When you are unhappy, do your dolls cheer you up? (Emotionally dependent on them?)

Oh, most definitely.

Whenever I'm sad or just down in the dumps and feel like it won't get any worse... all I have to do is pull my babes in for a hug or two or three. The best part about dolls (in my opinion) is that they can 'hug you back'. There's so much soul and personality in each doll it's hard not to feel comfort in knowing they love you enough to offer comfort, as much as you love them.

Then again maybe I'm just 'the crazy doll lady' on my street. Either way, I'm ok with that. XD

 

Yes, absolutely! I do have some health problems and when I'm feeling especially blue I love having my dolls, I usually grab a cat, grab a doll and just feel all warm and cozy for a while.

 

I am extremely lucky in that I can actually take Chaeri to work with me! She sits on my desk, behind the counter out of sight of the customers, and she is an endless source of comfort and solace to me, especially when things get stressful. Just looking at her sweet face makes me feel better. A lot of my regular (lady) customers know about her and come up and ask "How's Cherry today?" and want to see her new wig, what she's wearing, etc.

Even at home, if I'm sick or depressed or upset, a quick cuddle with my girl makes me feel better. I don't sleep with her in the bed, but her bed is right next to mine, so I can reach out for her whenever I feel the need for some doll company.

 

I agree with the 3 people that posted above.

 

My doll really cheers me up, actually she came to my house when I was really depressed for some school stuff. Actually one of the reasons I got her is because I enjoy sewing and making wigs, and a lot of my ''friends'' took advantage of me to make cosplay stuff for them. Is not nice that some people only talk to you so you make free stuff to them. So I bought my doll and I make dresses and wigs for her instead.

 

Actually, not really.

When I'm upset, I don't find myself really thinking about my dolls. I don't think I've ever pulled one out when I'm feeling sad. My dolls are on my mind most when I'm happy and feeling productive. When I'm sad I almost never think of them.

 

Lately I've been feeling a little embarrassed by how much better my dolls make me feel. I've started taking them to work with me every day, even when I'm only going to be at my desk for a short time, because seeing them there makes me smile when I'm feeling lonely or depressed. I went on a long drive for work last week, and I took my girls along -- and it really did make it more pleasant.

 

I don't have any serious health problems~ but I'm quite dependent on my doll (to make me happy). I get depressed easily so I would usually calm myself by taking photos of my doll. Just seeing his smile makes me happy and forget all the bad things that happened to me. I can still live perfectly normal even without him though. Just not as happy as I am now. XD

 

My dollies do cheer me up, yes. They don't argue, judge, backtalk, or get mad when I need to yell or cry or complain, and they always forgive.

Okay, so my imagination gets away with me sometimes! But my dollies do help lift me out of a funk.

 

Never. lol
I have dogs who cheer me up, or books, or video games. I actually haven't seen my dolls for a few months, lol
What's even more funny is I seem to see my characters more in art form by commissioners then the dolls themselves

 

I wouldn't say I'm emotionally dependent on my doll but I do find myself talking to him to make myself feel better when I have a bad day…perhaps I am dependent on my doll afterall lol

 

I am not depressed or anything like you guys.. ( not ever really dealed with that kind of problems yet)
But when i have a long day at school and i am finnaly home and in my room.. I always feel a sort of happiness when i see my dolls in my room

 

I was diagnosed with a mental illness in my college years, and had suffered debilitating depressions off and on since early childhood. Currently I am extremely depressed (although not quite at my deepest darkest depths) and because I don't have any pets anymore, or any friends (the only person I ever really see is my boyfriend whom I live with, however we work opposite shifts, so I spend almost all of my time completely alone) I do use my dolls to cheer me up. I guess that playing with them and working on them is the most proactive thing I'm doing for my mental health lately, but it seems to be the thing which has helped me the most, and for that I am very grateful. I can never be too stressed when my dolls are with me. They look so peaceful that I can't help but absorb some serenity from them.

 

My dolls do cheer me up, in the sense that they distract me and give me something to think about and be interested in. When you have depression, it is very difficult to be interested in or care about anything at all, so sometimes I just don't have the energy to play with them or even hold them. Though just knowing they are there is very comforting.
Without wanting to go into too much detail, I have several mental illnesses in quite severe degrees, and they can change the way I feel about my dolls. If I'm going through a particularly bad patch, I am not able to bond properly with new dolls and must wait until I'm feeling better to start building a relationship with them. Sometimes my anxiety levels can rise sharply until I even feel anxious about my dolls.
I am at a stage in my life where I am unable to trust my own mind, and so I take everything I think and feel with a pinch of salt, as I may soon change my mind (due to medication, chemicals, mood swings etc) again. This affects my relationship with my dolls. Most of the time though, I find them a pretty good distraction from the things inside my own head.

 

My doll does help me. In fact, my doll helps me with my anger.
Whenever someone pisses me off or ruins my day and I can't go up to them and give them a piece of my mind, I go to my doll and vent.
Yes...as odd as it may sound, I bitch to my doll for comfort.
But it's probably the best thing I could do for myself because when I "vent" I'm venting to something that has gained a personality and an understanding towards me. Really helpful when no one is available to you.

 

I'd have to say my dolls have cheered me up when I am at my worst, even though I am a normally happy and cheerful person. No matter how perky one is, a really crappy life situation can pull you down hard. (I am -no, I WAS- in such a state for several years. Family fell apart, got kicked out of college, and lost my job. All within three months. Not a fun time to be me.) It was nice having something Johnny-sized around to hug.

With my father being.....well himself, it only exacerbated the situation. I'll spare you all the massive sob story. (Short version: he has been an ass to me for a long time, and his latest girlfriend has not helped. I also couldn't find a job. sad part over. It's not that I mind talking about it, but this story has a happy ending and I don't want or need people to feel sorry for me.)

My epiphany came right between Christmas and Thanksgiving, while I was looking at Johnny. Or rather, Johnny, The Horde, and their wardrobe. And I finally had an answer to a thought that had been plaguing me. That thought being "Okay, nobody wants to hire me for some reason. But student loans can't exactly be paid with Christmas cheer. I need to do something. Preferably fun." I had an answer.

And no, it didn't involve selling my dolls. I did sell some of their extra clothes, but that was for investment capital. After all, If you're going to make things for dolls you need stuff. Patterns, fabric, thread, etc. Pleather doesn't buy itself. Nor does it make itself into a clothing line.

 

I'd say they do cheer me up. I'm a pretty laid back, happy person generally speaking, but if I'm having a bad day, I like to take out my doll and set it up in the room with me. I get a lot of enjoyment out of the hobby and they give me something to take my mind off the things that are bothering me.

 

Definitely yes, my doll gives me comfort whenever I am down. He just almost feel like a real person to me. T_T I wish he was real. I am glad there are dolls in this world to cheer people up.

 

I've had my Johnny for just one week, but I'm already sure of the answer: YES!!

Last summer I found this little ragdoll in a second-hand shop, and I used to take her with me almost everywhere. She smiled at me when I felt sad or tired. I've wanted to have AoD Zi Yuan since 2008, and now she's coming home, but I already have her little brother and I love him!

I'm more emotionally dependent on my girlfriend, but after her the most important "people" around me are Johnny, Deena (soon!) and my snake Sedrik.

 

Hmm... no, actually. It's more like the character that my doll is that cheers me up and I don't need to have the doll with me. Like someone said, dolls can't talk back, argue, get mad, etc but that's the problem. It's not that the character talks to me either, but he helps to bring me back to reality and think things through rationally so that I *can* solve the reason as to why I'm down. I also suffer from PTSD and again, what the character stands for counts for more than a doll can.

But I think the doll can help a little. When I'm going through PTSD/panic attacks, usually I need to be shaken out of it and so far, the only thing that helps is the character and of course I can't think of him myself when I'm thinking too much of stressful things. *Seeing* a picture of him or the doll or anything to do with him would be enough to bring me back and remind me what is real and that I *can* be strong.

I must sound a bit crazy now but I think PTSD counts as pretty crazy anyway and I feel like the only reason I can function normally is thanks to people like Takashi Murakami, Satoshi Kon, and in a small way (I say small because he doesn't *actually* agree with Superflat), Masashi Kishimoto.

Sorry for the rant.

Edit: Pfft after going back and rereading what I wrote, it would seem that a character being able to bring me back to reality thing would seem to contradict itself but Deidara is a personification of Superflat, which is an art movement that would take too long to explain here and I think this isn't the place either. OTL