BJDs as therapy...

I wish I had some people here who shared my interest in this hobby. That's why I joined here, so I could at least talk to other people who are in the hobby too.

 

I TOTALLY understand that. My husband is also interested in the hobby, but not nearly as much as I am. The only person I know that is in it as well is my best friend that lives back home. We talk all day every day, but it isn't the same. I can barely find anyone in my town/the cities around me that are into BJDs. I hope that you can find some more like-minded people soon! Until then, we are all here for you.

 

Thanks. This really is an awesome community.

 

I'm actually having to deal with my Step Dad being in the hospital and the ICU, It's hard but in a weird way the doll hobby seems to be helping me get through it. I just ordered a doll that I have been wanting for a long time now and I am planning to get more into the hobby then just having my dolls sit on the shelf.

I'm glad that other people are also finding a hobby that keeps them in a happier place during very hard times. I've dealt with depression all my life and I'm hoping that this hobby will help me through everything.

 

That's quite tough. I'm sorry you and your family have to go through that. I'm glad that your dolls are helping you.

 

My husband, our dog-child and my dolls and doll crafts are what bring me the most joy. I never thought about my dolls in correlation with my moods and depression, until now and I know they help. Anytime I'm in the middle of sewing, painting, working with wood or clay (for my dollies) I feel such relief. I have to admit too, that being on the hunt for a doll is kind of a rush. Probably the retail therapy of buying dolls is not the best or cheapest antidepressant but luckily crafting is!?

 

I'd rather not go into my personal problems/illnesses, but the dolls do help. I've been told it's healthy to have a hobby, where I have something I enjoy and am proud of my creations, where I can feel good about the things I do, and that helps ground me and keep my attention. It also helps me to play out their characters, and shell different aspects either of my own past, or of things I wish I could have been. It's a healthy and safe way to be these things without affecting my own personality.

 

Art and having beautiful things around you are very therapeutic, whether it's dolls or other things you might enjoy I went through a decade-long artistic dry spell until I was able to get back into dolls, apparently they are my Thing. If something helps you and doesn't hurt anyone else, it's worth a try at least.

My therapist is dying to "meet" one of them and I've been putting it off because I'm actually pretty nervous about it, as silly as that probably sounds.

 

Does anyone else use their dolls as a way to cope? I suffer from anxiety, depression and OCD and I mess around with my doll a lot when i get worked up or just nervous. She makes me feel a bit better. I am also going through seperation anxiety since my twin sister is getting married and moving out. My girl helps me feel like im not alone. Does anyone else do this?

 

@Queennova201 Big huge yes. I certainly do.

 

I definitely used to a lot more than I do now. I suffer from depression and anxiety, and cuddling my dolls used to calm me down a lot after stressful days.

 

In a way yes. However creativity in general soothes my depression when it peaks. Being busy with the hobby really helps, but for me other forms of creating work too.

 

Absolutely!!
My job evokes a lot of responsibility and stress.
Coming home and spending time doing something that is completely unrelated to what I do for a living is very therapeutic.
And my granddaughter benefits from my creative efforts - she starting to get a nice little collection of dolls!!

 

I use my dolls as a way to convert negative energy from stress into creative energy. I don't necessarily hold them or anything, but I paint and research outfits for them. I don't think, for me, it's a coping mechanism from the dolls themselves, but merely a fun and exciting distraction. Bad day? No problem, I get to come home and make something beautiful!

 

Oh, yes. I have an anxiety disorder, too-- my dolls aren't here yet, but when I get upset because I've had a bad day at work (And I have REALLY bad days at work), I look at their company pictures and remind myself that I'm doing it... To pay my bills, primarily (Hahaha), but to also support a hobby that I really feel will help me out a lot, once I get started properly.

 

Yes, and I think you'll find this is very common in this hobby. I think hobbies in general are a way to break away from the stress of the world, and get lost in something you enjoy for awhile.

When I worked as a secretary and only office person for a local company, I had a lot of phone anxiety, to the point I would turn my own cell phone off for days at a time because just hearing it ring would cause panic attacks. During this time, I would take a doll to work with me, and hold him/her while on the phone with difficult customers. Sometimes just holding the doll's hand would help me calm down and focus.

 

The dolls I have now are a definitely a means of coping with stress and different things. There was a time in my life where I coped more through the process of buying the dolls, and acquiring more dolls, which sort of became a problem in itself. Now that I've gotten past that habit, and can enjoy the dolls I have, they really are a good outlet.

 

I personally don't use BJD's as a means of coping because I actually use stuffed animals for that. I don't have too much anxiety or stress, but I do find myself constantly reaching out for a stuffed animal on my bed for comfort. Like right now, I have one of them resting below me as I am typing up this reply.

Honestly, if these dolls help you cope with something in any way that is not harmful or dangerous to you or someone else, then by all means, it is a wonderful way of relieving stress, anxiety, or panic attacks. I know there are a lot of stigma attached to it, especially being older and still having so many dolls/stuffed animals/toys around, but if it isn't intervening with life, then I don't see the big deal in it. I see it as, don't judge people for their lifestyles because you don't know what they go through and how many different ways they've tried to cope with something difficult for them. If they find something, be it dolls or whatnot, then that's great for them because they have a means of escaping something negative in their lives that could potentially cause harm to them.

 

Weirdly, I felt lonely yesterday. It isn't something which happens often nowadays. It usually is caused by repeated lack of sleep. I read this thread and gave a go at putting my Venitu next to me. It surprisingly helped and I succeeded in falling asleep. When I put him back on his shelf this morning, and smiled at him, I felt I could hear his moody 'yeah right, stop fussing, will you?'

 

As people have said, yes I think any kind of hobby is helpful for these things, especially anything that keeps you creative and lets you play. I think there's a thirst in all of us to use our imagination and do stuff, so it's a quick way to get engaged again and excited about life in the everyday, if that makes sense. For me personally, bjds are particularly helpful because of the variety of ways you can work on them. Without getting too tmi, during my depressive episodes it's hard for me to focus or stay motivated on one thing for very long. So I won't get very far in a particular project, but I'm still able to jump from one task to another and stay active in that sense, plodding along with dolly stuff.

I don't know if anyone else is like this, though, but hobbies can also be a little dangerous for me. It's very easy for me to get engulfed in escapism and ignore real life responsibilities and connections v-v So I do have to be careful about bjds in that sense. They're also not a substitute for, ya know... therapy therapy. I think it's easy to trick ourselves into thinking we're making progress because we're having fun when in reality our life remains the same. So there's an awareness there that I think is necessary for me personally. Mostly though they've been a very positive experience~