Sunday, September 12, 2010

You are not alone

I was browsing around the internet, I know who does that any more, and came upon these new stuffed animals.

A Germany toy company decided that they were going to make stuffed animals that are,  patients for home therapy. Meaning stuffed animals with mental illnesses.

Now I am not quite sure how to feel about this,  a close family member of mine suffers from a mental illness, and after searching the toy makers website, I cannot see if they are trying to make fun of those with mental illness, or trying to make those feel like they are not alone.

Introduction:

~*Dub the turtle suffers from severe depression. His shell is removable.*~

~*Sly the snake suffers from paranoid hallucinations. He thinks that his tail is an imaginary partner in which he talks to.*~


~*Dolly the sheep suffers from multiple personality disorder. She thinks she is a wolf. She is able to be turned inside out which makes her into a wolf.*~

~*Kroko the crocodile suffers from delusional aquaphobia, aka afraid of water. His pillow is only attached by velcro, so it is removable.*~

~*Lilo the hippo suffers from, what I can gather, obsessive compulsive disorder. He tries to  solve puzzles, and comes complete with a wooden puzzle.*~

Each animal comes with a personalized medical history and a treatment plan. They retail for $38.00.

Here is their lovely website: Mental Illness Stuffed Animals

Feedback would be great on this. What are you feelings towards the idea of having mentally ill stuffed animals?

15 comments:

Jon Hanson said...

My first thoughts were "that is hilarious" then my next thought was "actually, thats kinda sad and slightly disturbing."

But in truth, after more thought (about a total of 27 seconds worth) I can maybe see the value here. I mean does it bother me that they are marketing these to people with mental illness? not really. I am not sure it will help someone, but if it does then I guess its a good thing right?

Oh, and why can't you follow my blog? I'd love to have ya!

SD
http://simpledudecomplexworld.blogspot.com/

BeMistified said...

SD: Yeah, I am still kinda wondering WTF with this concept.

I tried, oh how I tried, but I do not show a follow list as far as blogspot goes on your blog. I don't Twitter so can't follow there.

Jon Hanson said...

ahh.. I see. I dont have my list of followers posted just yet, still relatively new at this. You can still click the "follow" link along the very top of the blog page.

Have a good day!
SD

Sunshine Morrighan said...

Well, if you want an opinion from someone who has been diagnosed with a mental illess -- me. I find these to be quite insulting. I have to live with this severe chronic depression everyday of my life, even with treatment, it's difficult to feel normal. It seems that these toys are poking fun more than trying to help.

BeMistified said...

SweetiePea: When you go to the site, the more and more I look, I see where one would think they are poking fun. They even have a "game" that you play with diagnosing and treating, yadda yadda. I think they are trying to make it seem like it's "fun" to have one of these illnesses instead of the seriousness of it. Thank you so much for posting on this subject, you are awesome and I am so glad to have you as a blogger friend.

Annah said...

I lean more towards disturbing and inappropriate. People will do anything for a quick buck these days, eh? At any rate, maybe they were just trying to be helpful.

Anonymous said...

... toys are made for kids, and it plays an important role in their learning, they even treat their toys as their friends, i think the concept of making stuffed animals that are, patients for home therapy, is not much of a good idea. I mean we would not like to have our little sisters or brothers or our kids to remember turtles, snakes or sheep or any other animals as living things that are suffering from mental illness, kids may not even understand the concept, if ever these toys were made for children suffering mental illness, why make toys resemble their suffering, or their difference, it will just remind them of the difficulty they are going trough, i believe that toys just should be imitations of the beauty we see in other things or in our environment, i think it is better to make toys that just have big beautiful smile on their faces, after all toys should make children happy and learn good things at the same time

BeMistified said...

eemah: Your words are just beautiful and sums it all up perfectly.

Anonymous said...

but i found the turtle cute.. i love turtles.. i have all these turtle stuffed toys, turtle key chains, turtle pillows ahahah..i'm such a turtle.

Ari said...

I ADORE THIS. Just discovered your blog and this easily made my night. I want one.

BeMistified said...

eemah: If you are a turtle then I am a frog!

Ari: Welcome, and thank you :D

Sherry )O( AutumnTurtle said...

I love turtles, but with being someone who suffers daily with depression and anxiety, I couldn't support these

JeffScape said...

They're German. To me, that explains everything. ;)

GoofyGirl said...

I'm clearly in the minority here... but my instant reaction?

BEST. TOYS. EVER!!!

Then: I MUST have one!! Hell, I'll make one!

They actually sound like the stuffed animals collected from my teens & 20's from various people/places for whatever reason. Stuffed animals seem to be a "go to" gift for the weirdest of reasons. Right up there with a scented Yankee Candle or something. Anyway, I'd name them and give them odd histories before regifting them to friend's kids. (Minus the new names/histories... those were purely for the entertainment of myself and close friends), but I am dead jealous I didn't think of these first.
I don't intend to offend anyone reading this that suffers from mental illness, or make light of the reality of it... but I have a twisted sense of humor and if offense is taken, it wasn't intended.

BeMistified said...

Sherry: I don't think a lot of people do, and that is okay too!

Jeff: ~*Shock face*~ Haha!

Goofy: Um I overy too much ♥ candles. Just had to say that. You know I was really on the fence about these guys, and from recent comments, stuffed animals are to bring happiness. Maybe in the kids' minds when they have these, it does bring happiness knows that Kroko, the cutest damn crocodile suffers from what they do. I dunno though!