the art of mindfulness is a treasure for people who are suffering internally.

As far as the drugs go, that kind of escapism can get you in more trouble than you can deal with. recerational drugs are illegal and usually if you are caught, you do time.
Imagine being forced to reside with people 24/7 who have social rules that if you do no follow them, you can get beat up or killed. As a person with AS you do not need to take such risks

Ahh, escapism ---that's something I have always practiced. It brings me comfort, satisfaction, and a lot of imagination that I use towards my writing (currently working on a large novel).

Having escapism eases my anxiety, stresses, etc. I have a fantasy world that I am slowly building into HO scale. This world has existed in my imagination for years. It is a major setting in my novel. And now, with over 300 HO scale models I have purchased and am working on, this place will live for real---at least in HO scale (1:87). I will be able to take digital photos of the 26 foot by 26 foot HO scale town, then with green screen technology use actual photos of myself or others to look like we are in the town---or use it for trying to create a movie of the novel. This town utilizes many of my interests.

As for the escapism of the mind, I often imagine I am in that town walking its streets and enjoying the amusement park there. I walk into the many shops, museums, restaurants, theatres, circus, etc. and enjoy a vacation in this tourist town. There are beautiful homes there. And on the mountainside facing the lake, there is a Victorian village filled with large late 19th century homes.

Although I know my town is not real, I am so familiar with it that it almost seems real. This escape with this town brings me tremendous pleasure. I have always enjoyed planning it. And it ties in with the work on my novel.

I view myself on a smaller scale to Walt Disney. Disney used to have large scale models built for the places he imagined. To watch Disney describe these places, one can readily see the joy it bought to him. And I am sure Disney escaped many times into his imaginary worlds.

One time when I was incredibly depressed, I brought myself out of it by working with my imaginary world. I escaped into it with my imagination---typed a few pages of the novel---and I began feeling better.

One technique I have used is acting. My therapist once told me about utilizing acting skills in communicating with people. Acting skills can also help with things like my novel. Since I also want to develop a screen play for the novel, I have literally set up sets in my "creativity room" and acted out the parts of the actors (my characters in the novel). By sensing such a set, it helps with the descriptive writing of the novel.

The method of escapism works well for me because one thing helps another. The escapism helps me mentally. And in turn it helps with the novel. And it helps with the screen play. And I am slowly getting a huge train layout the whole family can enjoy in the basement.