i have a flight today and my anxiety/ocd is off the rails. i decided that i needed my little man with me. meet 50p. he is a teddy bear my mum bought from a charity shop for 50p when i was nine that was meant to only be used for a halloween costume, but i got attached and ive slept with him every night for the last ten years. he helps me sleep, keeps me calm, and i love him. i hope im not the only one with a silly vice like this lol

by rashfords_marcus

49 comments

  1. As someone who has to deal with similar stuff all I can say is you can hold your head up high knowing you achieved something today.

    I couldn’t imagine getting a flight on my own.

    Hope you and your friend have a wonderful day out.

  3. If it makes you feel any better, im a 6ft 2 300lb man and i cant sleep without my teddy that was given to me as a child. It helps me when i am feeling anxious or stressed. If i was brave enough to take it on a flight with me, i would… so you are braver than i am.

    Flights are stressful, especially getting through the airport. But when you are on the plane, cuddle your little ted, put some music on to listen to and before you know it, you’ll have landed and be having a good time.

  4. you know CBT help me alot, also that exposure therapy is kinda useful too

  5. I saw a guy in his twenties at the top front of a bus put a teddy bear down facing out of the window. I asked if it was so it could see the view and he said yes.

    Some people might look, but they might genuinely interested or secretly happy for you. Lots of people won’t mind either way. Keep on doing what works for you.

  6. I’m 43 and sleep with a stuffed Stitch toy every night. I nearly always wake up in the morning with my arm still wrapped around him. Anything that is comforting is a good thing!

  7. People are only staring because they are jealous that their teddy bears are not with them.

  8. My friend’s other half is 36 and she still sleeps with her childhood stuffed animal.

    You do you. If you’re not hurting anyone then no one should care.

  10. If London can be the home of Paddington, 50p is in good company. London is the city of travel assistant bears. Many such cases

  11. I have a cuddly owl who goes out with me regularly, he gets stuffed down my front like you’ve got 50p or peers out of my pocket. He loves looking out of train windows.

    Sometimes he brings his wife and children too and I take photographs of their adventures for no other reason than it makes me really bloody happy.

    Hope you can both enjoy your journey, don’t forget to let him see the view!

  12. They’re only staring because you’re an adult with a Teddy stuff down your top.

  13. My girlfriend has “bob” in her bag for tube traveling anxieties

    He’s a fuggler and usually a conversation starter

  14. They’re staring because you are doing something that is considered to be out of the ordinary.

  16. Fair play to you. I have a Pluto toy that I was so attached to as a child but I don’t sleep with it because I’d feel less of a man.

    So I don’t. Shame really because it probably would be comforting to me. But the idea of being a 29 year old single man with no prospects of a relationship and sleeping with a cuddly toy would be too much for me to handle I reckon.

    Anyways, fair play. I do like seeing people who are just themselves and ‘fuck the haters’ vibe ya know. Hope the flight goes well.

  17. Why do people in the last year or so keep referring to soft toys as ‘plushies’ ?!

  18. Whenever I solo travel I bring my dinosaur stuffie with me as a travel buddy to take pics with/off. It gets kinda boring just photographing selfies or buildings and I’ve started to send postcards with his pictures to my friends. So far he’s been to Switzerland, Singapore and China, and he’ll go to China and Australia this year 🙂

    I’m travelling mostly in Asia and people respond super well. People just love him. Guess it also helps that I’m not physically threatening and female.

  21. If they’re staring at all I think it’s because you’ve put it down your top. If you were just holding it I doubt anyone would care or even notice

  22. I have a stuffed duck who wears a cape. But he doesn’t leave the confines of my home, for fear of him becoming lost.

  23. It would make me a lot more anxious to take something precious out and about with me, worried about people looking at me or losing the toy.

  24. I’m 38 and I still have all my cuddly toys, two of them I sleep with. They bring comfort and give me something to squish in the night 🙂

  25. Well, yes you’re getting stares if you’re an adult out in public with a stuffed toy animal shoved down your cleavage.

    Still going to get stares if you’re a kid, but at least you know they’re thinking “aw how cute”. Rather than “you’re too old for this shit”.

  27. 50 year old male who used to travel to South America regularly. Sooty and Sweep came with me every step of the way. Sure, I got a few looks occasionally, but who cares? I’ve got a magic bear!

  28. I think they’re staring because of how you are holding him?

  29. They probably just weren’t expecting to turn a corner and suddenly see your bear chest!

  30. Ha, you do you. Whatever it takes to get us through eh. We all have our coping mechs but you’ll be grand and hope you enjoy your destination when you get there, both of you.

  31. Hope you guys had a good journey, my daughter takes one of her Pokémon teddy’s on every adventure, I’ve still got a Roland rat teddy my mum gave me unfortunately he’s to old to go out now

  32. I sometimes take small cuddly toys out with me travelling as well when anxious, don’t worry about it

  33. Honestly don’t worry about other people. Life can be shit so if it makes things better for you and your causing no harm then good for you.

    I’ve got a crotched Dobbie that my partner made me strapped to my backpack. I’m a 31 year old bloke that’s 6″4 and often gets mistaken for a rugby player.

  36. I am 41, in a senior position at a bank, and I have a family. I always jump into bed so monsters don’t grab my feet.

    You do you.

  37. Most people don’t care that you’re carrying a teddy bear. They’re probably staring because you’re carrying it around, shoved down your top.

    If I walked a dog through a town centre, most people wouldn’t stare. If I balanced the dog on my head as I walked, I’d get plenty of stares.

  38. I’m someone who was previously a very confident flyer, recently overtaken by a phobia. Also have a soft spot for plushies as an adult.

    Do what you gotta do to get on that plane and good on you for going against your anxiety 🙂 cute bear and name!

  39. Aww. Its not close to the strangest thing any of them have seen on the tube.

  41. Got on a shuttle from the airport car park to the airport. A woman who was 27 got on with a pink fluffy unicorn that was about 1/3 of the size of her body. She sank into it and looked terrified. My son (5 at the time) said, “I love your unicorn.” She said to him that she was scared of flying and she was her favourite because she’s the best at hugs. They swapped tales of how their toys helped them in difficult situations. It was nice.

  42. Looks so smart w the bow 😭 Safe travels 💖

  43. No ones staring. Im sorry your parents didn’t pay enough attention to you growing up but don’t make it everyone else’s problem.

  44. They’re jealous they didn’t bring their secret cuddly toy, maybe the world would be nicer if we all did

  46. People will only be staring because it’s out of the ordinary.
    But it will be fleeting and they will forget about it very soon.

    Sometimes our safety behaviours make us stand out even more, which is usually the opposite of what we want.

    It’s good you have something to calm the anxiety tho 👍

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