Emotional support animals are recognized by mental health specialists as beneficial in the treatment of mental illness. Being around dogs raises pleasant hormones, which explains why you feel delicate and affectionate when you see a gorgeous puppy. Joffe, Sigmund Freud’s dog, was frequently present in his therapy sessions with patients.
Emotional Support Animal vs. Service Animals
Many people confuse the phrases service animal and emotional support animal, but they are not interchangeable. A service dog is a trained canine that assists or guides a person with a disability (physical, intellectual, sensory, or mental handicap). An emotional support animal gives companionship to the owner, which has a therapeutic impact.
How Emotional Support Animals Improve Mental Health
Mental health specialists report significant improvements in people suffering from mental illnesses as a result of the animal’s emotional support. Here are some of the mental health advantages of having an ESA:
They Provide Mental and Emotional Encouragement
Emotional assistance Animals bring consolation to owners suffering from mental illnesses, particularly those suffering from:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PTSD)
- Anxiety problems
- Agoraphobia and agoraphobia are two examples of specific phobias.
- Depression
They Help You Produce Neurotransmitters
According to research, animals, particularly dogs, assist people in producing neurotransmitters that make them joyful. Dogs boost the neurochemical dopamine in the brain. This is the neurochemical linked to feelings of love, connection, and pleasure. According to studies, when pet owners stare into their pets’ eyes, they experience love and contentment.
When you care for another living person or a pet, your ability to love grows and you experience less depression. When an animal is around, people who are lonely feel safer and more cherished. It’s no surprise that there are paw parents and fur babies because pet owners’ bond entails affection.
They Calm Anxiety on Planes
As previously stated, ESAs can assist those suffering from certain phobias such as aerophobia (fear of flying in airplanes). Traveling by aircraft can be a painful experience for some individuals. Aerophobia is a genuine condition. This is why some airlines are now allowing customers who are afraid of flying to travel with dogs on board.
An emotional support animal can help reduce anxiety throughout the trip. People suffering from acrophobia may feel overwhelmed during a flight, and cuddling or holding their pet may help to alleviate their fear. Consider going with an ESA letter if you are afraid of flying.
They Give Unconditional Love
Animals may both feel and give love. Animals, in fact, deliver unconditional affection. They unconditionally adore persons who are suffering from mental illness, such as sadness or bereavement. These animals’ unconditional affection will make a person feel cherished and help them get back on their feet after a painful emotional event.
Feeling loved may significantly enhance a person’s mental health. This is necessary in order for a person to re-engage with others around them, build loving relationships, and have more meaningful interactions with their loved ones.
Animal Therapy Works in Conjunction with Other Forms of Treatment
Therapists and counselors are becoming increasingly aware that emotional support animals might help people overcome mental illness in conjunction with other types of treatment. It’s analogous to telling patients to exercise and consume healthy foods in order to reduce the symptoms of a mental health condition or avoid depression.
ESAs are used alongside cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Pets are also used in mindfulness practices, such as helping patients discover a sense of purpose, encouraging people to spend more time outside (by walking their dog), and making people feel protected during very stressful circumstances. Whatever style of therapy works best for you, incorporating an ESA into your treatment plan will provide you with the emotional safety net you require.
They Can Help Stabilize Intense Emotions
Emotional support animals can help people cope with powerful emotions during difficult situations. Whether pet owners return home and see their dogs, many claim they feel better when they’re sad or fatigued following a long day at work. They are stress relievers, similar to children.
Bonding time with your pet will always be a wonderful experience, no matter how nervous or afraid you are. When your pet performs stupid and charming things, you forget about all the deep feelings you were experiencing before to spending time with your pet.
They Provide Social Support
Most households consider their dogs to be members of the family. Why? Because, despite being animals, they give social support.
To satisfy their emotional and mental health needs, everyone requires a social partner. When you live alone and are lonely, having an ESA around seems like having a buddy. Having a pet, especially a dog, motivates you to go for a walk, exercise, or spend time outside. All of them are beneficial to your mental health.
This might involve a “no pets” policy being waived for an emotional support animal. The Fair Housing Act applies to both multi-family detached residences and single-family detached homes. Actual and punitive damages may be given to a renter.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California decided Janus v. Charities Housing Development Corp (N.D. Ca., 2000). The US Northern District Court of California concluded in Janus v. Charities Housing Development Corp (N.D. Ca., 2000) that reasonable accommodation is a fact-based, rather than a species-based, problem.
