By Farheen Amna Fareed
Islamabad (TP) August 03: As depression and stress is increasing and becoming more prevalent in society, the same can be treated by having pets at home under a new concept called emotional support animal (ESA). Animals an pets including dogs, cats have the natural capability and aptitude to be effective stress relievers.
Depression has many types and forms and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is considered the brutal one. According to different studies, emotional support animal is a must for a person suffering from the PTSD and he/she can get this with the help of pets.
Sometimes treatment of a mental condition becomes quite complex and a bit slow and in such a situation, the easiest and the best solution is to have pets in your lap instead of interacting with humans.
Animals have the innate ability to change the thoughts of a person’s brain. They can easily divert a person’s mind from traumatic and depressing thoughts. Animals and pets help people in many ways to cope with stressful situations.
According to a research report by the University of Buffalo, people were asked to solve a mental arithmetic task in two situations in front of their pets and spouses. Researchers noticed that the participants showed little sign of an increase in their blood pressure level when they were with animals as compared to the other way round.
According to an observation, watching a fish right before going to a dental clinic can help patients overcome their stress about dental procedures. According to a research done by Dr Beck, emotional support animals improve relationships and owners are less likely to feel lonely and they feel more relaxed with fewer signs of blood pressure when they are with the pets.
Anyone can easily acquire legitimate emotional support of animals through ESA Letter and that is the reason more and more people are showing interest in emotional support animals for therapy.
Why people are so much interested in ESA as therapy?
The answer is very simple. Trained pets and animals are very helpful to overcome stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar, different psychological disorders and mental disabilities. These animals are generally dogs and cats but they can be horses, fish, toy-size pigs and even hamsters etc.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a terrifying mental health condition in which your mental health becomes badly affected owing to some emotional traumatic happenings such as a break-up, separation or death of a loved one or divorce etc and in such a situation flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about past events, are common symptoms.
While suffering from the PTSD, the emotional condition of a person becomes very weak which can lead to suicides but if one has some emotional support such as a pet then he/ she can easily return to the routine of a normal life.
As we all know mental health is very important for physical health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no health without mental health and for a healthy mind, emotional support is one of the key points.
According to a rough survey, 81.5 million people in the US suffer from depression, anxiety or PTSD.
ESA letter
The Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter is a legal piece of paper which allows you to get emotional support from pets legally but you cannot get it easily or without the prescription of a qualified professional in mental health, or a doctor, a therapist, a rehabilitation counsellor or a psychiatrist.
Before applying for the ESA, you must be under the observation of a licenced professional. Your doctor\therapist will have to write a proper letter declaring that the condition of the patient falls under the definition of disability under the American with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 193, and the Fair Housing Act.
He\she will also describe the detailed condition of a patient and declare that as a result of mental illness, the patient has some limitations vis-à-vis depression, stress, PTSD, anxiety, social interaction, phobias, personality disorder or mental disability.
A mental health practitioner will also approve a prescription about the ESA Letter to help overcome a patient’s disability or mental condition.
Your doctor or therapist will also declare and recommend that the patient needs emotional support from animals.
So in your circle of family members, relatives, friends and acquaintances, if anyone is having stress, anxiety or any other mental disorder, you can advise them to use ESA to cope with such a condition as pets and animals make you calmer and happier and they will fight the depression for them. (thanks the punch)
