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  1. #1
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    It's time to take pets seriously as mental illness support, say scientists

    Pets can provide incredible value to our lives, but a new study suggests that it's time doctors and mental health services started considering them more seriously as a source of mental health support.


    The research shows that not only are pets great for our general wellbeing, they can also greatly help people manage long-term mental illness - a benefit that's been overlooked by doctors in the past.


    "Pets should be considered a main rather than a marginal source of support in the management of long-term mental health problems," the researchers conclude in BMC Psychiatry.


    Most of us are well aware that pets can make us feel less lonely, and a growing body of research has shown how useful animals can be for people with autism.
    But although there are several organisations working with emotional support dogs, mainstream psychiatry has largely ignored the idea, with very few peer-reviewed studies conducted on the benefits of pets in mental illness treatment.


    To change that, the researchers asked 54 participants who had been diagnosed with long-term serious mental health problems, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, to rate which aspects of their life helped them manage their condition.


    Out of the small group, 60 percent of participants put pets up the top of the list, in the important 'first circle' of support. A further 20 percent put their pet in the second circle.


    This is a very small and early study, so the research needs to be replicated and extended before we can read too much into the results.


    But it's a preliminary finding that echoes what many researchers have heard from patients over the years - that pets are an important part of their coping strategy.
    Additional interviews with the participants revealed that pets helped people manage their feelings "through distraction from symptoms and upsetting experiences" and acted as "a form of encouragement for activity".


    "When you just want to sink into a pit and just sort of retreat from the entire world, they force me, the cats force me to sort of still be involved with the world," one participant who owns two cats explained.


    Another talked about how walking his dog each morning forced him to get out of the house and into a daily routine.


    It's too early to say for sure exactly how pets are helping people - the research is still in its infancy - but the researchers hypothesise that it helps people feel less isolated, especially when they struggle to relate to the rest of the world.


    "The people we spoke to through the course of this study felt their pet played a range of positive roles such as helping them to manage stigma associated with their mental health by providing acceptance without judgement," said lead researcher Helen Brooks from the University of Manchester.


    "Pets were also considered particularly useful during times of crisis. In this way, pets provided a unique form of validation through unconditional support, which they were often not receiving from other family or social relationships."


    One participant described a "growing canyon" separating her from other humans without mental health problem. Another added: "[Pets] don't look at the scars on your arms, or they don't question things, and they don't question where you've been."


    While a lot more research needs to be done, this study is a much-needed first step - the team notes that none of the participants in their study had ever had pets discussed as part of their medical health treatment plans.


    And other researchers think it's time we started properly considering animals in mental health care, too.


    "We actually haven't been taking this issue of pets seriously, and that's actually something that's picked up in this research here," health science director Janette Young from the University of South Australia, who wasn't involved in the research, told ABC News.


    "I've had people ask, 'is that serious research?' But I think pets are amazing ... Pets are, it seems to be, this amazing untapped and unrecognised resource."


    The team now wants to look further into the relationship between those struggling with mental health problems and their pets, and investigate what kind of contact with animals is most beneficial.


    This also involves making sure the needs of pets are considered too - it's crucial that anyone thinking about investing in a pet ensures that they have the capacity to take care of them for their entire lifespan.


    "Part of thinking about this in a more sophisticated way includes very much that business about caring for the welfare of the animal," said Young, "and how do we manage both, so we don't put animals at risk."


    There's a long way to go before we're being prescribed puppy therapy, but at least researchers are finally starting to take the idea seriously.
    From http://www.sciencealert.com/study-sa...llness-support
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  2. #2
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    This is why Emotional Support Animals, Therapy Dogs, and Psychiatric Service Dogs are important.
    I have a PTSD service dog, Nike. She rides the train with me every morning and she sits behind the counter with me at work. She has made my quality of life so much better. Nike is trained to respond to panic attacks. She can actually tell when I'm having a flashback and she can sense when I'm triggered.
    This is when I first got her. She is allowed to come with me pretty much anywhere, including this bookstore.
    IMG_2546.JPG

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    @HoldTheSea She is so cute What does she do when you have a panic attack or are triggered?

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    Quote Jerry View Post
    @HoldTheSea She is so cute What does she do when you have a panic attack or are triggered?
    Thank you She is my angel. When I have a panic attack or am triggered, she grounds me. She provides physical comfort to disrupt the trigger, which could be something as simple as licking my face or pawing at me or cuddling, but she also alerts me when she notices a change in physical symptoms, like if I start shaking or my heart rate increases. She is also protection trained and knows what to do if I am assaulted.
    If you would like to learn more about PTSD service dogs or are interested in one, Canines 4 Hope is a great organization

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    Quote HoldTheSea View Post
    Thank you She is my angel. When I have a panic attack or am triggered, she grounds me. She provides physical comfort to disrupt the trigger, which could be something as simple as licking my face or pawing at me or cuddling, but she also alerts me when she notices a change in physical symptoms, like if I start shaking or my heart rate increases. She is also protection trained and knows what to do if I am assaulted.
    If you would like to learn more about PTSD service dogs or are interested in one, Canines 4 Hope is a great organization
    I had no idea service dogs can be helpful with PTSD, I only knew about service dogs for physical disabilities. How much of a difference on your PTSD and your life in general she makes?

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    Quote Jerry View Post
    I had no idea service dogs can be helpful with PTSD, I only knew about service dogs for physical disabilities. How much of a difference on your PTSD and your life in general she makes?
    Service dogs are becoming more and more common for PTSD sufferers, especially combat veterans.
    Nike makes an immense difference on my PTSD symptoms and my life in general. I actually credit her with saving my life. Just knowing that she is there to help makes a world of difference for me. I was in a very bad place when I got her and she has helped me turn my life around. Because of her I am able to have a job, live independently with my partner, and leave my house. Before I got Nike I had an emotional support dog (which is a different thing), Jara, who got me through four years of high school and four years of college. Jara retired two years ago and I received Nike as my first actual PTSD service dog.

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    Quote HoldTheSea View Post
    Service dogs are becoming more and more common for PTSD sufferers, especially combat veterans.
    Nike makes an immense difference on my PTSD symptoms and my life in general. I actually credit her with saving my life. Just knowing that she is there to help makes a world of difference for me. I was in a very bad place when I got her and she has helped me turn my life around. Because of her I am able to have a job, live independently with my partner, and leave my house. Before I got Nike I had an emotional support dog (which is a different thing), Jara, who got me through four years of high school and four years of college. Jara retired two years ago and I received Nike as my first actual PTSD service dog.
    That is so cool, I'm glad you are doing so much better I know how terrible PTSD is, someone who I care a lot about has it. So, it is good to hear you made it through. Was it a long process to get Nike?

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    Quote Jerry View Post
    That is so cool, I'm glad you are doing so much better I know how terrible PTSD is, someone who I care a lot about has it. So, it is good to hear you made it through. Was it a long process to get Nike?
    Thank you It was a rather long process to get her because she had to be trained to meet my specific needs (Service dogs are catered to the individual's needs and specific areas of disability).

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