BJDs as therapy...

Maybe resin BJDs would be considered too pricey for this kind of thing, but I definitely believe it might be a good idea. Maybe an off-topic type of more available doll like the smaller Obitsu would work? Their size and relatively affordable price range would make them good for that. I think I'd get a lot of comfort if I were a younger person having to wear wigs and be in treatment if I had a dolly who wore cool wigs too, and she or he would be fun company and a reason to play even in dull places like hospitals.

Oh wow, that sounds exactly like what sometimes happens with me! Especially the experiencing everything at once bit.
ComicCon is our local shindig and I only go one day if I do go, just because of exactly this- it gets overwhelming with all the people and sensory input! Maybe next time I can try taking a huggable doll and see if that lets me enjoy the event more in the way I want to. Thanks for the helpful idea!

 

I was just talking to some other doll people about how much these dolls make me smile.. My dogs got me through some major sick time over the past 3 years.. I've been on anitdepressants for the last several months and only recently starting to feel "normal" again. And my dolls bring out a smile. That's got to be a good thing.

 

I've recently gone through a lot of things someone my age shouldn't go through. First I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a very painful disease which causes inflammation and ulcers in my colon some days I can't work because I'm so tired, weak and in a lot of pain. Second I've been going through a divorce for the past 2 years but recently he decided to use our child as a pawn to get what he wants and third well I'd rather not explain. I'm only 23 years old and yet the toughest part of my life is happening all at once. I'm a little surprised that I'm not going through depression, but I think it's because I have a great guy who has vowed himself to me and has become my rock, my foundation and my shoulder to cry on, then I have my 3 yr old who loves me so much(I'm so lucky to have him) if he sees me cry he comes to me asking whats wrong, why am I crying. To see him so worried about me is really touching, then I have my family who have helped me so much, and the people I work with who I can vent to about everything and they offer some amazing advice.

The last thing that has helped pull me through are my dolls who offer me distraction when things get almost to much to bare. I can string them and pose them and act things out with them. It's relaxing in a way almost makes it feel like I'm not the only one going through tough times...even though it's the dolls going through them too...*sigh* perhaps I'm strange

 

My parents are divorced, and I live with my father. My family there is extremely rude, so I prefer to not speak, so I just go up to my room. Yesterday, when I did that, I made some clothes for Cyrano, and it was really relaxing, even though I had to hide him whenever someone came up. I do beleive that he is going to do wonders for stress relief. ^_^

 

I was diagnosed with crohn's disease too - just 3 years ago. I'd had nothing to indicate I was getting sick (save for rashes the summer before).. when out of the blue I was so sick I could hardly walk. To make matters worse, I had no insurance and went 3-4 mos before getting diagnosed... it was bad. And bad timing too. My husband had just taken a job almost 2 hours away - so he was gone soo much. Very stressful.

I had my dogs when I was at home, but when I'd go to the hosp I was always basically alone (staying overnight).. would have been nice to have a doll then. I'd take books, but I was always so exhausted I couldn't even hold the book to read.

 

Krystal - My daughters were in similar situation as you - their dads side of the family is really weird and judgmental. They finally reached a point they wouldn't go (this about the time my oldest was 14, and their dad was fine with it - too much work to have them anyway *rolleyes*)

Why do you have to hide Cyrano? That's so sad... but I guess it might make him more fun, like making it into part of a story - keeping him safe and hidden from "humans" who wouldn't understand, lol. Anyway, glad you have him and sorry about the family situation - sucks.

 

I just found this thread, and I'm glad I did. Simply seeing that so many other people are going through the same thing helps a lot.

I've always turned to my dolls when things were bad. Heck, at 16, when my first relationship ended, I had a tea party with my American Girl dolls. Before that, I had a Snow White doll that I took everywhere, although that was mostly because I liked the feel of her cape (I'm an extremely tactile person). So it would make sense that I find comfort from my BJDs.

I'm living with Clinical Depression, ADD, and mild OCD, along with what I think is undiagnosed Chronic Fatigue, but cuddling up to Kiera helps on the bad days. They're like little friends that you can tell everything to. When my mind is racing with worries and "stuff" it's easier to sort out the thoughts by talking to my doll. That way, I have to slow down and act as though I'm presenting them to another person. Sometimes, that's enough to make me stop and see that the things bothering me are relatively small. It's great to see that other people find similar help from their dolls. Thank you for making such a great thread.

 

Definitely. I'm an art student and I live in Student Housing. We're not allowed to have pets or anything that lives other than guests and room mates. It gets pretty lonely... So lonely that it drives you crazy - on top on crazy room mates. When I got Jasperella I was looking for something that I could use for my art and start a new hobby (like getting back into sewing), or use it for stop motion animations.

When I got her, I wouldn't say I was excited when I opened the box. It was more of shock - I finally got her. As I got accustomed to my doll, she had character and personality. It wasn't frustrating, but it made me smile. I didn't feel as lonely anymore. They say a doll can be your best friend. They don't talk, they have character, and they always listen when you feel down or depressed.

 

I absolutely believe that dolls can be therapeutic. As a therapist (clinical social worker) I see the hobby as a healthy outlet for some people. A lot of teens and adults forget the joy of play as they grow older, and that is something that dolls can bring back to us. I work with adolescents and it has been really cool to be able to discuss BJD’s with some of my clients who are also into them.

 

Yes, they are big therapy for my depression: I always smile looking at them =)

 

I have a lot of problems (not going into them) main one is, I don't have any friends or anything
so its nice to have something to talk to and give "presents" to (I do love giving things)
they don't really help with anything else, but its nice to have them around sometimes

I do believe I wouldn't have been able to talk to those girls at that doll meet i went to without them

 

Have you heard of Kickstarter.com? I honestly think that you could get funding for this if you give it a good effort...

 

mental illness is actually something that runs in my family, so looking back on my 7 year struggle with major depressive order it makes a lot more sense, but this time last year it really didn't.

when i was in highschool it was so hard for me getting through the day to day. my older sister started talking to me this one time about these dolls that cost 'thousands of dollars' when we were at an otakon convention i guess like 5+ years ago. up to that point my characters that i had created had gotten me through a lot but they were slowly becoming not enough if that makes sense. turning to bjd really helped me refocus a lot of my negative energies on something more positive.

last summer i had a major relapse, once i got out of the hospital and stuff i had a renewed interest in starting my own doll business, which i had wanted for such a long time. my bjd really helped me through those difficult times, and now i am happier then ever. and my business is finally open, its been a year now since my last relapse and i am just loving my dolls and appreciating more then i ever have. they really give me something to love and put my creative efforts into. not to mention my love for them got me into parsons the enw school for design, i used them as my asmissions project. they have really helped me to achieve so much.

so yea they are definitly therapy, in the best kind of way!

 

Well I made it through another convention thanks in large part to my dolls. 3 days, 2 of them over 18hours long, with thousands of people, bright light and noise. I had to take a few moments here and there but I do think this is the best con I have been to. I am sure I looked crazy a couple of times but I don't care. When I started feeling to overwhelmed I pulled poor NiNi's shirt up and petted his tummy. Smooth resin is so soothing. I did wind up having to crash at the hotel bar with my MP3 player, holding Aric's hands and hubby's DOI curled across me but it calmed me right down. And it only happened once this year vs several times a day in the past. At the end of the day I was physically exhausted but still feeling really good.

It isn't just the dolls either though. I now have this great group of friends from the local doll community. I don't feel like an outsider quite so much now, there are so many familiar faces. It really improves my anxiety. I used to have to cling to hubby the entire time for fear I would get lost. I didn't know anyone else at the con and I was panicky about what I would do if we got separated. Now I feel like I can find some one else I know and even if I can't I know I can go somewhere out of the way and wait for him to find me. I have my doll to cling to so I don't feel so out of control. I know it isn't therapy in the normal sense, and I don't have to go to conventions, but I want to be able to. My dolls and the larger doll community are helping me improve the quality of my life. I think when I start seeing my psychiatrist and therapist again I will take my dolls with me.

 

While I am the last person to deny the healing effects of dolls there is the other extreme.

In high school I was institutionalized for a couple of months for depression, ptsd and suicidal tendencies.

There was a girl in my ward who was absolutely not allowed to have dolls or any other human substitute at all because she would do terrible things then blame it on her dolls. I'm not talking about "slap your sister" terrible, I mean "set the family pet on fire and laugh about it" terrible. She actually believed the dolls were capable of coming to life, holding the animal in question long enough to pour the gasoline and lighting the match. she was eventually diagnosed with Disassociative Identity Disorder and Psychopathy.

and then there is the "innocent" version. your kid knocks over something and breaks it, possibly right in front of you and when you ask who broke the lamp they say "dolly did it".

 

Sometimes after a long, crappy day, especially at college where I don't have my cats, the best thing I can do is pick up one of the dolls and start futzing with them, or hugging them. I'm a pretty tactile person, so having some of my most beloved characters "in the flesh", so to speak, is a real comfort. They definitely helped me out when I was trying to break out of depression, especially when I re-did Kitty's face-up.

Just having something to make is helpful too - I had insomnia when my mom was out of the country and I was home alone, so I made a doll hoodie in the meantime. That also helped me not be depressed, because I was actually able to see something I had done while waiting for responses on job applications. Sort of a "they can't take that away from me" thing.

I also get awful ocular migraines, with scintillating scotoma, intense nausea, and extreme sensitivity to light and scent. These effects can last for up to three or four hours, the headache sometimes extending even beyond that into a low-grade haze of pain. Recently, I've taken to carrying my Puki around in my purse with me, and I reach in and hold him when I feel one coming on. Jason's character gets bad headaches (and so does Kitty, but an MSD is a little less portable), so it's like there's a little sympathetic person sitting in my purse. I got a migraine today, and I picked Jason up out of my purse and held him. I think he really helped me feel better - his derpycute little face gave me something to concentrate on, something worth looking at, to maybe make the scotoma go away faster. I'm going to keep him around anyway to help with anxiety (I have to call a lot of people at my job and I always get really anxious about it, so I think he might help.)

Basically, Pukis are my panacea.

 

BJDs are really just very expensive dolls. I remember having dolls to cuddle with when I needed to cool down or just get away from stuff.

Hmmmm... maybe I should use that to make my parents give me the rest of the money I need? I've been in therapy for Social Phobia and Depression for a few years now, and maybe I can convince them? Maybe...

 

Having dolls has helped me with my anxietal/depression problems quite a bit! BJDs make good little friends, especially because they're so life like! My boy is always making me feel better when Im down. It's funny though, my therapist thought it was weird(albeit in a good way)! XD