People who adore animals will be quick to tell you how much joy and unconditional love they receive on a daily basis from their furry pals. This feel-good-combo can warm even the toughest person’s heart.
It’s for these reasons that mental health professionals are now also acknowledging those emotions, and the consequential endorphins they release, to help people who suffer from mental health issues.
Renowned psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, wasn’t a stranger to this type of therapy and would often include his pet Chow (Jofi) in his therapy sessions with his patients.
Freud was obviously steps ahead of us when he used Jofi, but other mental health professionals are now realizing what this doctor witnessed; pets are good for people!
In this post we are going to cover the past and present of using ESA’s, the mental health benefits they provide, who these ESA’s can help and some interesting facts you will want to know if you plan on getting an emotional support animal of your own.
Ready to qualify for an emotional support animal? Complete the questionnaire in the link below to get started.
The Past and the Present of Emotional Support Animals
Dr. Freud wasn’t the only professional that used a therapy animal with his patients. According to Healthy Pets, it was actually a psychologist by the name of Boris Levinson that observed the way his dog (Jingles) could reach an autistic child when no other human could. Levinson may have discovered this technique by accident in the 50’s, but it has gone on to be a drug-free way to help those with mild to severe mental disabilities.
One organization that stands out and has become a leader of Animal Assisted Therapy is the Delta Society. Based in Australia with approximately 1,000 volunteers, Delta’s AAT program has helped over 20.000 people in hospitals, senior homes, and mental health units. And it’s not just dogs that get called-to-duty, this organization uses llamas, rabbits, horses, pigs, rabbits and even the occasional snake to bring comfort to those in need.
Emotional support animals have been around for decades, but there has been an increase in awareness in the last few years.
Mental Health Benefits of an Emotional Support Animal
Studies show that emotional support animals can provide a comforting presence to handlers that suffer from a variety of mental health issues. As the benefits of using ESA’s grow, doctors are now expanding their patients to include those that suffer from;
- PTSD
- Mild to severe anxiety
- Agoraphobia (fear of being outside of the home)
- Aerophobia (fear of flying)
- Depression
- General Anxiety Disorder
- Stress-induced situations
- Social shyness
If you or a loved one suffers from a mental disability, doctors are noting vast improvements with their patients in the following areas with the aid of an emotional support animal;
- Increase in being social
- A boost in their self-esteem
- Patients feel more safe and comforted
- More motivation
- A decrease in the symptoms of the diagnosed illness
- An increased sense of purpose
Emotional support animals can provide mental and physical health benefits. Having a pet decreases levels of stress and increases levels of oxytocin.
Other Health Benefits of an ESA
Mental disabilities are not the only area emotional support animals are being used in. People residing in nursing homes are more active when there’s an animal involved in their daily routine which has also led to a decrease in their medications.
Other scientifically proven benefits of having an ESA is the heart rates of patients has been decreased and a flood of the feel-good hormone (oxytocin) is being released.
In addition, according to the Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work there has been an 82% reduction in the symptoms of PTSD (and other trauma-related issues) after just one week of having an emotional support animal.
Getting an ESA letter doesn’t have to be an ordeal. You can talk to your current therapist or connect with one online.
Procedure for Getting an ESA
Steps to getting an ESA letter:
- Determine if an ESA would be beneficial to your mental health
- Make sure that your pet is well behaved
- Connect with a licensed therapist IRL or online
- Have your therapist write an ESA letter on your behalf on their letterhead
If you believe you would benefit from having an emotional support animal, then your first step is to have a mental health professional assess your need for an ESA. Once you have seen a doctor and are under his/her professional care, he/she will then have to fill out the appropriate paperwork for you to present to your landlord or airline. If you do not have access to a therapist in the real world, you may use a legitimate ESA letter service such as ESA Doctors that works with licensed mental health professionals all across the country.
Emotional Support Animals Are Good for ALL People
Have you ever been having a really bad day and your dog will come over and lay his head on your lap? Some animal behaviorists suggest this submissive gesture is your pet’s way of showing empathy.
Animals tune into our moods by our body language, tone of voice and actions. It’s for these reasons (and more) that emotional support animals are being used to help out those that truly need it, and for those of us that just want the unconditional love and benefits a loving pet provides
If you feel you or a family member may benefit from an ESA, get in touch with your doctor/therapist or find a legitimate online ESA referral service to check for eligibility and to get the process started.
Qualify for an emotional support animal today
Get the Love and Support you deserve
Melinda: The intent of the federal regulation regarding emotional support animals is that a person has a right to have a pet live with them as an emotional support animal (ESA) if they have the proper documentation from a health or mental health provider who has recently or is currently providing care for the person. The abuse of this right is when persons get documentation from someone who has not or is not providing proper care, such as websites and so forth. Care provider means that the licensed provider has seen the individual recently and completed thorough and appropriate assessment sufficient to provide a diagnosis, and based on that diagnosis can write a letter supporting how the patient or client, based on their condition, may benefit from an ESA. Websites who provide documentation for an ESA are more than likely violating the intent of the law, since the website staff are not satisfying the idea of proper provider care, that is, proper assessment and diagnosis. Because of the increasing frequency of websites improperly providing ESA letters, many disability accommodation offices on college campuses are refusing to honor letters provided by websites, and in instead, requiring the documentation must come from a licensed health or mental health provider from a local community, that is, from the community where the person has recently lived or is currently living. I believe this to be the proper approach. I believe a person must be required to obtain documentation recommending an ESA from a licensed health or mental health provider whom the person as seen in their local community, or in a community where the person has recently resided. And, since diagnosis can change across time, the documentation should be obtained fairly recently, within 12 months, and renewed every year. But, that is my professional recommendation and is not an existing law or regulation.
We agree, the laws are clear on this: an ESA letter must come from a licensed healthcare professional that has evaluated the tenant. That is why we match clients with professionals licensed for their state.
we should treat animals good and not hurt them
hope people understand that
Its great that people are finally seeing the incredible benefits that animals have on humans. like Bonnie said, some people even need them in grocery stores. i hope that one day ESAs can be granted full access to public places like service dogs. :)
I suffer from depression and Anxiety and Anxiety attacks . I adopted a Chihuahua she is 9 and she is so clam she keeps me calm I am using her for an ESA my pains in my chest are not as much and yes all my anxiety attacks were in grocery stores I all most past out at one point and when you have them you don’t feel like your breathing you don’t know were you are and every thing looks fussy . John yes I need mine in a grocery store but in a restaurants no but if I did I would take her in I am sorry that you feel this way but some of us do need our ESA with us they keep us calm .
any way my ESA dog has helped me in so many way my right shoulder use to be tight all the time and now it is not and I use to wake up with migraines and now it’s great I don’t as often and my chest pains are not as often as they were . My husband has no test a big deference in on how calm I am so having a ESA is a good thing .
Great that people find benefits from emotional support animals but don’t bring them to restaurants or grocery stores. They are not allowed!! Unless it’s a Service Animal— which is a highly trained animal— it is not allowed. Please stop bringing these animals to places they don’t belong and pretending that you have a service animal. It is disrespectful to those who truly need one.
Amen and thank you for bringing this up as it needs to be said.
[…] the famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud used his dog, Jofi, in his therapy sessions. But why? What is it that makes dogs so great at soothing […]
I’m glad that you talked about how emotional support animals can be a tremendous help to mental health because of safety and comfort that they provide the patients. My friend has been struggling with depression for years, and I think that having an emotional support pet can greatly help her. It’s good you mentioned that emotional support animals can help boost the patient’s self-esteem and decrease the symptoms of the illness. I’ll share this information with my friend’s family so they’ll consider getting her an emotional support pet. Thanks for the advice!