Before starting, I would like to share my personal experience of collecting plush toys. This picture is a family photo I took to my soft friends who have accompanied me for a long time: some of them were close friends who grew up with me, and some were acquired through special experiences. They have gone with me through many important moments in my life, giving me a soft outlet for my social resistance. I treat them as my family, even as part of me.
As for me, a box of uncertainties is questioning the psychology behind those adults who adore softie toys like me – How can stuffed toys cure adults？What inner need do adults seek and meet from those softies?
Here’s a video I found interesting on YouTube that is sharing his own experience with his stuffed animal named Pokey. He treated Pokey as his partner who has accompanied him through rough time.
When I was first diagnosed with psychosis, I formed an attachment to a stuffed animal. Since then, I have created a bond with him and sleep with him every night. He is comforting to me … a security blanket, of sorts. I believe that he has feelings, so I hesitate to remove him from my bed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n9Jnw39cO4
He believes that Pokey has feelings just like him, and he needs Pokey’s company to feel comfortable.
Moreover, the comments below seem to feel more belonging…
Comments show that many adults who are not socially active prefer to talk to the plush toys they grew up with, and such familiar companions can soothe their emotions. Then I start thinking if it’s a common phenomenon, that adults need cure from softies in a spiritual level. But what psychological features are hiding behind adults’ poor nerves?
A psychology report written by PsychReel states 3 reasons why people are so attached to their stuffed animals:
1. It represents a time in your life where you were happy and content.
2. It was given to you by someone you are extremely attached to.
3. You have difficult patterns of attachment in your life overall.
https://psychreel.com/why-am-i-so-attached-to-my-stuffed-animal/
The report also mentions that memories can evoke strong responses from people, and in cases where something like a stuffed animal is involved, touching the soft cloth or hugging the animal may feel comforting and familiar, especially if the person is experiencing stress in the current stage of their life. Psychology theories behind adopting stuffed animals imply that they might simply be treating it as a transitional object, and that the adult might be attached to the stuffed animal because they are memorabilia of a simpler, happier time.
Due to Joseph Burgo, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, he has conducted a study on the subject of adults with stuffed animals by the hotel chain Travelodge and tried to find adults with stuffed animals and how these are used as comfort objects in the United Kingdom:
25 percent of male respondents reported they take their teddy bear with them when going away on business. Many said the bear reminds them of home and a cuddle helps them to nod off.
51 percent of British adults said they still have a teddy bear from their childhood and the average teddy in Britain was 27 years old, the survey said.
One-in-ten single men surveyed in England admitted they hide their teddy bear when their girlfriend stayed over, while 14 percent of married men reported they hide their teddy bear when any family and friends came to visit.
15 percent of men versus 10 percent of women reported they treat their teddy as their best friend and will share their intimate secrets with their bear.
26 percent of male respondents stated it was quite acceptable to have a bear regardless of your age.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shame/201806/no-shame-in-adult-comfort-dolls
It has long been assumed that when adults mature and learn to self-soothe, they give up their security blankets and their stuffed animals, but clearly, this is not the case, and it could be assured that this may be because of rising nostalgia in society or simply because psychological theories weren’t built to last through major changes and therefore did not account for psychological evolution of human beings, but whatever the reason, it is evident that not all people give up their comfort objects.
Conclusion
When their company has become a habit, we are like a heroic warrior with a solid backing, enabling us to have a warm hug that will always wait for us after struggling in the adult world. Psychologically speaking, they are our source of comfort. But only we know what a blessing it is to have someone who will always support you, love you, and wait for you to come home, as long as we return from the adult world.