BJDs as therapy...

I have to agree that my dolls are a major source of my therapy.

I am going to save you all from my incredibly long life story but simply put, I see a therapist once a week. For minor depression, grief councling, ADD, panic attacks, and a mirade of anxiety and stress realted problems.

My dolls are there for me when my therapist is not. I did not have a wonderful childhood, sincew I was severley teased about nothing in particular and they help me to forget my past. Since getting my dolls in october 2006, I have noticed a major change in my life. I plan to show my dolls to my therapist the next time I have a session, since we are talking about my grandfathers terminal disease and death. I bring my dolls with me everywhere. It is rare that I am seen without them. I cuddle them (even though they dont like it) when I feel that I cant handle what is going on around me. My dolls are something to cuddle and care for. I dont know where, who, or if I would even be here without them.

 

I've also got Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, horrible insomnia, Arthritis, mostly in my finger joints, and I'm kind of agoraphobic. So I see dolls as therapy for myself as well. They're like little friends that stay in my house, listen to me complain without talking back (for the most part 8D ), and are always willing to give a hug.
Unfortunately, since my problems are so bad, I can't work. And the government doesn't recognize my illness, so I can't get on disability.
Affording my little resin friends is going to be difficult. I've only got one, and I don't see myself being able to afford more any time soon.
At least I've got my one sweety. I don't know what I'd do without him. He helps me force myself to get out of the house and meet new people at doll meets.

 

I suffer from heavy fear disorders and psychotic periods and depression.
My dolls make me happy, but this month my boyfriend broke up with me after 9 years, so i am terribly sad and sold six dolls from the eleven. Because they reminded me of my BF to much. And from that money i bought new dolls, a fresh start, though i miss my sold dolls very very much.
This is a reason to be happy sometimes; waiting for my new dollies. That makes me very happy, my therapist said; if this is what makes you happy then enjoy it the fullest!

 

I recently took a class on stress management.. It was all about getting to know the sorts of triggers that stress people out, learning how you personally handle stress and then also learning some varying techniques on how to deal with it. There were alot of what I consider the normal methods talked about, yoga, excercise, self hypnosis, raki. Sex of course.... And then there was Art therapy.
How the act of creating can relax a person, mostly because when you really get into drawing or painting even sewing a good portion of your mind tunes out...the whole Right side thinking thing? You switch from left to right thinking visually over verbally.
With BJD's alot of peopel get into drawing their dolls, making things for them, photo stories, even just doing faceups can be therapeutic.
We also looked at play therapy, which is exactly as it sounds, you get out some toys and you play with them. It can help to deal with stressors or to understand things about yourself or your life. BJD's are dolls, no matter how gorgeous and detailed they are they are essentially toys. Playing with them is a great outlit.

For myself I only have one doll, I'm waiting for my second, but I do talk to him....I've always talked to my toys, heck I still talk to my teddybears and apologise like made when I step on them.

 

I think dolls are definitely therapeutic! They're like people to us, theyre a comfort and a friend. My Elliot takes my mind off of any problem

 

All of this sounds so familiar, I begin to realize there is many more people suffering from anxiety and depression than I had imagined. I am glad I started with BJD's, it is the reason I started sewing, well at least I am trying ^^" Lico makes me smile too, she seems to give me some extra strength in hard times.

 

i cannot imagine being too old to play...i think it keeps us young in our minds, and in our hearts. living with our dolls is wonderful for us...we always have someone to talk to and they are really great listeners. just handling them and clothing them, grooming and taking their pics not only keeps our imaginations alive, but at the same time i think it grounds us in reality too. i hope that makes sense to you all.

 

That has GOT to be true! It's totally the way I feel about my puki Pip, and now my puki faun Nikos.
I haven't been able to put that idea into words myself but that's so true. I've often mused how Pip, with her dark brown hair and huge round blue eyes, looks very much like a four year old me. I've often called her an expression of my inner child- my eternal elfin child avatar. Through her, I get to have those happy little childhood moments and joys that heal me as an adult.

This is a very personal topic to me, and the biggest true reason behind my involvement in this hobby. BJDs have been one of the things keeping me afloat, one of my rays of hope that gets me out of my bed and my house and comfort zone to meet new people and make new things.

I live with Chronic Depression. It's kind of like a cancer or leukemia of the soul. It comes and goes, is beaten into remission and then flares up again. If you don't take care of yourself, it can even be very physically harmful, and for some people fatal.

When it's bad, I always find comfort and actually beneficial therapy in playing with my dolls. I discovered BJDs this Spring, and I think I was searching for something artistic and childlike that would let me draw out the innocence and strength I had as a child. Playing with and customizing these dolls is an amazing therapy. As has been mentioned, the roleplaying opportunity is priceless. I find that doing faceups and making clothes for them is comforting to me when I feel bad about how I look or how I feel about my own self image, because if I have made something so beautiful, it must have come from inside me, and it shows me I am beautiful inside. I find that "taking care" of my dolls reminds me to also look after myself, keeping me eating regular meals and sleeping decent hours. This hobby gives me something to do when I just can't sleep, and something pleasant to think about while I fall asleep. It gives me a safe common ground on which to meet total strangers and make new friends and feel comfortable doing so.
I plan to keep myself in this hobby for years to come.

 

Indeed, BJD's are amazing therapy! They're much like pets. They help soothe the person's mind and help them bring out inner emotions. Simply talking to my girl keeps me from getting all stressed out and angry. It's like it's difficult to be angry when they're around.

 

I very much believe this is true. Like some people on here, I have clinical depression and low self esteem because I'm the "weird girl" in the family. Right before I got into BJDs I was at a low point in my life again due to the fact that I had to give up horse riding after 15 years of it. Then I got my beautiful boy Eisen (IH JID barron) and met some amazing doll people that didnt think me weird at all. Taking pictures of him works as an outlet for whatever I'm feeling at the time. I have no idea what would have become of me if I had not gotten into this hobby....

 

When I first saw bjds I didn't think about the therapeutic effects at all. In fact, it wasn't until I actually decided to save up for one that I realized just how beneficial it would be. I write a lot, and draw and believe in 'creating' to distract me from my bipolar mood swings, but owning a bjd just takes that concept of 'creation' and adds something physical to it... something that helps even more.

When I feel as if I'm completely alone I can always hold him and think about the love I've given him and the things I created for him as I learn his personality and how he ticks. In a way I feel as if I'm befriending him, and therefore he becomes.. There. He's physically there, and that thought alone can work wonders on anyone with severe depression.

For those with severe anxiety, they can also be a source of comfort. They give you something to focus on, whether it's taking photos or talking to them or sewing, drawing, writing, whatever. The focus one can put on a bjd lets anxiety run its path and calm down.

BJDs allow us to have a personality to relate to, that won't judge us or be upset with us (unless you forget to balance them and they faceplant on the ground!) no matter what our faults or emotional tweaks are. They serve as fun and focus and help us work out our subconscious wishes while also giving a healthy outlet for expression.

I need a little more time to figure out my boy's personality and make him a true friend, but I do believe that bjds are good therapists. Sorry for the longlonglong talk!

 

Well...I can agree. BJD's really work as some kind of psychologic therapy. I can tell because I used to be really really horrible choleric suffering with chronic depressions. However, the hobby calmed me down and even though the depressions still didn't give up, I'm feeling a lot better.

Now I'm waiting for my first one and I'm really looking forward to him, because since nobody around me understand my problem, there will be at least one "person" who I can trust.

 

I've done a lot of therapy, and the way that dolls seem to work for a lot of people in this thread? Live music and bands work for me.

What I get out of my doll is enjoyment rather then therapy, I think, but I do not deny that they have a therapeutic effect on others. And if I wasn't already receiving the same sort of comfort zone kick from bands and fans of bands, they'd be my therapy too.

 

I've been to therapists and psychologists for my personal problems and I never really cared for it much. I really do feel like my dolls have helped me more. I have anxiety and I'm a very shy and private person in real life.

My dolls let me use my artistic endeavors to create for them and with them which is a therapy all in itself. They also provide some companionship which is very comforting. Your day can be horrible but you can come home and bring out one of your friends and just sit together.

I firmly agree that BJDs are very therapeutic.

 

whao. this is fasinating. I nvr heard of therapic dolls until now.

I probably won't know much about this, but I know looking at my girl does make me feel like a mummy. Esp since i'm giving my son up for adoption.

 

I definitely use BJDs as therapy. Whenever I find myself going through a difficult time, I notice that I spend a lot more time with them--especially my pukipuki, Annika. They feel like the friends that won't desert me, no matter what I do, and that's especially important to me right now. ^^

 

My dolls DEFINATLY help me when I'm feeling down. I think a lot of people would think it is strange, but I consider them the only friends that I know I will always have >.<

 

I have this issue with expressing emotions in a healthy way *I tend to bottle it up...*, plus Chronic Stress Syndrome, so it's really hard to sleep at night.... I'm finding ways to have Reika with me, and I tend to sleep much more soundly when I have her with me in bed, and she's there to help me express myself more. Her character tends to show the way I feel much more clearly, what with the story I'm writing about her...when it all comes down to it, Dolls really are comforting in that way~

 

My therapist kept trying to force me into DBT and said that the doll was not helpful to therapy. I fired her.