Is it normal for a young adult to take a teddy and a comfort blanket on a plane?

[YourAmplePlumPoster]

Seen this a few times while travelling. The staff just stick the fluffy toys and blankets in the overhead locker so defeats the object. Maybe just try biting the seat in front of you to calm your nerves or take some valium. I'm a nervous flyer so just havd a couple of drinks.

Jet 2 take them - I’d never had an issue before but I had a scarf that I’d wrapped around my shoulders as I was cold. Just before take off the cabin crew asked me to remove it as it counted as a blanket 😳 long haul flights they give you a blanket so I couldn’t understand why short haul don’t allow blankets. I argued it’s clothing and I was wearing it - which I was - but I’m sure she thought I was difficult. So if you’ve only flown jet 2 then maybe you’d think that always happens.

P.S. I hear the Teddy Bears Picnic has been reported to the police for offensive behaviour and the Teddies have all been arrested and detained.

Why not? The person obviously feels it helps. It’s not hurting anyone to hug a teddy. I don’t really see why it’s getting more that a 5second glance worth of your mental energy.

The suggestion is that a mental health problem can be solved with squeezing a Teddy rather than medication. It's sad that in our advanced society in the 21st century, the irrational views continue of denying medication and vaccines. And that people are being put at risk.

You have the anti Western medication people and the inertia and underfunded mental health services who will probably say squeeze a Teddy because that cuts down any intervention we have to do and saves us money.

If you don't know the difference between schizophrenia and anxiety disorders then I'm afraid we can't help you.

I work with adults with schizophrenia, and have suffered from, and parented young adults with ND and anxiety disorders.

They are completely different. My son loves cuddly toys. He doesn't (currently) need medication. My patients need medication, although one of them also sleeps with a teddy.

You are probably one of these people saying their cuddly toy is as good as meds so not worth interacting with. This forum actually highlights the hostility towards Western medication, vaccines and other life saving medication. I didn't think mumsnet was so full of that but it is.

I'm out, can't be bothered with the ignorance.

You'd be wrong if this is aimed at me. I've been on antidepressants and/or anti anxiety medication for most of the last 18 years. I'm a massive advocate for medication. If it's needed. My now ex didn't want our DC to be vaccinated, I told him they em were having them anyway. I would lie to the Dr about consent if I needed to.
But if cuddling a teddy helps then that's better than medication and all the potential side effects.

Well, if Brideshead Revisited included air travel apparently everyone would be perfectly charmed 🤷‍♀️

My aardvark was allowed into my angiogram. Stop judging others. Is it truly affecting you? Maybe it's time to normalise things so that people don't feel a need to conceal things. And an aardvark on a flight is vastly better than drugs or alcohol. (it's Jellycat, not a small live animal btw...)

If all it takes is a teddy and/or a blanket, there is no need for medication.

There's no actual medication for Autism.....some people respond to anxiety medications, some don't, some take SSRI's that help but not a "cure". It's great that your son's schizophrenia is controlled well by medication but altogether different condition. Plus Deep Pressure Therapy has been around since the 1950's, studied and peer reviewed by neuroscientists...it's hardly woo woo, mumbo jumbo.

Really though, this is all by the by. The people you've seen may be neuro typical. They may just like a cuddly toy or a blanket. You just don't like it. You don't have to. Think it to yourself by all means, free country and all that, don't have to ridicule people's choices that don't affect your life. Costs nothing in life to be kind or pleasant after all.

The only one being ignorant is you!

for what it’s worth DS takes plenty of medication including for his adhd and anxiety. However his weighted blankets and his teddies are still a massive help.

medication isn’t the be all and end all. Even his psychiatrist wants him to try another block of art therapy with their specialist before we increase his SSRI to see if that helps.

Well said

I used to bite my teddy’s nose in anger! I was quite attached to him in to young adulthood, he’s now in my wardrobe on a shelf.
My young adult DC still have their comfort blankets and if I was in my own I’d prob bring my teddy out to sit on the bed with me!!

Was that the whole point of this just to be rude to people. None of your business what people do on a plane unless it’s drangetous or effects you personally.

As long as it doesn't affect you then you should mind your own businesses and not be so nasty and judgemental.

You’d be surprised.

Really? We just did a Jet2 package deal, I didn't have mine on the way out but on the way back I did and they didn't say a thing. Our daughter had a blanket too and they didn't take it. Maybe depends on the seat? Can always take them back after seat belt light goes out though I'd guess?

You don’t sound very sympathetic op. No it’s not “normal” but there are probably underlying mental health things going on if someone needs a Teddy and is willing to be seen with one in public. To me that needs sympathy, not judgment.

Might have just been a weirdly controlling air steward. The others were lovely 🤣

...is willing to be seen with one in public...

This is the sad part. There is nothing objectively wrong about having a teddy/blanket/something similar "in public". No reason to not do it if you wish, other that it is not something people "normally" do.

I see this as a great service which ND people are doing for the society - helping us to get rid off the balast social rules. Noone should not have a (reasonably sized) teddy at the plane if they want only because they are afraid of social pressure, judgment or shame.
And, if having a blanket stops someone from needing a drink, that's even better

I used to be a nervous flyer, a very kind pilot friend told me the only make you put on the floatation device is because they are neon coloured and float so rhe crash site can be narrowed down, "because if you hit the water fro"m 30,000 ft your are in bits"anything that comforts you is ok.

Apparently the toy industry is investing serious money in marketing toys to grown ass young people who are buying them. My theory is that lack of affordable housing is holding back young people from buying a home and starting a family and they are infantilsed as a result. The cuddly toys are part of the infantilesed syndrome. It's disturbing and maybe the reason why they are considered unemployable and why all the shops and restaurants are being run by immigrants.