Possible help from plush toys
(i) Providing a sense of security and comfort
Hugging a stuffed animal does provide a warm feeling to the patient. The soft touch of plush toys seems like a warm embrace, giving depressed patients a sense of security and comfort. When the patient is surrounded by negative emotions, hugging the stuffed animal tightly is like finding a harbor to rely on. This warmth soothes anxiety and allows the patient to feel serenity and peace of mind in that moment. For depressed patients, many things in life may make them feel uneasy and fearful, and the stuffed animal is always there, unfailingly giving them stable emotional support.
(ii) A way to vent out emotions
When patients are unhappy, plush toys can be an object to vent their emotions. Patients can release their inner pressure and negative emotions by pounding and squeezing the stuffed animal. This is relatively safe and will not cause harm to themselves or others. For example, when the patient feels extremely frustrated or angry, he or she picks up the stuffed toy and squeezes it hard, as if transferring all the bad feelings to the toy. The stuffed toy, on the other hand, suffers silently and becomes a “trash can” for the patient's emotions. According to statistics, a significant portion of depressed patients said that after venting their emotions, their mood will improve. In addition, patients can also confide their worries and pains to the stuffed animal, treating it as a faithful listener. Although the stuffed animal cannot give a verbal response, the very process of confiding helps patients to relieve their emotions and reduce their psychological burden.
Professional treatment is indispensable
Although plush toys can, to a certain extent, provide depression patients with a sense of security and become a way to vent their emotions, it must be clear that these auxiliary methods can never replace professional medical help.
According to the 2022 National Blue Book of Depression, the lifetime prevalence of adult depressive disorders in China is 6.8%, of which depression is 3.4%, and the number of people suffering from depression in China is currently 95 million. Such a large group of patients requires professional doctors and psychotherapists to diagnose and treat them using scientific methods.
Depression is a complex psychological disease, and its pathogenesis involves many aspects such as neurobiology and psychology. Professional medical help includes medication, psychotherapy and so on. Medication can regulate the level of neurotransmitters in the patient's body and alleviate the symptoms of depression; psychotherapy can help the patient recognize and change poor thinking patterns and behavioral habits, and improve the ability to cope with stress and frustration.
It is crucial for depressed patients to seek professional help in a timely manner. The importance of professional treatment should not be overlooked by relying solely on complementary methods such as plush toys. Only on the basis of professional medical treatment, combined with appropriate auxiliary methods, such as embracing stuffed animals, engaging in outdoor activities, and adhering to moderate exercise, etc., can we better help patients get out of the shadow of depression and return to a healthy state of life.
Outlook and Summary
Plush toys may not be able to cure depression at its root, but they do play a positive role in the recovery of depressed patients. In the dark moments when patients are enveloped by depression, a soft plush toy is like a weak light that cannot illuminate the whole world, but can bring them warmth and hope.
As mentioned earlier, plush toys can provide a sense of security and comfort and become a way for patients to vent their emotions. When patients embrace a stuffed animal, it is as if they can feel an unconditional acceptance and companionship. This emotional support is crucial for depressed patients, and it can help them find a touch of solace in their lonely journey.
At the same time, plush toys can also be combined with other supportive methods that work together to fuel a patient's recovery. For example, patients can cuddle with a stuffed animal during activities such as listening to music, reading, or drawing, allowing it to be their spiritual support. In outdoor activities, you can also bring a stuffed animal, so that it accompanies you to feel the beauty of nature.
However, we must realize that plush toys are only an aid and cannot replace professional medical help. Depression is a serious mental illness that needs to be diagnosed and treated by professional doctors, psychotherapists and others using scientific methods. Only on the basis of professional medical treatment, combined with appropriate auxiliary methods, can we better help patients out of the shadow of depression.
In the future, we hope that more people will pay attention to the needs of depressed patients and provide them with more support and help. Whether it is a warm hug, a word of encouragement, or a small stuffed toy, it may become a ray of light in their lives, illuminating their way forward. Let's work together to create a warmer and more inclusive social environment for people with depression, so that they can feel the love and hope on earth.
Bellen Hou has built the company in 2015, but the factory has been exported custom plush toys for 13+ years. Factory is located in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, eastern part of China.
