Mental illness affects many people all over the world, but what about man’s best friend? In her Ted Talk “Depressed Dogs, Cats with OCD - What Animal Madness Means to Us Humans”, Laurel Baitman explores the mental illnesses in animals, focusing on the similarities between humans and animals. Baitman, who has a Ph.D. in History of Science from MIT, discovered that animals have symptoms of mental illnesses, similar to humans, by looking at the behavior of her dog, Oliver. I agree with Baitman’s claim that animals have mental illnesses, as well as humans. Understanding these signs can help humans understand themselves and become closer to animals. Mental illnesses in animals can be diagnosed through therapists and physicians, but there is no manual …show more content…
The pharmaceutical industry is an example of this, as medications were first tested on animals for toxicity and behavioral effects. Today, we are giving these drugs to animals as patients, but in more ethical ways. The field of exploring medical advancements for animals is growing, not only in medications, but also in psychotherapy. Medications can benefit both humans and animals, and even though animal testing is unethical and inhumane, it paved the way for medications used today to help the effects of mental illnesses. Baitman touches on helping social animals, like therapy dogs or service animals, which is essential for helping them through their struggles, which could also be tied to therapy animals for humans. Braitman views animals as individuals experiencing their lives and moods, empathizing with their emotions and experiences. I feel that the argument that Baitmain made on her views of animals having mental illnesses and that learning from man's best friend could benefit humans is very important in not just the past but also in present …show more content…
For example, a bird who keeps pulling out their feathers could be known as compulsion or self-harm. In a way, this study of observing behaviors can be tied back to psychotherapy for diagnosing human patients. How we observe the behaviors of animals today, is also how we diagnosed mental illnesses in the 1920s, according to Baitman. Famous psychologists like B.F. Skinner and Sigmund Freud are some psychologists who observed some animal behaviors. An online blog post by Daniel Marston, takes us back to the past relating to animals and human psychology by showing psychologists like “Sigmund Freud famously did a lot of work on describing how understanding animal behavior could help us understand human psychology” and “B.F. Skinner is famous for developing another very prominent branch of psychotherapy called “behavior therapy”. I feel that this is important to add to Baitman’s argument because these two men, along with many others, are the founding fathers of psychology and can show her audience that the idea of animals having mental illnesses isn't a present-day problem but a problem that has been around for
Throughout history and into the present time, the topic and practice of animal experimentation/testing has been highly debated. Many people are for experimenting on animals, as it benefits the lives of humans, while others argue that testing on animals should be gotten rid of, with alternatives put in place. In this essay, my aim is to lay out the argument made by Robert Taylor in his article, “Testing drugs on animals: a test case for socially responsible investment”, argues as to why animal testing is beneficial and why companies engaged in testing and why investors in these companies should not be at fault, while then following up with my own counter argument as a response. Consequently, my plan in this essay is to lay out Taylor’s paper,
A couple of emotional problems have been tested by researchers in 2011. This study was known as the Applied Animal Behaviour Science. This was the first quantitative data made about puppy mill dogs. The research was done on more than 1,100 dogs who had averagely had a new home for about two years. The research showed “The dogs were found to have s...
The article provides specific examples of illnesses and diseases which have been cured by animal testing that both humans and animals have benefitted. This supports my topic of animal experiments being used for medical advancements. Pointing out that law often requires that products be tested before being sold to the public, George and Wagner additionally help prove my claim that product testing is a purpose of animal experimentation.
So where is the middle ground in animals use in psychological research? In summary of all the information mentioned in this paper we are, in a way already at the middle ground. Since the majority of psychological research is conducted for comparative psychological gain, then it is in the best interest of animals to be used in the research. How can the use of animals in research are considered truly cruel to animals if it is in that species best interest. Along with the strict regulations out in place by the APA and the IACUC, I believe that the Rogerian style middle ground is achieved. I fully support the study of animals in psychology.
Dieter Freya, Peter Fischer “Man's Best Friend: How the Presence of a Dog Reduces Mental
Most people are familiar with service dogs and have seen them in action. Animal-assisted therapy is similar service animals in that an animal-human healing partnership is being created. However, the difference is that therapy pets are typically used to treat a mental disability whereas people with physical disabilities use service dogs to help them in many ways. Therapy animals are used in a wide variety of places, such as, hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, therapy sessions, mental healthcare facilities, and even in people’s homes. These amazing animals are used on a wide variety of different disorders, but they are utilized mostly by people suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. For people with these mental health disorders, everything in live can be difficult and challenging, however with the help of animal-assisted therapy, their mood, motivation, and life can dramatically improve. Anyone who hears about these brave, loving animals soon falls in love with them. From a medical standpoint, there have been many successful studies and the support for animal-assisted therapy still continues to grow in doctors and therapists across the nation.
Animal testing has been used for developing and researching cures for medical conditions. For example, the polio vaccine, chemotherapy for cancer, insulin treatment for diabetes, organ transplants and blood transfusions are just some of the important advances that have come from research on animals (“Animal Testing”). Consuming animals for research benefits in developing various treatments and also benefits in discovery better methods for cures. According to the article “Animal Testing”, it says that the underlying rationale for the use of animal testing is that living organisms provide interactive, dynamic systems that scientists can observe and manipulate in order to understand normal and pathological functioning as well as the effectiveness of medical interventions. It relies on the physiological and anatomical similarities between humans and other animals (MacClellan, Joel). Meaning that animals have the same body components and features as humans and is the best thing to research on to better understand the human development. Even though several argue that animal testing is harming the animals, one has to think back to all the benefits that has come from it. There may be a little remorse for endangering animal lives, but realizing how far medicine has come makes it worth the while.
The roots of animal experimentation began in the early 1600s when the world expressed in interests on the functions of animals and their uses in human life. However, it wasn’t until the incident regarding the drug thalidomide in 1960 did the government make it a requirement for drugs be tested on animals. During the incident, millions of women took the medication believing that it would be a source of relieve from morning sickness, not knowing however that it would cause irrevocable effects on their unborn children (Watson 4). Although the ruling seemed to provide a sigh of relief to some, the very idea of placing animals in strange uncomfortable environments and experiencing pain and euthanasia angered many. According to the American Anti-Vivisection Society, commonly known as AAVS, It is wrong to treat animals as objects for the purpose of scientific research, and to cause them pain and suffering (“Animal Research Is Unethical and Scientifically Unnecessary”). Although the arguments against animal experimentation seem credible, animal testing on medicines and products are necessary in order to insure the safety of human beings.
In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.
For many humans, a pet provides unconditional love and affection. Others feel an overwhelming calming, happy feeling when they are around animals. According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, studies have shown that due to these positive emotions that are stirred, the presence of and interaction with animals can lower heart rates and blood pressure. Animals that meet specific training criteria can become an integral part of a treatment process for a variety of psychological and physiological problems.
Millions of animals are used to test consumer products, but they also become victims of experiments for medical research. In The Ethics of Animal Research (2007) both authors state that there have been many medical advances with the development of medicines and treatments as a result of research conducted on animals (para 1). These medical improvements have helped many people be able to enjoy life, but some people still believe that animal research is mean and avoidable .... ... middle of paper ... ...
Animals have held an important spot in many of our lives. Some people look at animals as companions and others see them as a means of experimental research and medical advancement. With the interest to gain knowledge, physicians have dissected animals. The ethics of animal testing have always been questioned because humans do not want to think of animals on the same level as humans. Incapable of our thinking and unable to speak, animals do not deserve to be tested on by products and be conducted in experiments for our scientific improvement. Experimentation on animals is cruel, unfair, and does not have enough beneficial results to consider it essential.
“A dog is a man’s best friend” goes much deeper than the phrase might initially imply. Recently many medical journals have begun to identify with the many and varied benefits of pet ownership. Men have always relied upon animals for work, transportation, and survival. As times have changed, man has begun to appreciate a different bond with animals. Gone are the days of animals running free outside around the homestead, for now animals are allowed inside and are considered by many to be an integral part of our daily lives! Medical studies have found that animals have a much greater intelligence level than originally thought. Through proper training and experience, animals are not only household pets, but also are becoming an accepted form of medical treatment.
Interracial relationships, enhance individuals establishes their consistency between various races. There are given an opportunity to see elegance in different origins. People say that doesn't matter about the outside, what matters have been always on the inside at the end of the day, we are all one and the same. Getting information and recognizing other cultures enhance us. Some people will argue about interracial relationships that they need to arrange with more diverse and a higher total of rejections than “ordinary” couple but I believe that overwhelming these rejections it will help interracial relationships become more developed into a solid balance.
It has long been debated as to whether it is ethical to use animals for experimentation. When considering whether animal research is ethically acceptable or not two main concerns must be raised. The first issue is whether it is absolutely necessary to use animals in order to acquire information that may contribute to the improvement of people’s health and well-being. The second issue is whether the use of animals is defendable on a moral ground.