Our Strange Addiction?

The man on the show thought of the doll as his husband and did not want a real girlfriend or wife. It's a different thing completely. I collect dolls but I do not view them as replacements for friends or other things.

 

i dont think this is a strange addiction, its a hobby too me.

 

Ok I admit, that show is one of my guilty pleasures... But they don't always show actual addictions, sometimes just things most people consider strange, like the girl who was a furry. They just want interesting material for the show and attempt to turn up the drama knob as much as they can, like most reality shows.

Davecat is definitely not "addicted" to his doll IMO. He treats her like a living wife and takes his relationship with her seriously, and still has his own life, friends, a job, etc. So he doesn't want his significant other to be a real person, big deal. I think the difference between Davecat and most BJD owners is that Davecat takes his relationship with his doll very seriously, while BJD owners do not. I mean, some of us may call or dolls our "children" but nobody treats them as real, actual offspring of theirs...

I think if someone were addicted to BJDs, and not just "obsessed," like others have said, if would be if they just HAD to spend all their money on BJD stuff, couldn't stop shopping for BJD things or talking on BJD forums, forgoing any friendship in favor of spending all their time with their dolls, their entire life revolving around it and eventually being destroyed by it... I hope there aren't people truly addicted to BJDs out there, and if there are, they find a way to get better.

 

I wouldn't say I'm addicted or obsessed, but bjds are a very large part of my life. They are really important to me, I think about them constantly, and I genuinely love them. There gets to be a point where any hobby can be unhealthy. But devoting a portion of my life to dolls is perfectly fine with me.

 

First, I would like to agree with Luther in that Davecat preferred his "Synthetic" wife and later, mistress, to other people, including intimate contact, and while to each their own, I doubt any one here takes their relationship with their dolls in that way.

And if we were comparing the other points - the caring, carrying, talking to, etc - Most children do that with one toy or another during their childhood, but that's not considered an addiction, at least not until it starts hindering the child's life.

So either way, I think there might be different levels of addiction - devoting part of one's life, versus devoting one's entire life to something. And I think its safe to say we might be a little addicted - otherwise we'd sell them all tomarrow!

(I hear the echoing cries of No! Never! and answer right along with them. I talk to mine sometimes, and wouldn't give them up unless I had to.)

Just an opinion.

 

i don't think addicted is the perfect word for it , i prefer 'obsess' not addicted just obsess
because when your addicted you can't live without it at all , and i'm sure all doll owner is not like that

 

I'm not addicted, I'm just a tiny bit obsessive. Yes, I go on DoA 10 times a day just to check if there's any cool and interesting new threads to chat on, and I might just shop around different companies' sites and stuff, but it is certainly not an addiction. Addiction has a very strict meaning, as discussed on this forum.

I also don't believe that the show was doing davecat any justice when they put them on it. People call everything a gosh darn addiction if they have no idea about it. They might have looked at him making up personality for his dolly girlfriend as an 'obsessive behaviour' but did they know that it was a norm, practically a standard, for others in the BJD community? Though the dolls are two different types of doll, the concept is still similar.

Sometimes, I think humanity is stupid like that, and do not do their research. Much like how cosplay is played as "role playing as their favorite characters [because they can't get a girlfriend]" on the news.

 

I also saw an episode of the show where a woman cared for teddy bears just as I do for my dolls and it worried me a bit. Personally, I don't see the hobby as an addiction. I only think it verges on an addiction when a person finds themselves not being able to get things done because they spend so much time on their dolls and such.

 

I will admit to obsessed....But an addiction? No....They are an interesting hobby, but the rest of my life does not suffer because of them..Well, maybe i spend too much sometimes!! But i realize they are dolls. not a substitute for my family and friends. That is straight up crazy pantz.....

 

It's only an addiction if more important things in your life suffer because of it.

 

I have a bad habit of allowing my hobbies to become addictions... Sometimes I have to tell myself no more buying doll stuff because my money is required elsewhere...

 

I saw that episode too, and honestly my only thought was that someone should introduce that poor woman to BJDs, because they're much cooler than build-a-bears.

I'm not as involved as that woman was: I don't dress my dolls in pyjamas every night and day clothes every day (it would take hours because there's eight of them and they all wear fiddly gear!); I don't take them out in public with me, and I certainly don't talk to them in public (privately though, maybe!); and, most importantly, I don't use them as a substitute for something else in my life. That woman was addicted to bears because she couldn't have children. If I couldn't have children, you can be sure I'd adopt a real actual child and give a needy kid a second chance at life, rather than buy hundreds of bears/dolls.

 

I would have to agree with this! I probably should be cleaning the house or working instead of looking on the internet for more things to spend money on for my BJD's.. But cleaning the house and work is way more boring!

 

I think I could be classed as a bit obsessed with my dolls. I'm really responsible with buying them things however. I don't do it often, and I only spend money I have. I don't even have a credit card. So I would say not addicted. But, I think about them A LOT, constantly check BJD news and look out for new dolls and doll stuff daily, sleep with them, admittedly I even have a minor fetish for ball jointed dolls. I am obsessed with their beauty and the concept of them. Sometimes I wish I could just be one of them, haha. Never aging, flawless looking, you can change anything you want about them... not addicted, but I would say I have a minor obsession.

Actually, I am considering making my own BJDs someday... now THAT I could see becoming an addiction. I can imagine myself being completely consumed by sculpting them and casting them.

 

I actually saw the segment on My Strange Addiction that you're talking about. As for BJDs, I wouldn't say I'm addicted. I do love to check the threads here and see pics of them, but to me an "addiction" means you're willing to forsake all other wants and needs in order to purchase whatever it is you're addicted to. My regular bills come first, and then I save towards whatever doll-related items I might want to purchase. For that matter, I make the vast majority of my dolls' clothes (and those are mostly comprised of recycled fabric) so I only buy eyes, wigs and shoes, and have bought one necklace so far.

I also believe that a tell-tale sign of addiction is a state of extreme distress (i.e. withdrawls) when you're not able to get whatever it is you're addicted to. When I say extreme, I mean cases like pitching a fit over not being able to afford something at the given time. I don't do this either, and I don't personally know anyone who does. All in all, I would say that I'm not addicted to BJDs.

 

Aaaahhh, Davecat kind of terrifies me... I've seen him on that show, and a documentary about Realdolls...
Anyway, I'm actually waaaiiting for AT LEAST a My Crazy Obsession bit on a BJD owner... There was an episode about a woman who made Reborns once, and I remember her house being filled with dolls... I'm about 80% sure there was a BJD on her shelf in one scene...

I think some of us are considered a bit crazy by "normal" standards... Certainly the doll owners with 100+ resin dollies in their home.

Addiction is a strong word... But there are some BJD owners that are on that level, I suppose.
Most of us are normal, functioning, human beings... We just like playing with our dolls. A lot.

 

Sunimoon- That would not surprise me one bit- the worst of it is that if that does happen, there are those of us that will be called "BJD Addicts" because of it. There's already some of us that have been called hoarders because of the show on TLC.

 

I'm addicted to their clothing, or 'window shopping' for it but the dolls themselves are more of an obsession.

You know how some people are always using twitter on their phones, or checking facebook every two seconds? I'm like that with my PC and doll stuff, if I have free time, it mostly goes on the internet looking for doll things. I spend more time looking at dolls things than playing with my own!

 

I'm not addict, neither obsessed. When I feel I want a new doll, I buy a doll, new clothes for me - here go my clothes, books - delivery guy curse me for 8kg parcel. There's too many things I like, and I don't like to concentrate on smth one. It is boring to me.

 

Well, I spent days making dresses for my dolls, would be the same as I work for days to just get money to travel somewhere. I guess I tend to get "additive" to some certain things, but that doesn't really take up the rest of my time apart from working and studies. I tend to get in really deep periodically though.