Can They, Have They, Do They ? (BJD's through hard times)

Well... to be honest, in the time I've had my dolls, I haven't gone through any especially bad times (by my own measure... I've had nasty weeks and such, but nothing catastrophic). However... I do have some severe anxiety problems and depression, and when I'm having a horrible night or week or whatever, and the person I prefer to / usually hug and cling onto when I'm having a bad time (my best friend) isn't there, a lot of times I'll go and get Hakkai or Fai (Kazuki isn't usually sturdy enough to really hug) and just hold on to them, hug them, and/or pose them around me wherever I happen to be hanging out (usually the computer desk). They kind of help bring me back down to earth.

A big part of it is that... the dolls that I go to when I'm having a rough time are tangible representations of love that people have for me, in a way. My Hakkai (AoD Wang Zi) was bought for me by my best friend, whom I love most in the world. And my Fai (DZ Fei) was a graduation present from my aunt, who I'm closest to of all of my family and live with. So even if I can't get a hug from the people I love... I can hug something that they bought me because they love me, and it makes me feel a little better. It really helps, especially since one of my biggest anxiety triggers / worst feelings when I have an anxiety attack is the feeling that no one cares or that people are angry/upset with me.

I guess maybe that's all a little tl;dr/overshare, but... suffice to say yeah, they help. :3

 

They're certainly a great positive distraction.

 

My dolls certainly make me feel better when I am feeling horrible. To me my dolls are pieces of art work, little chunks of beauty just waiting to be enjoyed. Seeing them, looking beautiful on my shelf, really makes me feel good. Seeing an outfit that I have planned come together perfectly can really lift my spirits. So when I am feeling really stressed or disheartened I will just play with my dolls for a while, change their clothes and sit them together, and it will make me feel worlds better.
Music and art have always made me feel better. (In one of my classes, on the culture of sustainability, we wrote about 'what gives us hope' and I wrote about music. My professor said it was one of the most convincing papers she had ever read on the topic.) It is no surprise that my dolls, being little pieces of art themselves would make me feel better as well!

 

I've never really had a 'rough patch' per se, and I'm disturbingly normal when it comes to emotional stability. (other kinds of mental stability being arguable...) But I still have found comfort in my boys; Specifically Archane and Necross (A Dollmore model and a Hound, both 70CMs).
My boyfriend and I are both very much 'if you have a problem, fix it' kinds of people. In practice this works pretty well, but when it comes to just being comforting and sympathetic after a long, hard, stressful day, we're both too busy trying to make suggestions. I've tried hugging my cats, but well they're cats.
So one day I came home from work, just ready to break down and cry, and I could tell My boyfriend had a long day too. So I wandered back into my room, picked Necross off the shelf, and just hugged him for a while. It was immensely soothing.
I mentioned the size of my boys earlier, because I think it's actually kind of important; Depending on your own size, a 60-90cm can be posed so that it's hugging you back. I think it was the combination of nice cold resin, a warm smile, the ability to not talk or judge, my affection for his character, and the ability to 'hug back' that made him so perfectly comforting.
So yes, BJDs can be a comfort and a help, whether it's a mental distraction or a physical comfort, they serve a wonderfully therapeutic purpose.

 

I believe that any kind of distraction is good when you're going through a rough patch in life, just so long as the distraction isn't permanent.

My dolls have helped me through a lot, though I'll say that sometimes I just wanted to stay far away from them. I think it all depended on my mental state during each specific difficulty.

I am thankful for my dolls being with me during rough times. I know that losing a friend would have been infinitely more difficult had I not had my dolls. I can't exactly talk to family or other friends about certain things, so sometimes all I have are my dolls. Just feeling the presence of something that won't say hateful things or look at me like I'm nuts can be all you need. Plus, it's nice having a doll to yell at that can't argue back. They just sit there, smile, and let me know that each difficult thing will pass in time.

I've been able to reason better in tough situations because of the half-conversations I've had with my dolls. Sometimes it helps saying things out loud and it looks slightly less crazy to say things to dolls than to yourself.

I would not get into the hobby if comfort is your only reason. A pet rock would be cheaper. But if it's just another reason for why you love BJDs, then go for it.