People who have pets at home will have a clear understanding of the bond that easily forms between an animal and a human. Since a very long time, animals have been used in helping disabled individuals with their daily tasks. People with emotional and mental health problems like PTSD, depression, and anxiety are now found making the effective use of emotional support animals. So, are emotional support animals legitimate heroes or glorified pets? Let us have a look below.
Relieving Depression in the Company of an Emotional Support Animal
Emotional support animals are of good help to individuals suffering from depression. There are a number of ways in which they can provide support. You can enjoy 24/7 company of emotional support animal by getting an ESA letter from a certified therapist. The ways they help you get rid of stress are as follows:
- Better Physical Health: Physical wellness is something that has a major impact on the emotional well being of an individual. The act of taking care of an emotional support animal like a dog helps in decreasing blood pressure. The ownership of an emotional support animal is also correlated with low levels of triglyceride.
- Improved Physical Activity: Experts are of the belief that there is a very strong connection between having an emotional support animal and reduced instances of heart diseases. Walking and soothing an emotional support animal increases the physical activity of an individual. This results in an increase in the feel-good hormones within the body. This further helps in creating a less stressful environment thus decreasing the depressive symptoms of an individual.
- Sense of Purpose and Meaning: Depression can result in a sense of insignificance and feeling of aloofness. Emotional support animals go a long way in making the difference between experiencing love and feeling alone. There is a sense of purpose offered in knowing that there is a pet depending on you for love and food.
- Emotional Support at Its Best: People who are the owners of emotional support animals are more loyal and happier than the ones who do not have them. These animals offer a sense of love and assurance making the owners feel good about themselves.
- Improved Mental Energy: A perfect session with an emotional support animal offers depressed individuals with improved mental energy. This results in serotonin release which is a chemical that maintains mood balance.
- Social Interaction is Encouraged: Having an emotional support animal helps people with a poor self-image in building better self-esteem simply by having proper social interaction.
- Soothing Presence: It has been proved through research that watching an emotional support animal lowers muscle tension and blood pressure which ultimately helps in relieving depression.
The Bottom Line
Thus, it can rightly be said that having an emotional support animal at home is really beneficial in doing away with depression. But, in order to acquire such animals legally, it is important for you to have an ESA letter from a therapist.