Expert: Kevin Smith - 8/28/2011

Question
hi Kevin I'm not sure where to put this question

is it normal to  want to carry a toy or a collectabile around with you any where you go if you get  nervous or worried?

like if I had an action figure  and if I got nervous or worried
would it be weird to carry it around  even if your over 18?

help please please

Answer
Hi Karly,

While I'm not a psychologist, I do have a background in counselling, so feel I can answer this question with some expertise.

There probably isn't anything wrong inherently with carrying an action figure around to help cope with stress or nervousness - history is full of people clinging to some object that represents something to them in order to deal with difficult situations. This goes back about as far as we can see in history - all the way from cavemen to the Egyptians, and up to modern soldiers. To give you an example, many soldiers in WW-II would create and carry small figures with them out of pieces of available material from the battlefield ( such as scratching a face into a discarded shell ). While some of these creations were strictly artistic in nature, many carried with them a calming effect for the indvidual.

Throughout history this is also very evident through the carrying small religious figures. The Egyptians, for instance, would sometimes carry action-sized figures of a particular god or goddess with them.

While these may be example of religious devotion, it doesn't change the fact that these statues or keepsakes often helped the individual deal with psychological fears and stresses.

From a personal point-of-view, I often carried a figure of Storm Shadow ( a G.I. Joe ) with me when I was ill and hospitalized ( which was quite often ) that I found carried a calming effect for me during difficult procedures. It was my sort of 'lucky charm'.

So no, there isn't anything 'wrong' with carrying some symbol with you that helps you deal with stress or nervousness, or worries - if something that simple works, then it's a good, non-damaging tool to help you out. Having said that, however, if you are in a position where you are feeling great amounts of nervousness, worry, stress - anything like that, I would speak to your Dr. about it also. It could range from anything as simple as just being a 'nervous person' so-to-speak to conditions that may benefit from counselling or medication. It certainly won't hurt to speak to a medical professional about it and see if there are also other tools to aid your nervousness/worrying besides your figure. Often, counselling really is the key to helping to not only live with anxiety, but even, perhaps, to help relieve some of it through a new way of problem-solving.

I hope this helps out and would love to hear how things go for you!