Anyone else have comfort items?

[Sashi]

My pillow which I have had for longer than I can remember. I have clutched on to it many a time when my anxiety level was on the high end. Of late, I have acquired a fidget cube and spinner. I am so attached to my new toys that I panic if either one isn't where I thought I last put them.

 

[Tyrantus1212]

Sorry guys, I still haven't found the tiger. He must've wandered off like Woody and Buzz.

 

[Idahocalypse]

Sorry guys, I still haven't found the tiger. He must've wandered off like Woody and Buzz.

Yeah! Don't be sad that you can't find him - be glad that he came to life. Who knows, another autistic person might find him and he can continue being a coping item! Toys have a way of going where they're needed most.

 

[bon vide]

my 'imaginary' friends are my comfort item probably
whenever im stressed or upset at all, i prefer to spend time with them rather than anything in the 'real' world & it always calms me down a lot

 

[Idahocalypse]

Today I bought some new coping items - palm-sized plush toys of Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps from Zootopia. I found them at Target for about $5 each. I decided to celebrate by watching my favorite Nick & Judy scenes on Netflix.

What's neat is that, because of their size, I can easily carry them around in my purse, like I've done with Pokemon plush toys before. People already tend to misjudge me when they see me anyway, so carrying around stuffed animals doesn't harm my reputation.

 

[VanillaCola]

My comfort item is a plushie of one of my cartoon characters that I have ordered a while back, a little embarrassing

 

[Molly]

Yes, my two friendly and boisterous dogs are my security items. I rarely do anywhere without them and even better, I can clutch/squeeze a tennis ball for added security.

I am glad I am not the only one with a need for security items.

 

[Drakanav]

Imaginary friends, animals and my weighted blanket.

 

[Kirsty]

I have started using my stress ball. I could count that as a sensory object. I would really like a weighted blanket one day.

 

[Thursday]

I hug my cats...and they somehow sense when I'm troubled because they become extra fussy. They even deliberately push their faces on mine when I'm crying (so long as it's not a full meltdown where I'm noisy).

For inanimate objects, my husband has begun calling this by my name:

...since he finds it comforting to hug. We don't find it weird and we're both 30+! I mean, there are worse, more destructive things than hugging a cute plush or a cat.

Not in public though. I don't want to explain that to NTs.

 

[Coupe]

I know I'm a bit late to this, but I'm also someone else who relies on comfort items! I'm in my 20s.

I have many stuffed animals that I feel deep emotional attachment towards, but my main comfort item right now is a mini Tsum Tsum plush of Dory, whom I call "Little Dory." I've had her for over a year now, and I began carrying her everywhere as soon as I got her. Like all my stuffed animals, Little Dory is almost like my child...I have to keep an eye on her (my Instagram has pictures of her poised to get into mischief such as getting ready to jump into an algae-covered pond, drive off on a tractor, climb up a tall tree, fill a Kroger shopping basket full of candy, pestering a sleeping dog, etc), and whenever I see Dory Tsums in Target or Walmart displays, I tend to buy one to stash away as a backup (of which I have about 4 or so)...she's already starting to show a good deal of wear and tear.

I also carry at least one stim toy with me always (Little Dory also functions as a stim toy, but I'm talking about a non-plush stim toy) - right now, that's my clear blue Tangle toy. Then there's my tumbled orange calcite that I have to help with IBS. I've also gotten interested in Steven Universe recently, and one of my favorite characters from the most recent episodes is Rhodonite, an anxious "Off-Color" gem fusion. I read that rhodonite is supposed to help with anxiety, so I ordered a small tumbled rhodonite to carry around as well. It's kind of like having Rhodonite (from the show) close by, and I don't feel so alone.

Then there's my small figurine of Peridot, also from Steven Universe. She's a "Pint Size Heroes" surprise bag figurine who is unique b/c her head was glued on backwards while being manufactured. I didn't notice until a few days after I got her, but it didn't matter much to me - I loved her just the same. The non-plush comfort item I carry in my pockets kind of tends to rotate - before Peridot, I carried a small toy of Clumsy Smurf for a couple months. I also have a die cast of a little blue car named Susie and a Calico Critter cat. A baby Luck Dragon from Safari Ltd. (named Falkor) also lives in my bag.

The amount of comfort items I carry with me definitely fluctuates/increases/decreases depending on the situation - for instance, if I'm in the house (my safe space) I'll probably just have Little Dory, my Tangle, Peridot and my tumbled rocks (I can only imagine what little Peridot think of both of those!) in my pockets, but if I'm to leave the house (where I have less control over what will happen or the situations I will encounter) I'll end up bringing most (if not all) of my main comfort items in my bag.

 

[Molly]

Great thread.

My comfort toys are my two real life Doodles who are my constant companions..I am always cuddling them, even outdoors, and they sleep in my room with me so I can cuddle them in the night if I need to.. They make my life so much easier..

If i need to visit Doctors etc, which is very rare, I take a shiny pebble to play with, wear sunglasses and have my Ipod with me..

oh and i am in my 50s

 

[Cazelle]

I have a small teddy bear that I have had since I was four. I'm now in my late 30s but he still comes with me whenever I go somewhere that has the possibility of getting stressful for me (appointments, etc) or whenever I'm going far away from home. He is usually in my pocket or in my handbag. I tend to rub my fingers against him to self-soothe. He's getting very worn out now so I have to be careful with him.

Jus curious, does anyone else have a comfort item?

 

[Suzanne]

I sucked my thumb right up til I was 40 and used an old pillow cover as my comforter. It was so soft and smelled so relaxing.

By the way, welcome to aspiecentral.

 

[An Arctic fox]

I bring my jackets that have stuff in them and they make me feel more comfortable and I tighten them if I need pressure. I also have my bracelets that I like to have on because they just make me feel more me

 

[Bolletje]

My iPhone has become my comfort item. Sometimes when I feel anxious I will fall asleep holding it to my chest so I know I’ll be able to call someone if something were to happen to me.

 

[Cazelle]

By the way, welcome to aspiecentral.

Thanks

 

[tlc]

For me it's a stash of things health related. Altoids to settle my stomach. Acid pills for acid reflux/heartburn. Acetaminophen for if a tooth acts up. Aspirin for heavy legs or blood clots. Nausene pills for traveling and during flu season. But I try to avoid using any of them unless I really have to.