Our Strange Addiction?

I think people spend too much time believing things they see on TV, nitpicking the criteria for fad disorders that could possibly apply to themselves in a million years, and worrying what total strangers (whom they will never ever meet in their entire lives) think about their habits. Just go play with your dolls, man.

 

I think personally, I am more addicted to the internet than I am my dolls. I mean.. they chill on the shelf all day while I chill on the computer. So, for me, they are just a fun hobby.

 

I think that really doesn't seem too far out there, honestly. It's nothing more than a child with a teddy bear or even some guys and their TV--is it because it happens to be a doll that makes it an issue? I think it'd only really be odd if he was dating/wanted to marry the doll, but there's nothing wrong about taking care of a toy or collectible.

 

If you're talking about the guy that the OT mentioned, he was in love with his doll. Like, he considered the doll his wife, and didn't want to be in a relationship with a flesh and blood person.

 

Yep...this is me too! LOL

 

yes, I think so. But I like it

 

I think addiction is too strong a word for many of us. The number of people who pack up, sell all their dolls, and quit the hobby from the expense are proof enough of that.

 

I would say if anything that I'm addicted to making up stories and that my dolls are just another way for me to facilitate that addiction, but aren't in themselves an addiction.

 

I'm not addicted to bjds. I enjoy playing with my dolls a few times a week....but I can pack them up and put them in the closet for a few weeks. I think everyone has something they really like, but that doesn't always make it an addiction.

 

I don't really know if I'm addicted to my dolls, I mostly just think of them as shells for my characters.. I do care for my characters, and the time and effort I've put into they're physical bodies automatically makes me caring and protective of them (like if I had drawn a really beautiful drawing)..

 

I am without my dolls can no longer live a normal life
They are my source of inspiration, and the field of activity. As a canvas for the artist!

 

I think what Davecat has is a love-doll. Just saying.

 

I saw a news report on a guy who married a video game character. Compared to that, marrying a doll is normal. At least the doll is a physical object.

To address the topic, I feel that the difference between a hobby and an addiction is someone with a hobby will not spend money they cannot afford to spend on their hobby. Someone with an addiction will put their addiction before basic life needs, because they consider their addiction a basic life need. I don't consider possible negative affects on a social life to be a sign of an addiction because, frankly, some people just don't have much of a social life and don't want much of one. Just because someone spends all their time when they aren't working making doll clothes and taking pictures doesn't necessarily mean that it is negatively impacting their life.

 

Definitely no where near addicted. Haven't bought anything since late 08, and my dolls remain largely untouched in the closet. This is, for me, just an interest.

 

I love my dolls, but not to the point where I'm unrealistic about what they are. Dolls. Pretty toys I bought to play with. Whereas sometimes I may spend considerable time over several consecutive days working on things for them, I can also turn around, put a dust cloth over them and forget about them for a few days or a week.

Many of the strange behaviors/addictions I've seen on that show (and I don't watch it much... it really disgusts me how they make a make fun of people who really need some help. But my sister thinks it's hilarious.) had a very real possibility for the addict to harm themselves or destroy relationships with close family and friends, and of course an inability to step away from their fixation. I think that is the where the line exists between a kooky interest and a damaging addiction.

A lady I saw on this show was addicted to stinging herself with bees. It started out as therapy for her arthritis, but got to the point where she was doing it over and over for hours at a time, with hundreds of bees per week, and sometimes even while she did it, she would cry because she felt so bad killing the bee. It was damaging her relationship with her husband and getting to the point where it was hazardous to her own health. At that point it's easy for an outsider to say she would be better off without this habit and she would do well to get help for it... the harder judgment can be whether it's appropriate for you to make it your business.

 

Despite my name I'm not actually addicted in the way that people can become addicted to drugs and alcohol. I enjoy my dolls and I have a very strong attatchment to them, but ultimatley I have other hobbies and I could go years at a time without even looking at my dolls if I was really very busy. I think addiction tends to span from a specific need - like the need for companionship, love, understanding - phobia of bare shelves and a heavy wallet? Of course, finding comfort in your dolls is fine - it's when they become the only thing in your world that it's a problem.

 

Addict is too strong of word for my love of my doll collection. I love all my dolls, but I am not addicted to my hobby. Maybe obssessed at times, but its not an addiction.

 

I don't really consider myself addicted, at least not yet lol. I love my dolls and play with them and make/buy them stuff, but I don't normally spend every waking hour with them. That being said, I have stages where I tend to be obsessive about them. Just this week I decided I'm turning half of my living room into a 'standard' sized house for 1:3 scale dolls (and their kids haha). And my dad and I are are going to build everything from scratch and whatnot. If anything, I would say that I am more addicted to creativity and design

 

Overall, I think a lot of us BJD owners and hobbists are addicted to our dolls. I don't think there is anything strange about it at all, mainly because I am in the hobby and so are some of my friends but I know my parents think it is sort of creepy because they are dolls and not real living things yet we talk to them and care for them, plus spend a lot of money on them and some pay more then what they get themselves in real life, but my parents do say that it isn't a real problem because it is a hobby, it is nothing different then talking to yourself or dogs or something. However, I do think that at some point there are issues with extreme addiction within the hobby itself.

 

With me it is definitely an addiction. I spend way too much time and money at it. I wish the need would ease a bit sometimes!