Are your BJDs a source of Comfort?

I feel happier, even just looking at them gives me joy. When I traveled I would take a doll with to take photos of it in locations over having photos of me taken. That gave me comfort and joy that now I would have memories of places I had been instead of trying to recall where I was. Dolls have been in my life for many years, but ball jointed dolls have been a part of my life for 17 years and brought me many great friends, experiences and joy.

 

It makes me happy to work on them and make things for them. Just seeing them around my room also brings me great joy.
My sister isn't into dolls, but she told me that she feels happy when she enters my room and sees the since they make the room feel so cozy and lived in.

 

Definitely! My dolls are an escape from the real world for me. I roleplay their characters, so I have a bond to them, but they're also almost therapy to me by giving me that break from real life stresses. When I'm overwhelmed or upset, sometimes I'll just sit in my doll room and handle each one of them, change their clothes, reorganize. Sometimes just cuddling one of them helps me relax and calm down. They are such a comfort, but until recently, the majority were 1/3 scale, which made taking them places difficult. I ended up getting a bunch of tinies, but especially my Penny's Box tinies can fit in my purse and travel with me. It's a way to have that comfort, but also not worry too much about any damage or loss since they're about $25 each. I actually tend to get stressed out a lot faster without my dolls for long periods of time.

 

I get a lot of comfort from looking at them. I should handle them more.

 

For a long while, my first couple of bjds were the only friendly "human" faces I'd see regularly. When I was picking up the pieces of my life, I latched onto the comfort they brought me as they were the best roommates I had ever had. Nowadays, the quality of my life has improved greatly (alongisde the quality of roommates as I now live with my wonderful fiancé ), and once I figure out my health issues you bet I'm going to be making clothes for them all and taking far too many pictures again. The creativity that bjds allow is my favorite part of this hobby, and the creative process is one that brings me so much comfort. So the dolls make me happy just seeing them, but they also provide much needed enrichment in my enclosure

 

Yes, their primary comfort to me is a bandaid on my chronic loneliness.

 

I don't get a sense of comfort from my dolls, but I do get comfort from expressing my creativity. Painting them, giving them backstories, etc, calms me down when I'm stressed. They spark joy moreso than comfort, which I guess in a way is its own comfort.

 

When I feel stressed my dolls are a wonderful escape! Sometimes when I have trouble sleeping I plan my next photo shoot for a new book or I just look at pictures of other people's dolls and before long I'm fast asleep. They're worth the investment for that reason alone!

 

Yes, sometimes just a glance at my dolls and my heart floods with warmth and it fills me with joy. When things are stressful it is comforting to have something that is so beautiful and perfect and pristine that just exists. Sometimes I can't help myself and I'll just cuddle or give one a hug, I do love them. I've started to really get into customizing every aspect of them now and that's pretty fun, especially making fancy new eyes in every color imaginable, I love trying different styles out on them and finding just the perfect pair. There is always one doll or another sitting next to me on my desk while I'm working, just a silent peaceful company.

 

ALL my dolls, bears, and stuffies are a source of comfort.

I honestly don't know, now, how I got through the years that my flat was a building-site and all my dolls (and books) were in storage. Looking back, it's probably no coinsidence that those were the years I suffered from severe depression.

Teddy

 

They truly are. I've been dealing with severe anxiety for a long while now and the noise inside my head hardly ever stops with a huge exception being when I'm engaged in my hobbies. Dolls are a part of that relief, whether I'm holding them, writing about them, crafting stuff for them, buying for them, taking photographs, watching them from afar or even just thinking about them. Several times I've taken one of my dolls to my university when I'd had a sleepless night and they've helped me cope with my day in a much healthier state of mind. I think it's really comforting to have that one thing in life I can control and that brings me joy.

 

I think so yes . Originally i got into dolls because I was having a hard time socially and I liked the community around it. Now they're mostly on display (I've gotten much better mentally snd so don't rely on the community as much, as originally I was with young teens pullip community), but I really like changing their outfits etc- it really is comforting.

 

They're a very comforting escape for me - I can't cope with the real life sludge and horrors but I can tunnelvision onto making a wig for a few hours without having to think about any of that. Even if it's not dolls, I think playing and games in any form are very comforting for many - it's so hard to be a person these days, especially without anything immersive to get lost in for a bit.

 

Oh yes, mine are definitely a source of comfort. Being creative has always been a source of calm for me, an escape from the difficulties of the world, and a way to unwind from the stresses of everyday life. So the creative aspect of these dolls alone is a tremendous comfort to me because there is so much I can do with them artistically. But even more than that is the aspect of play and imagination, which I feel is an extremely healthy thing for adults to do in order to spark joy in life. It allows me to “get outside” myself for a little while, and think of things beyond busy schedules and tight budgets and life’s worries. The respite of thinking about my dolls re-energizes me and fuels my imagination for future endeavors. All I need to do is walk through my home, seeing my dolls in their displays, and I’m instantly transported to my happy place.

 

Yes. Just the sole presence of my dolls change my mood. I have them on their safety display shelves but I like to grab one or two, depending on the mood, and having them on my desk while working or studying.

Taking pictures of them is so soothing for me. I feel that only my dolls and my exist when I look at them though my camera

 

Definitely. After a long day, knowing I get to come home to my dolls makes me happy. It also helps getting through a day knowing a new doll is to arrive soon ^^

 

Absolutely! Right now I don't have a lot of space/shelves for display so mine are all in boxes and cases at the moment but whenever I can get them out even just to look at them for a minute, it's a joy! Sometimes I just sit with one while I'm watching TV and enjoy the weight of a doll in my arms/lap, holding a little smooth hand/foot. Plus the stress reduction when I'm crafting things for them.

 

Oh 100%! Handling my dolls gives me similar comfort and bliss as petting a cat/rat(/any beloved animal of choice) and sometimes I just look at them and I feel so much joy. I've been really stressed lately with a lot of stuff on my plate, but whenever I have a moment to spare I'll just pick up my newest doll (the only one not packed away for our upcoming move) and I immediately feel happier and more relaxed.

Even just thinking about my dolls improves my mood! My job is often very boring and monotonous (and often I don't even have a coworker to yap with) so I just think about my dolls to make the time go by faster. I plan new outfits or wigs for them, come up with photo shoot ideas or dream of a room box for them.

And waiting for a doll or doll related stuff to arrive in the mail is definitely another positive feeling. Not exactly comforting per say, but makes me excited for what 'tomorrow' has to offer!

 

Absolutely. Dolls are a wonderful distraction from... well whatever I need to be disracted from at the moment.
My boyfriend often tell me to "go dress a doll" when I'm feeling worried or sad and it actually helps. It's something quiet and calm to focus on and it's always avalialble. I have other options for distractions, but you can't paint whan anxiety makes your hands shaky and you can't play the drums in the middle of the night when your partner needs to get up early for work tomorrow. With the dolls I never need to worry about bothering anyone else.

 

Definitely a comfort. As others have said, sometimes just looking at them makes me feel better. Thinking about plans I have for them is also a creative comfort, as well as sitting with one while watching tv or playing games.

 

Dolls are a safe space of whimsy and craft and healing for me. I am very chronically ill and thanks to A Recent Historic Ongoing Event for the last five years I've had to spend most of my time alone. I have a little dog for cuddles, but I have to say having the dolls is a bit like having some more company. Mainly it's the art of sewing for them that is my occupational therapy- it keeps me content, gives me something to enjoy and plan about, something I can accomplish, and frankly it improves my fine motor control which will go away if I am not keeping it up with regular activities like this.

 

That's why I have dolls. It's definitely therapy for my inner child.

 

I understand the idea of dolls as comfort/therapy (I don't see anything wrong in it either) but if I have something troublesome on my mind I have the opposite reaction and stay away from mine. I did the same when painting was my "thing", I didn't want to channel negativity through an activity I enjoyed. This way I feel pressured to get in a better mood quickly so I can go back to what I love. In a sense that's still therapeutic... just not directly.

 

Absolutely. I'm starting to get stands for more of them, because just seeing my dolls makes me feel better after a rough day.

 

Any pleasurable activity is a source of comfort so in way they are or they can be again when the whole collection goes under 7dolls so that can be manageable , they are not my comfort dolls though my comfort doll is a soft hugable big plushie doll that reminds me the doll my baptism set had in when I was a baby. I don't really do activities with my plushie I just hug it when I'm very distraught I also have comfort perfumes , I like many perfumes but there are a few that are instant comfort so I spray in a scarf or on me for relieving distress , and sometimes I perfume my plushie with those so that's double the comfort doll.

 

Dolls have always been a source of comfort for me, as a child it was with pretend play, and as an adult it was with restoration and curating a collection. Even when I can’t physically be doing something doll related, I think about them to distract myself when things are stressful or I can’t sleep.

 

Yeah they are for me. When I started collecting I was 11-12ish with my first one being an off-topic doll. She sat by my bed and I just looked at her all the time. She was my most expensive purchase at the time and I felt so proud of owning her. Right now my DF-H Yan Xiao Rudy is sitting next to me as I type looking majestic in his Hawaiian shirt and grimace. Just knowing that I worked hard on him and made him look handsome makes me feel accomplished. Plus he's pretty to look at, like all Doll Family dolls
I think that having something you worked hard to afford and customize is just wonderful to have nearby. Like a confidence boost almost.

 

I find so much comfort in my dolls, having a doll snuggled up with me on a day I’m not feeling too good is amazing, I love to have a doll on my lap while watching tv or even gaming, and when shopping for clothes for both myself or the be of my dolls they are with me, I always like them to see what I might be considering buying for them unless it’s a surprise or birthday/holiday gift, even saying goodbye to my dolls every morning before I leave for school is comforting to me

 

Dolls really are amazing that way aren’t they? I do the same as well

 

They really are. Always there, but never needy or impatient and they don't suffer when we don't have time for them. And an unlimited source of related side hobbies, when variety is needed. Simply the perfect hobby, in many ways.

 

Oh yes, 100% They make existence tolerable. They help calm me when I'm stressed out, and I always have one with me in a small carry case, in my pocket or pack. I'm on the spectrum and suffer a lot of anxieties and other issues, and having one with me helps a lot.

 

I find looking at my dolls to be comforting. I will often just sit and look at them at the end of the day, or when I feel like having a quiet moment. It is also super comforting to come back to them when I've been away and see their familiar faces again. I live alone so I suppose it's like coming home to my little resin family.

But! I can actually find handling them to be quite stressful. Especially the ones that are very precious to me. I'm so scared I'm going to damage their faces (I've done it before. It could happen). I wish I didn't have so much anxiety about this. Just holding them in my arms is very comforting because they have such a lovely weight to them (delfs are the best comfort dolls!). But if I'm changing their outfits or posing them or even just taking them off their stands, I start to get worried about accidents that might happen.

 

My dolls are a source of discomfort. But the few photos that I am satisfied with fill me with peace.

 

They definitely bring comfort. Might be odd but its nice to be able to just give them a little hug when I'm moving them or just sit them with me, and dressing them to look pretty is a very relaxing and creative thing when I don't have the brain about me to draw or write.

 

I feel like every single day, I look at and touch my cute doll and think about how happy I am to have her. She's so charming and relaxing to look at, and it's fun to dress her up and display her differently too.

 

They definitely are. Even thinking on them makes me feel better. When I'm having a bad day or I'm doing something I don't like, I start planning about sewing a new piece of cloth for them, or about changing their wigs, or.. anything related with them in fact. It helps me to relax and makes everything easier.
What also makes me feel specially comfortable is holding them and feel their weight.

 

My *true bjd* is that instance where "money CAN buy happiness" and *things are better than experiences* twist on life. Whenever I'm sad or feel lonely I just take her out, look at her and I know she will be there, no matter what. It's especially comforting after my dog passed away and he was my guardian angel on four paws.

 

I loved reading through this thread. Very wholesome.

I'm kinda afraid to handle my larger BJDs, so I keep them stored. However, thanks to DoA, I've been inspired to order a tiny doll. I plan to display her and, maybe, sew some stuff for her. I hope I'll find it as comforting as others here seem to.

 

- my sole purpose for ordering my bjd was to sew for her and to be able to accomplish something quickly. It's not that I am not patient, on the contrary, but my second hobby is learning languages and this_takes_forever. I sometimes need a more quick success than a couple of years of constant work and no reward, hence I bought my bjd. Thinking about collections for her, designing clothes etc. is a fun thing to do and keeps me busy.

 

Absolutely.
I mean how can you come home and see THAT staring at you and feel terrible?

 

Not with this: "where have you been all day! " face

 

Every time I come back from a long day of working and stress, the first things I see when I come to my room are my dolls. When I’m feeling especially strained or tired, I might take one off the shelf and fix up their hair and clothes. Even just fixing a ribbon that got out of place feels therapeutic. It’s nice to come back to see my pretty dolls welcoming me home.

 

And a sense of anxiety when the cc comes!

 

Someone said earlier that it's hard to be a person these days... part of being human is (re)connecting with the tactile, sensory and physical nature of one's own body.

Playing with dolls helps me reconnect to my senses. They're wholly embodied entities, I can only interact with them through my body, yet they don't demand anything from me. That brings me back into myself and makes me engage wholly with the physical world without pressure or expectations. I can also spend ages sitting in front of them and contemplating their faces, and this gives my mind space to wander and daydream, again without pressure or expectations.

That is calming and grounding. So very important, especially since modern life nowadays is so disembodied and "lived" through digital screens, and the Internet is a constant barrage of distractions that can often feel like a prison not freedom. There's freedom in playing with dolls - no screens involved! (except my DSLR camera but it's not connected to the Internet)

A while back I got extremely busy IRL and had people living in my house for a while. Not only was I stressed by circumstances, my physical space was also very constrained and I had no room or capacity to play with my dolls. At one point I was itching to impulse-buy a new doll (I'm not usually an impulse buyer). But all this stress went away when RL calmed down, the guests left my house, and I got a stretch of peace where I could keep all my dolls out and do things with them without having to put them away afterwards. That itch to impulse-buy also went away -- it turns out I wanted to buy a doll because I wanted my dolls but they weren't accessible. That was pretty eye-opening, I realize how much I relied on my crew's presence for comfort and calm -- not just having them out and visible, but being able to handle them routinely.

So yeah, my dolls have become kinda essential for my wellbeing. Handling them relaxes my body and I'm sure it keeps stress from accumulating inside. They're lovely and don't demand anything.

 

I find handling one when I’m really nervous or need something to fidget with when I’m talking or trying to process my emotions helps a tonnnnn. In that way they’re a big source of comfort and I do feel proud when I look at the ones I’ve done up and gotten to a place that feels like “yes! I did that! Look what I’m capable of!”

Other times though, looking at them can cause me some stress. “She still doesn’t have a faceup.” “He really needs a wig.” “She needs clothes desperately.” Sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming, especially when I see a project I’ve put off too long and feel ashamed of that.

But I’m never not happy to see them.

 

Yes, the dolls are currently helping me imagine what life can be if I just stop being ridiculous and lazy.

 

Like many doll owners I'm on the spectrum and they've been invaluable for emotional support lately. I originally entered the hobby back in 2020 because I wanted an emotional support doll. Now the hobby has kind of taken over my life, but in a good way.

Working from home is good but also very isolating at times. I've now started meeting other humans at real life doll meets... here's Reina at one such event.

 

Yes, definitely! I really feel at ease when I just look at them after having a bad day - it just gives me that sense of comfort y'know?

 

My dolls are inspirations for ideas like fashion, art, and character design. I like how they are a way to escape everyday life, like a part of another world.

 

Me too. When I am taking out my dolls to dress them and do photoshoots, it is as if I am in another world and time seem to slow down to a zen state.

 

These days - they absolutely are a source of comfort. The smallest ones I keep on my desk and change their poses from time to time. They're so cute and I forget at least for a few minutes about responsibilities and horrible things happening in the news, in my city and in the world. When I hold them in my hand, something inside smiles - and it seems I am not tired anymore, but young again.