Psychiatric Therapy: Exploring The Benefits Of ESA Dog

Obtaining an emotional support animal for depression, stress, and anxiety can provide invaluable support. Additionally, they offer love, affection, relief, and practical skills for distress tolerance. If you’re suffering from an emotional or mental disorder and seeking how dogs can be helpful in the treatment then this article is for you. If you have animals you should know about emotional support animal certification.

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders. Study shows that nearly 40 million US adults fight with anxiety and 16 million struggle with depression. Mental health problems have certain influences on relationships, self-esteem, job, and physical health. And if you do not pay attention to medication then the situation could get worse. 

Everybody knows the unconditional love and support provided by the dogs. Research has revealed that animals, especially dogs, can be very effective to treat mental health ailments.

Emotional support animals provide love, affection, assistance, and satisfaction to people suffering from emotional or mental disabilities and dogs have all the abilities to be perfect emotional support animals. 

Psychiatric Benefits Of Having An ESA Dog

There are numerous anxiety disorders but the most common are written below:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD):

Recurring concerned and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) moderated by repetitive, rigid behaviors (compulsions). If you have a dog you should know how to legally register emotional support dog. 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

Persistent and constant worry over a diversity of situations. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

Severe anxiety can happen after experiencing a traumatic, life-threatening event.

Social Anxiety Disorder:

Feeling immense distress in social situations.

Panic Disorder:

Having frequent panic attacks.

All the above-mentioned psychological conditions can show severe or mild symptoms depending on the level of mental disorders. However, an emotional support dog can help you with all the mental ailments and can provide all the expected benefits. 

Dogs can offer a wide range of assistance especially anxiety and depression-related problems such as:

• Retrieving water, medicine, or mobile phone during an attack.
• Providing comfort cues like cuddling and licking.
• Identifying panic attacks
• Reminding the owner to take medication
• Bringing someone like care person to the owner
• Obstructing flashbacks or nightmares to get the owner back from dark events.

Dogs can be really helpful and often provide more benefits than one can imagine. If you’re suffering from mental ailments then having an emotional support dog can be a great addition to your life and home. 

How To Get An Emotional Support Dog?

Any domesticated dog that provides affection, comfort, and love can be registered as an emotional support dog. If you already own a dog then you can get it registered and if you don’t have one then you can get it from any good pet shop. If you have a pet you should know about an ESA registration.

If you’re looking for a dog and seeking what should be the criteria to select a dog then the below-mentioned points should be your priority. 

• Which dog breed will suit your home?
• Get a check-list of all the vaccinations of the dog.
• Can you manage or handle the dog breed that you’ve selected?
• Can you afford the chosen dog breed?
• Ask a little more about the behavior and likes/dislikes of the dog.

Get Your Dog Registered

To register your dog as your emotional support animal, you need to visit your mental health professional. The registration process is not a complex one. All you need is to ask your doctor to type an ESA letter for your dog.

Once you get an ESA letter or emotional support dog letter, you can easily dwell with your dog without any hassle. 

Buildings With No-Pet Policies

In the US many housing policies prohibit animals and pets. Remember that your dog or any emotional support animal is not a pet and is legally allowed to live in with you even in no-pet lodgings. If you have a dog and you want to keep your dog inside your house you should know about the ESA letter for housing.

Related Resources :

Independent Emotional Support Animals

How To Take Care Of Your Pet Hamster?

5 Wonderful Tips To Make Your ESA Dog Strong & Cheerful

What You Can Do For Yourself To Treat Anxiety?