Anxiety is crippling. It is a serious ailment that can cause more damage to your body than some other chronic illnesses. When someone suffers from anxiety and depression, they often feel hopeless and alone. Many stop socializing or leaving their house. In turn, they lose some of the basic human needs for survival, like love, touch, and socialization. For people with such disorders, there are many ways to cope. Some choose conventional medications, others choose therapy, and some take a more holistic approach, such as using pets for anxiety. It has been said that the unconditional love of a pet can change a life. They’ve proven to be a powerful grounding and healing force for many people. A dog can reduce stress, ease loneliness, encourage exercise, and provide valuable and meaningful companionship.
Although they can’t talk to us or understand what exactly anxiety is and how it disables us, pets—especially dogs—deserve more credit than we give them. They are smart, intuitive, sensitive to feelings, and love unconditionally. They don’t worry about yesterday or what might take place in the future, they live in the moment. Unless a dog is sick or elderly, they will always offer you the biggest smile as you walk through the door.
For these reasons, the mental and physical health benefits provided by pets deserve a bit more attention. If you’ve ever owned a pet, you know how much fun they can be. But have you ever stopped to analyze just how beneficial they really are? There are many reasons why people are turning to pets for anxiety and other physical, mental and emotional disabilities.
We are all familiar with police dogs, horses that pull carts, and guide dogs for the blind, however, lately you may have heard the term “emotional support animal” or ESA. According to the USA dog registry, an ESA “is an animal that can provide emotional and therapeutic benefits to those suffering from emotional issues including anxiety”. Usually the support animal is a cat or dog, but pigs have also been registered. Whatever the animal, they don’t need specific training to be classified as an ESA. Their natural kind and loving demeanors are enough to provide all the support you need to help you emotionally. Dogs do not have to be licensed or trained to offer health benefits. They may also be classified as companion dogs.
If you have anxiety or depression, the world may seem like it’s falling to pieces. When anxiety is all consuming, having a pet jump into your lap and offer love can bring you back to a more balanced thought process. There are many additional benefits to using pets for anxiety:
Depression and anxiety are less likely to occur in pet owners. Engaging in playful activity with them can even elevate serotonin and dopamine levels, which can calm and relax you.
Let’s face the facts. Choosing pharmaceuticals for your anxiety can have dangerous side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, restlessness, weight gain, nausea, and constipation. Moreover, they often don’t alleviate the problem, but just mask the symptoms to create an ongoing cycle of infliction. Using a more natural approach can help in lessening the load of additional toxins you place into your system. There are a tremendous number of health benefits that pets for anxiety provide:
If you’ve decided to try pets for anxiety or emotional support, it's important to choose a pet that’s compatible with your household. It’s most beneficial to select a pet that best suits your needs. Dogs are among the most popular pets for anxiety and come in a wide variety of breeds and mixes, all with different personalities and traits.
There a few important things to consider when choosing a pet:
Although almost any breed is capable of becoming a support or companion dog, some breeds have preferable temperaments, such as golden retrievers, labradors, and german shepherds.
More than half the world suffers from stress-related conditions such as anxiety. How much damage can unmanaged stress cause to the body? A lot. The body’s NEM response system functions like a circuit breaker in that what happens to one system affects all the organs and the brain—the entire body. Therefore, stress responds best to a holistic treatment approach that addresses the entire body as a whole. Using pets for anxiety is one great method to assist with this type of therapy.
Conclusive research continues to show how support and companion animals are indeed effective at treating depression and anxiety, and promoting overall wellness. Stressed-induced ailments like Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) affect the entire body. Taking full advantage of natural methods such as pets for anxiety can help ease symptoms.
Pets have been proven to do wonderful things for those suffering from AFS. However, caution should be taken. A main side effect of Adrenal Fatigue is body sensitivities. Sufferers often find themselves facing food intolerances and allergies they didn’t have before. The body becomes so out of balance that foreign objects, such as pet dander from dogs or service animals, may trigger an immediate internal reaction causing uncomfortable allergy-related symptoms. In addition, having a pet is a responsibility. The added stress of taking care of a dog or cat may be too much for those in advanced stages of Adrenal Fatigue. If you’re considering adopting pets for anxiety, it’s important to discuss this with your primary care physician or an adrenal specialist so you can choose the pet that’s right for you.
If you’re not a dog person, then a service or companion pet may be more stressful than good. They are expensive, require lots of time and attention, need frequent interaction, and can often be destructive or cause allergies. Pets are a major commitment that should not be overlooked. Owning a pet is only beneficial and healing if you love domestic animals and have the time and money to invest in them. But don’t worry, if you don’t have the time available to own a pet, there are still ways to receive the health benefits:
In conclusion, owning a dog is not a miracle cure. If you are suffering from severe anxiety or any other medical condition, it’s best to consult with health care provider immediately.
Sufferers of AFS should always check with their healthcare provider first before using pets for anxiety. Pets are great stress reducers, however, many late stage sufferers may find they are allergy prone. In this case, finding a hypoallergenic dog may work!