Animal-Assisted Therapy: The Benefits Of Pet Therapy

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Suffering from severe depression with constant dark thoughts and no interest in life was how Gabriel felt back in 2013. With no motivation to leave the house and consistent suicidal thoughts, he was at a very low point in his life. During this difficult time, Gabriel started taking care of a puppy named Nick that was put up for adoption. The puppy was so weak when he was born that he almost died, and Gabriel knew he had to do something to help. As soon as he saw Nick, his heart instantly filled with joy and he knew he had to put his problems aside to help the ailing dog. “Having Nick around every day was slowly curing me of my depression. I thought I was saving his life, but he ended up saving mine instead,” says Gabriel. He became so focused …show more content…

Disorders such as depression can lead to low levels of energy and lack of motivation. Depression affects about 19 million Americans, or about 9.5% of the population. At some point in an individual’s life, it is estimated that 5%-10% of men and 10%-25% of women will become clinically depressed (“All About”). Although medication has been a common remedy to help treat depression, a more natural approach is the use of pet therapy. Pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy, is most commonly seen in dogs. Other animals are utilized such as cats, dolphins, horses, and rabbits (“Therapy Animal”). Pet therapy, when seen in dogs, consists of service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support dogs. These three types of pet therapy dogs all serve different purposes but share a common goal in helping the life of their patient or …show more content…

The day she returned from inpatient therapy for depression, her dog cuddled with her and licked her tears away. Science has confirmed that pet therapy impacts people physically, mentally, and socially (Becker). In addition, it has proven effective in helping mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as helping those with autism and dementia. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to mental illness and other disabilities. It is common for the handlers of a dog to face a large amount of scrutiny from others. People may be concerned with the individual's psychological stability as well as have doubts about the person's need for assistance from dog or an inability to accept those that are different (“Please Don’t Pet

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