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Find us again! Moodletter provides information, hope and help to people living with depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder and those who care for them. ©2006-2011 Deborah Wiig
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Pets
and mental wellness There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams |
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Pets have been proven to have a positive influence on our physical and mental health. Owning a pet can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. But research has found that pets are also therapeutic for people with mood and anxiety disorders and other psychiatric disorders. Pet ownership provides many mental health benefits:
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Dr. Allan N. Schwartz, CSW, Ph.D., a Boulder, Colorado clinical social worker and psychoanalyst, uses trained therapy dogs with his patients. Bonnie, a black Labrador Retriever, and Mingo, a Golden Retriever, excel at easing patients' tension. Both dogs are trained and licensed as emotional/psychiatric support dogs.
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Dr. Schwartz treated a young woman whose severe anxiety prevented her from leaving her home and holding a job. Because they couldn't cope with her illness, her boyfriend had left her and her friends had abandoned her. When she was brought to Dr. Schwartz's office, he said, she was very frightened and stroked Mingo over and over. Eventually, she adopted a puppy of her own and had him professionally trained as a support dog. She has recovered so well, she is now working, she drives and goes shopping by herself, her self-esteem and functioning have improved. She's even reestablished her relationships with her boyfriend and friends. Animals played a large part in the successful treatment of her disorder. Teach your dog to be your support partner Related articles Sources: Page updated April 1, 2010 |
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Your
dog can be a valuable part Learn how to incorporate your dog into your recovery process with tips from Support Partners: Canine Companions. This new program, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and the Psychiatric Service Dog Society offers a brochure with information about the benefits of dogs and easy, practical ways pet owners can immediately work with their dogs to include them in their support network. The Canine Companions program is part of Support Partners, a national educational campaign co-sponsored by the National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) that aims to open the lines of communication about depression and encourages a support-team approach to overcoming depression. Visit Support Partners for free guidebooks on including your dog as part of your support team and other topics about depression. |
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Preliminary studies of this therapy have shown that animals help people feel better and connect more to those around them. In one study, after animals were brought in to freely interact with a group of patients being treated for mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and other disorders, the patients showed a significant decrease in anxiety. 
“When one of the dogs jumps up onto the couch with the patient,” he says, “she sparks conversation. People who are depressed, socially isolated or avoidant are often reluctant to talk, but, stroking the dog by their side, they begin to talk about pets they've had and childhood memories, feelings and attitudes toward their parents. And, through Mingo or Bonnie, a trusting relationship between doctor and patient begins.”