Pets, the Therapy For
By Daniel N. Love
Stress. Every one has it and unfortunately it’s a part of all of our lives. What separates us is how we all deal and handle our stress. There are many options to handle stress ranging from sitting down and talking to a counselor, medications or various types of therapy. The purpose of this blog is to give the understanding that pets can serve as more than just a companion or companions. They can have stress relieving values. From the stress of anxiety to the stress of pain, our pets can relieve the stress that we all inevitably feel. I’ve had pets all my life. Primarily dogs and cats. Honestly, they’ve always been there no matter the situation.
Why should the idea of a pet being a source of stress relief or therapy be important? Because I think pets are simply looked at as just that, a pet. A fuzzy little buddy that is there to look cute and do silly tricks. But, what if people who felt that way began to look at their pet or pets as a source of stress relief that is beneficial for their every day health? What could be the changes their lives could feel? Beth Marie Bowin states “The bond between pet and owner has been shown to decrease stress-related physical, mental, and emotional disorders by lowering blood pressure and heart rate.” Essentially saying that pets are good for the overall health of its owner.
A good personal example of how a pet can help manage pain is whenI had my first knee surgery. I had ACL and knee reconstructive surgery.When I left the hospital to go home, I was on a good amount of medication to keep me from feeling any pain. Eventually, the medications that the hospital had injected me with wore off and I could feel everything. My knee was wrapped in an ACE bandage and placed in an immobilizer. The problem was that the wrap on my knee was too tight and it didn’t allow for the natural swelling to occur. The pain from wrap and surgery finally broke through and I was in agony. I was crying on my couch while my parents were on the phone with the doctor on call. The doctor called in another medication for me to take, but the problem was I was in pain in that moment and I had to wait to get the medication. Once I had the medication I had to wait for it to start to work. It was incredibly painful and stressful. I laid there in tears and my beagle came over and laid next to me. He looked up at me with a look that I could only describe as a look of concern. He laid down next to me. As silly as it sounds I knew he was concerned and worried. I didn’t want him to be so I started to rub his side and belly. The thinking was if I rubbed his belly I would show him that I was alright. As we laid there I continued to pet my beagle and I soon began to forget the pain in my leg. I was able to relax. With that the medication was able to work and I soon drifted off to sleep. My dog, in such a simple way, helped me to forget my pain long enough for me to relax so I could sleep. “Having a dog or cat in your life changes the focus from pain to something that brings joy and happiness. Pets need attention and are hard to ignore. Pets are one more tool that has been shown to bring relief and improve the quality of life for many patients living with pain.” (Richeimer)
In the article “How Pets Help With Chronic Pain” Linda Cole of Canidae offers the same statement that I had previously offered. That pets can help with chronic pain. In my case, my beagle helped me forget. Linda Cole states that and more.
“Pets can be lifesavers for people with chronic pain. Caring for a dog or cat helps distract the mind from pain and shifts the focus onto another living being who needs attention, food, grooming, walks and playtime. Teaching a dog basic commands not only makes him easier to control, it can help someone with chronic pain train their pet to help them with some everyday chores such as retrieving dropped items and fetching things. Pets can also help by simply laying next to an aching joint to provide warmth and relief.” -Linda Cole
In the peer reviewed article, How Animal-Assisted Therapy May Soothe Your Pain, Colleen Doherty writes about a study that was done on a small controlled group of children. Some of which visited with a therapy dog after meeting with their doctor. Some who sat and relaxed quietly in a room after their doctors visit. “17 children experiencing pain visited a trained therapy dog for 15 to 20 minutes. The children rated their pain before and after the dog visit using the FACES pain scale. There was also a control group of 39 children who relaxed quietly for 15 minutes instead of visiting with the dog.The results of the study revealed that pain reduction was four times greater in the children who visited the dog than in those children who relaxed quietly.”
What about or mental health. Can a pet have a positive impact on your mental health status? I believe a pet or pets can have a positive impact on a persons mental health. I am not the only person that feels this way about pets being an incredible form of mental therapy. Matthew Boyle is the Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Recovery, a growing chain of drug and alcohol rehab centers in Indiana and Kentucky believes that, “Animals can have a profound effect on their owners. Specifically, pets and therapy animals can be used to alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness and social isolation according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Interactions with animals can also be useful in helping manage long-term mental health conditions.” “Having a pet reduces levels of depression. The comfort and companionship of a pet can make us feel less lonely. For many people, when their pet comes to them, it serves as a reminder that they are not alone. Pets also provide a sense of purpose. […] On days when it’s hard to get out of bed, knowing your pet needs you to get up and care for them provides motivation that can change you or your child’s perspective on the entire day.” (Uncapher)
Not only does Mathew Boyle believe that animals are beneficial to our health, Steven Feldman of the AADA, Anxiety And Depression Association of America, believes the same. He states that our pets are more than simply companions. The overall benefits of having a special pet is much more than just having a four legged friend greet you when you come home. The improvements that people see, when owning a pet, are not only within themselves. That people see improvements in others when they become a pet owner. Steven writes, “Not only are people happier in the presence of animals, they’re also healthier. In a survey of pet owners, 74% of pet owners reported mental health improvements from pet ownership, and 75% of pet owners reported a friend’s or family member’s mental health has improved from pet ownership.”
In closing, pets are are much like humans. We all have emotions. Humans have the capacity to reach out and help one another. Why would it be hard to believe that animals, especially our pets could do the same? They are around us as a companion for the majority of their lives. It’s very possible that they become and are in tune with us and our emotions. With that said, others including myself believe that pets are a great source of therapy for mental and physical health. They aren’t the only form of therapy and shouldn’t be thought of as the end all be all. But, if you have the option and permission from your doctor, maybe you could give animal therapy a try.
WORKS CITED
Bowin, Marie. Beth, Ph.D . “Effect of Canines on Humans’ Physiological and Perceived Stress.” Walden Dissertations And Doctoral Studies, 18 Aug 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7368/
Boyle, Mathew, Md, Coo. “Benefits of Pets for Anxiety and Depression.” THRIVE GLOBAL, 7 May, 2019. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/benefits-of-pets-for-anxiety-and- depression/
Cole, Linda. “How Pets Help People With Chronic Pain.” CANIDAE, 16 Nov. 2015. https:// www.canidae.com/blog/2015/11/how-pets-help-people-with-chronic-pain/
Doherty, Colleen, Md. “How Animal-Assisted Therapy May Soothe Your Pain.” Very Well Health. 28 Feb. 2018. https://www.verywellhealth.com/animal-assisted-therapy-for-easing-pain-4126812
Feldman, Steven. “Alleviating Anxiety, Stress and Depression with the Pet Effect.” Anxiety Depression Association of America, 1 Nov. 2018. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from- the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/alleviating-anxiety-stress-and-depression-pet
Richeimer, Steven, MD. ” Healing Power of Man’s Best Friend-and Cats, too/ Pets Can Be Powerful Medicine.” SpineUniverse. 13 Dec. 2018. https://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/pain-management/healing-power-man-s-best-friend-cats-toopets-can-powerful-medicine
Unchapher, Shari, MSW, LISW-S. “Pets and Mental Health: HowFurry Friends Can Impact Your Child’s Life.” Nationwide Children’s. 16 July, 2018. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2019/07/pets-and-mental-health
