Therapy dolls: what are they?

Therapy dolls are occasionally used by mental health experts to assist in managing a range of illnesses. Therapy dolls, which are widely used to soothe agitated dementia patients, are also becoming more and more popular in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Certain therapeutic dolls, like Reborn Babies, mimic the look of a real baby in order to replicate the experience of being a patient’s caregiver. Some therapy dolls are helpful for treating patients with specific care needs or specific mental health issues because of their unique features.

Varieties of Therapeutic Dolls

A Reborn Doll is designed to resemble a newborn baby in both appearance and weight. They are meant to look absolutely lifelike. They are frequently employed to mimic the function of a caretaker. The cost of these baby dolls varies from about a hundred to over a thousand dollars. Dolls with weights. Weighted dolls apply light pressure, just like weighted blankets do. This deep-pressure therapy can ease your breathing and heart rate, lessen anxiety, and make you feel more at ease. Although weighted dolls are frequently reborn dolls, not all weighted dolls seem realistic. Dolls for aromatherapy. To create a relaxing effect, these dolls may be filled with scented stuffing or contain essential oils. Studies on the effects of essential oils on the brain’s emotional center have yielded conflicting findings. Dolls with tactile features. Patches of various textures, such fuzzy or rough fabric, may be included on a therapy doll or its clothing, which offer comfort when touched. These dolls offer sensory stimulation, similar to textured sensory toys or stickers, which may help some people reduce anxiety and improve attention.

Possible advantages of therapeutic dolls for nervousness

Therapy dolls can lessen the negative effects of anxiety symptoms on your life and offer consolation to individuals who are experiencing them. The following are some typical advantages of employing a therapy doll. Recalling that therapy doll research is still in its early stages and has traditionally primarily involved elderly persons suffering from dementia can be beneficial. Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence from mental health professionals and their clients indicates that some individuals may benefit from therapy dolls for anxiety in the following ways. Lower levels of stress Sometimes the nervous system is calmed by holding and interacting with therapy dolls, which lowers stress levels.Emotional assistanceSimilar to how hugging a cherished stuffed animal or other comfort animal makes one feel protected, holding a therapy doll may do the same for someone. Additionally, a therapy doll can offer a sense of company, which is particularly beneficial for anxious people who may find it difficult to interact with others.

Higher Standard of Living

Your quality of life may be enhanced by having a tangible, readily available tool, such as a therapy doll, that can assist lessen the symptoms of anxiety. Therapy dolls are useful for managing stress and anxiety episodes for those who find relief from anxiety. However, as the impact of therapy dolls on anxiety has not been thoroughly investigated for long enough to yield definitive results, more research is required to validate this.

Improved Social Abilities

Dolls could be useful tools to have ready for awkward social situations. Whether you work with a therapist or on your own, you can find it helpful to role-play social situations that make you anxious with your therapy doll, like:

Going to a function or celebration

Consuming food in public

Having casual conversations

Making use of public restrooms

Enhanced concentration

A therapy doll can help with mindfulness by giving an anxious person something to concentrate on. They could work on staying conscious of the doll’s weight or scent, for instance. One talent that can be used in real-life scenarios is the ability to shift one’s attention from ideas that cause anxiety to something else.

How to treat anxiety using doll therapy

A person can try out therapy dolls for anxiety alleviation using a variety of ways. You might also want to think about seeing a therapist, who can offer advice and more direction on how to use a therapeutic doll to reduce anxiety.

Include the doll in your everyday activities

To stop anxious thoughts in their tracks, you might want to consider incorporating your therapy doll into your daily activities. As you get ready, for instance, you can hold and play with the doll. This could provide you some reassurance before you face any potentially stressful circumstances during the day. You may even bring your therapy doll with you into locations or circumstances that make you feel uneasy, like a tense gathering or a crowded public transit system, if you feel safe doing so.

When you meditate, hold the doll

Meditation may be difficult when you’re anxious since your mind keeps racing from your concerns to the here and now. You can help yourself concentrate on the feelings connected to the therapy doll by holding it while you meditate. Is there a certain scent to it? What is it like to hold in your arms or hands? What aspects of the doll catch your eye?

Engage the doll in therapeutic dialogues.

During therapy sessions, which can be quite sensitive, a comforting therapeutic doll could be a useful aid. You can hold and squeeze the doll, or just run your fingertips along a soft piece of doll clothes, to help you relax as you talk with your therapist. In order to reduce anxiety, your therapist could also be able to offer you advice on how to practice social situations with your therapy doll.

Alternative techniques for managing anxiety

Although there is currently no evidence to support the idea that therapy dolls may take the place of more established anxiety treatments like counseling and medicine, they can occasionally be a useful tool in lowering anxiety symptoms. According to research by the American Psychological Association, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a type of psychotherapy that is frequently very successful in reducing anxiety. It can be difficult to find a CBT therapist in your area, though. It can take a while and be frustrating to look for a CBT-trained therapist in your region that you feel comfortable working with.