Samuel Chiltern answered
The trickiest aspect of answering your question is establishing exactly what you mean by over-active imagination.
If you find that your condition is debilitating, and affects your life in a negative way, (for example, by making it hard to concentrate), then you might be suffering from Over-Active Imagination Disorder (OID).
Symptoms of Over-Active Imagination Disorder
OID is not formally recognised as a mental illness, and very little research appears to have been conducted in this area.
The best descriptions I have found for this condition are personal accounts written by sufferers themselves. Those who experience OID have talked about the difficulties they have concentrating, and how they can become sidetracked and completely lost in their digressions, even when attempting to complete routine tasks.
The distracting thoughts can also become quite disturbing. For example, it can be easy to develop a fear of public speaking, because you can imagine all the terrible things that might happen while doing so. Also, the things you imagine happening are probably much worse than the most likely outcome.
Living With Over-Active Imagination Disorder
As far as I'm aware, most sufferers manage to cope with this disorder. In fact, I'm not sure whether it necessarily is a disorder. I'd consider it a sign of high intelligence and creativity, as well as something that a person could harness and draw upon as inspiration for writing, music or art. I think it's far better to have an active imagination, than to have no imagination at all.
If you are finding certain symptoms difficult to live with, then you should definitely visit your doctor, who can refer you for psychiatric support. Some of the symptoms can be quite frightening, but they are just thoughts, and something that, with the right support, you can learn to live with.
If you find that your condition is debilitating, and affects your life in a negative way, (for example, by making it hard to concentrate), then you might be suffering from Over-Active Imagination Disorder (OID).
Symptoms of Over-Active Imagination Disorder
OID is not formally recognised as a mental illness, and very little research appears to have been conducted in this area.
The best descriptions I have found for this condition are personal accounts written by sufferers themselves. Those who experience OID have talked about the difficulties they have concentrating, and how they can become sidetracked and completely lost in their digressions, even when attempting to complete routine tasks.
The distracting thoughts can also become quite disturbing. For example, it can be easy to develop a fear of public speaking, because you can imagine all the terrible things that might happen while doing so. Also, the things you imagine happening are probably much worse than the most likely outcome.
Living With Over-Active Imagination Disorder
As far as I'm aware, most sufferers manage to cope with this disorder. In fact, I'm not sure whether it necessarily is a disorder. I'd consider it a sign of high intelligence and creativity, as well as something that a person could harness and draw upon as inspiration for writing, music or art. I think it's far better to have an active imagination, than to have no imagination at all.
If you are finding certain symptoms difficult to live with, then you should definitely visit your doctor, who can refer you for psychiatric support. Some of the symptoms can be quite frightening, but they are just thoughts, and something that, with the right support, you can learn to live with.
