Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Maladaptive Fantasy

When a character suffers emotional pain, the brain’s response is to stop the discomfort, and often this results in a coping mechanism being deployed. Whether it’s an automatic response or a learned go-to strategy, a mechanism helps them cope with the stress of the moment or escape the hurt of it.

But if the character develops an unhealthy reliance on that mechanism, problems will arise. Long-term, certain coping behaviors will impair their connections with others, their ability to achieve goals and dreams, and their resiliency in handling life’s pressures.

At some point, they must have an Aha! moment where they realize their coping method is holding them back and they need to seek other ways to deal with stress. Namely, they’ll have to adopt healthier mechanisms that enable them to manage difficulties and ultimately have a happier future.

To help you write your character’s growth (or regression) journey, we’ve created The Coping Mechanism Thesaurus, which contains a range of coping methods. The one we’re highlighting today can be damaging, and we hope this partial entry will help you show your character’s struggle in a way readers can relate to.

Maladaptive Fantasy Definition

Habitually (excessively) retreating into imagination to escape real-world problems

What It May Look Like

Making up things that didn’t actually happen (and believing them)
Not being present enough to deal with issues as they arise
Ignoring uncomfortable realities like mounting bills or a health issue
Being clumsy (not noticing the physical world)
Regularly mishearing or misunderstanding things

Basic Human Needs It Could Compromise

Love and Connection: Escaping into a fantasy world makes both love and connection hard to achieve, since both require focused attention to people in the here and now.

Safety and Security: Not focusing on the present moment could put the character in serious danger if they’re doing something that requires intense focus such as walking alone at night or driving a vehicle.

Fallout (and Possible Turning Points)

Having aclose call—e.g., forgetting to turn off the stove—that makes them realize they need to change
Being responsible for someone else’s care and not paying attention at a crucial moment
Sitting at the deathbed of a loved one and listening to their regrets, realizing they’re missing out on life
Being placed on probation by their employer for doing a poor job

Commitment to Change

Attending a mindfulness class
Confiding in a friend and asking them to hold them accountable
Taking a creative writing class and putting their active imagination to good use

To help you brainstorm your character’s responses to stress, visit our master list of healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed and expanded, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Maladaptive Fantasy appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

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Source: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/12/coping-mechanism-thesaurus-maladaptive-fantasy/