Can a teddy bear provide comfort, even therapeutic effects, for an anxious adult?

Jian Ghomeshi, the former CBC host of the Q radio show, thought so. Ghomeshi, fired last week after serious allegations from women of physical abuse, kept a stuffed blue bear, “Big Ears Teddy bear,” to help him with anxiety, he told a Stratford audience in July. His therapist urged him to get the stuffed animals, similar to his childhood bear, according to the Stratford Beacon Herald.

The newspaper quoted Ghomeshi telling the crowd, “Big Ears has played a really important role in my life, because I have a general anxiety disorder.”

While a teddy bear might help calm an anxious adult, it is not a widely prescribed therapy, say psychologists. “For anxiety, a goal is to help the person deal with the reality of their situation and their fears,” explains clinical psychologist Oren Amitay. “A teddy bear is the opposite of that, seeking solace in a fantasy object.”

Two of the women alleging abuse said Ghomeshi introduced them to “Big Ears Teddy” and then turned the bear around before he allegedly slapped or choked them, saying that “Big Ears Teddy” shouldn’t see this.”

At the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, psychologist Judith Laposa explains that cognitive behaviour therapy, which focuses on realistic thinking and gradually facing fears, is the most effective talk-based treatment for anxiety. In more than a decade of treating the disorder, she’s never prescribed a teddy bear.

While CBT focuses on the present, psychosocial-oriented therapies deal more with the past and childhood experiences. They might make more use of a teddy bear, says Laposa.

“I’ve heard of employing a teddy bear to help process grief,” offers Shyamala Kiru, a registered marriage and family therapist in Markham. She recommended a soft, cuddly teddy bear, the symbol of comfort, for a family who lost a loved one. At night, their sadness was triggered when they gathered in the family room to watch television, so she advised placing the furry stuffed animal there on the couch so they could all hug or touch it.

For anxiety, some psychologists suggest a client touch or hold an object associated with positive feelings to help them get through rough moments. A high-school football ring or charm bracelet might serve this purpose, as could photos of children or pets, says counselling psychologist Richard Amaral.

Amitay recommends deep breathing exercises. “They may need something to prevent them from spiralling out of control,” he explains. “When anxiety hits, it’s a whirlwind of ambiguous, amorphous fears.”

He’s doubtful about a teddy bear or any stuffed animal. They aren’t practical for an adult to carry around.

“Maybe at night when thoughts go wild, a cuddle with a teddy bear might help bring the person back to a more innocent time,” muses Amitay. “But what do they do for the other 16 hours?”

Laposa at CAMH worries that an anxious patient could become overly reliant on any soothing object. “The risk is that people start attributing the fact that things are going OK to that external object.”

Any object or technique could be a stepping stone in the beginning, she says, but eventually the client has to stop relying on it.

Even the bedtime teddy bear would be problematic if the person couldn’t sleep without it. “You’d need to take small steps to remove it, placing it by the side of the bed, next to the bed, at the door,” she suggests.