Coping items in real life

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I was at the flea market today, and it was a pretty big one, where they combine local salespeople/sellers and antiques dealers. While I was in the antique section, I stopped in front of a booth with these beautiful pins, brooches and clear glass paperweights. I happened to look up to see the woman running the booth with her daughter....her daughter was holding a plush of the dragon from Sofia the First in her mother's face, and there were a couple other plushies next to her, like Perry the Platypus and a stuffed gryphon, also from Sofia the First. I'd seen the girl and her mother at the booth at the flea market before - the girl was watching Disney Junior on her Ipad and had some ear defenders on, and was also attended by some plush companions, all characters from Disney Junior. I am not sure, but I think the girl might have been on the spectrum as well. I was too shy to approach her and tell her about the plushies I carried with me in my bag to feel less anxious and lonely, but when I caught her eye, I did say, "Hi - I like your dragon!" And went on my way.

I just like it when I see people in public with their comfort items - I also remember going to the neighborhood Fall Festival a couple years ago and seeing a group from an adult assisted living facility walking around - one man carried a Wrinkles dog (one of those puppet dogs from the 80s) and another guy had a stuffed dalmatian.

I've actually found myself more dependent on my own coping items more and more since school has started again and I started taking my antidepressant again, and my body and mind are still adjusting. In some of my classes, especially in my math class (a class in which I've had very bad experiences) I find myself having to do everything I can think of to keep focused and not become anxious...last class, I accomplished this by drumming on my kneecaps with my fingers and singing a Benjamin Britten song from Moonrise Kingdom in my head....

It starts out with someone singing, "Cuckoo," and then it goes like,

In April, I opened my bill
In May, I sing night and day,
In June, I change my tune,
In July, far, far, I fly,
In August, away
I must.

And I just basically recited that to myself over and over to keep calm and remind myself that I was safe, even though I was stuck in another math class. I had a couple of my plushies in my backpack, but no way was I going to take them out in front of everybody.

Also, I just found out last night that one of my favorite plushies, a tiny Beanie Baby bunny named Petunia, went missing, so I ordered another one off Amazon...until she gets here, tho, I found another Beanie Baby bunny at the flea market - it's a different one, but it's same color and is still really soft.

Does anyone else feel more dependent on their comfort/coping items more at some times than others? And what else do you do to self-calm when you can't have access to them?

I go crazy if I don't have access to a working computer with internet access, or another suitable internet-capable device like my phone. It's my main connection to the world, and it's where I go for knowledge, socialization, and recreation. Without it, I'd be completely lost. If the internet was heroin, then I would be a junkie.

mee too.