Kathryn Oda Mental Health Essay

To get an emotional support animal, you have to check with your physician to consider the option of proving verifiable disability, as stated by law. Your doctor or medical professional will give a statement or a certificate, which will mention the concerned disability and the need for emotional support animal, which will offer therapeutic care and healing. However, the animal isn't treated a service animal and therefore, there is no need for any formal training to become an emotional support animal. In fact, all domesticated animals, including rodents, birds, reptiles, cats and dogs, can become an ESA.

Canines also help improve a person’s social and emotional health. In the 2009 New York Times Magazine, Melissa Fay Greene, writes about Karen Shirk in her article titled, “Wonder Dog”. Karen Shirk, a thirty-year-old woman diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular disease, noticed the change in herself and people around her. Strangers greeted the tubed up woman in the motorized chair whenever her dog, Ben, her German Shepard, was around. The despair she said she had once felt was now replaced with optimism and ambition. In present day, Karen Shirk is now CEO of her own facility, which she named 4 Paws For Ability, for cognitively impaired adults and children. In Lisa Field’s article “ 6 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health”, Field’s

“Isolated, his family deteriorating—“I couldn’t show affection, couldn’t hug my kids”—Soliz turned to the Palo Alto V.A. Medical Center” (Colin n.p.) “Soliz says his life is slowly coming back to him and he now can go to the movies without panicking—and hug and kiss his two kids” (Colin n.p.). Moore who explained in her dissertation that, “some of the veterans spoke of ways their Psychiatric Service Dog has bettered their relationships with other people, in particular through increasing interpersonal interactions, Similar to Ensayra and Love's (2008) finding of the dog serving as a "social lubricant”

Unlike canines who tangle themselves in our legs, plant their heads on the nearest human lap, and snuggle between our feet in bed, we tend to isolate. Depression worsens even as we hide.

Often, anxiety disorders, depression, agoraphobia, and other emotional impairments are treated with medication and extensive counseling. Those suffering physical, mental, sensory, and intellectual disabilities commonly are treated with service animals. Individuals with a psychiatric disability, by the ADA, do not qualify for service dogs, even if they come with several benefits. I believe that anybody suffering any kind of disability, provided they are diagnosed with a severe case, should qualify for a service animal. They encourage getting out of the house, could potentially decrease the number of number of suicides, and defeat the long-term effects of antidepressants.

A 2015 study found that 16.1 million adults in the United States had experienced at least one major episode of depression in the past year. This is one of the most common mental illnesses in the country. Anxiety is another common disorder, with about 40 million people suffering from it. It is important that such patients seek treatment early to keep their mental condition from taking a turn for the worse. Another thing that can be of immense help to such people is getting psychiatric service dogs to help them in this battle. Let’s take a look at how such dogs can help patients with depression and anxiety.

Nepps, & Bruckno, (2014) and Souter & Miller,(2007) results were determined by pre/ post questionnaires and scales that viewed each participant mood before and after each session to see the outcome and effectiveness. It showed a dramatic increase in mood. It was also shown that that therapeutic alliance is enhanced with the addition of a therapy dog within a group setting with adult clients in a residential drug abuse treatment setting. Animal assisted therapy has also been shown to reduce feelings of anger and symptoms of PTSD, which can contribute to an overall improvement of mood and reduce depressive

Doctors will sometimes then prescribe things like medications and sometimes therapy sessions in order to ‘help’ people that have depression and/or anxiety. Pets can help though with things like this. They can be there for emotional support, and studies show when people pet animals such as cats, it calms them and keeps them from having times of severe depression and anxiety. The article, “Can Cats Help With Depression And Anxiety?”, states, “Cats also help in making you more active. Cats are not ideal characters (unless they're sleeping), rather the love to run around and play. Actively engaging in playtime with your cat can help relieve you of any anxious feelings or help avoid” (Bribri, 2017) Having a cat around can calm someone and keep them from having their anxious feelings for the time being. Having a cat with someone can keep them calm, and take their mind off of worries and other anxious thoughts and/or ideas as their focus is in their cat. This can make a great positive impact on the life and/or lives of a person that is dealing with or trying to deal with their anxiety. Another quote is, “The first reason for why cats can help you with your mild to moderate depression or anxiety is by giving and receiving unconditional love. Whether you realize it or not, your fluffy kitty loves you dearly and you love kitty back. It’s a wonderful, uncomplicated love that you look forward

For centuries people have known that animal companionship has brought many benefits to people’s lives. According to Kathryn Heimlich, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the first known time a companion animal was used to aid in a therapy program was “York Retreat in England, an establishment founded by the Quakers for persons with mental illness” (Heimlich, 2001, p. 48). As stated by Heimlich, the first published reports of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy come from Psychologist Boris Levinson. Levinson “discovered that he could reach a disturbed child during therapy

Main point one: Companionship is important to have in your life, even if it comes from your dog. When life gets stressful it’s nice to have a companion to play with, take a walk with or even cheer you up. Companionship can be hard to come by with humans sometimes and easily found in dogs. While their personalities vary according to the breed of the dog, one characteristic remains the same, their loyalty. Dogs make great listeners, maybe because they can’t tell you to stop talking, but either way they seem to listen with interest. Many dog owners find themselves telling dogs things they can't seem to tell anyone else. This is what makes dogs good therapeutic animals. A dog is an especially good animal for someone who lives alone or suffers from depression. Having a dog present can also help people who have suffered a tragic loss in their life and need the company of another life for comfort. I know from my personal experience of losing a loved one, what a dog can do to help you through. Owning a dog gave me responsibility at me weakest and gave me a

Personality disorders are very defined and recognized in today’s society. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides common language and standards classifying mental disorders. The DSM is used by many people in varying disciplines in the USA as well as many other countries. In times past, people with disorders may have been outcast from a community or even persecuted. However, in our current culture the pendulum has swung in the other direction. It almost seems that there is a trend to explain all behavior by a mental disorder. This results in needing to disprove that certain people are not displaying a disorder, rather acting within a normal human emotion or

Emotional support animals can take on a multitude of jobs that “may include reminding the handler to take medicine, providing safety checks or room searches, or turning on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, interrupting self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders, and keeping disoriented individuals from danger,” (Brennan). These animals are often considered pets but are actually so much more than that, emotional support animals have a very important role in protecting the mental health of their owners and keep them safe. Not only do these animals protect people’s mental health but they also give people a purpose. Taking care of one of these dogs or other animals gives people something to take care of and focus on. Knowing that there is another living thing that relies on them can be very grounding and keep people connected to something outside of themselves.

Pet adoption brings myriad health benefits. One of these benefits is the loyal companionship of shelter animals. GAWS shelter’s acting chief executive, Mia Shaw states, “There are big positives for a person’s mental and physical wellbeing in adopting a pet – there are so many benefits to adopting a dog or cat, including companionship and friendship” (qtd. in Sum 19). These animals help human beings physically and mentally by providing another incentive to exercise, and by providing a steady companionship. These benefits could potentially save the lives of depressed people and improve the lives of incapacitated people. Inclusively, shelter animals reduce stress and other health-related issues. Rescue cat owner, Lisa Barley notes, “Not only will you benefit from the joys of a furry friend’s unconditional love, but a pet can have a positive impact on your health, from helping you stay physically active to reducing stress and lowering blood pressure” (48). Adopting a pet is much like obtaining a best friend, who will provide unconditional love and support when the person needs it the most. Furthermore, most of the shelter animals are caged for days or even months, resulting in being restricted from social environments. Consequently, these animals end up being friendlier when they are adopted and placed in a steady home, unlike the ones obtained

In a pilot study conducted by Prosser and colleagues, researchers seek to evaluate if companion animals improve mood and quality of life in the growing aging population. The study followed participants for six weeks during after group interactions with therapy or companion animals. The study utilized a convenience sample of 16 females and 2 males at a nursing home. Though the sample is small and lacking in diversity, it is appropriate for a pilot study. This study utilizes the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and a series of questionnaires. The study is qualitative in nature, focusing on first person accounts as an encouragement for future research. This study is unique in that it not only interviews participants, but also nursing home

People with dogs tend to have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those who do not own dogs (The Health Benefits of Dogs (and Cats). “And surprisingly, most dogs, given the choice, will actually prefer human company to other dog company.” Meaning that canines are willing to give you all of their undivided attention as long as you need it. (The New Science of Understanding Dog Behavior) As dogs continue to help you grow from depression, they can help you increase your social skills as well. Taking your dog to dog parks can introduce you to new people through other canines, if you take them on walks or to dog parks. This can become a large advantage for people especially if they’re antisocial. While they’re helping you become social, they’re also encouraging exercise. By wanting to play fetch, and admiring the walks you take with them, they’re showing you a whole new appreciation for exercise.