The cute animal videos on your social media feeds might make you wonder if you’d enjoy life more with a pet. Companions like dogs and cats make their owners’ lives more fulfilling in more ways than one. Read about how pets can help with anxiety and depression to better understand how bringing an animal home could improve your well-being.
How Pets Can Help With Anxiety
Anxiety affects people around the world. It’s impossible to get through life without at least some anxious feelings, but your future pet could make dealing with them easier. Here are a few ways pets can help with anxiety.
They Help People Relax
Researchers found that people decreased their stress levels significantly when experiencing their daily routines with their dogs. They were able to relax more easily with their pups. Having any kind of animal companion could provide the same anti-anxiety relaxation effect because you’ll find comfort in their routine.
They Give You a Grounding Tool
Anxiety sometimes makes people feel less connected with their bodies. Your pounding heart rate and racing breaths are challenging to control, but grounding tools make it easier.
You’ll engage your senses and calm down by petting your furry best friend. When you’re feeling more anxious, give them some love, and you’ll slowly feel less anxious while focusing on the texture of their fur or the movement of your hand.
They Remind You of Your Capabilities
People don’t wake up one morning and know exactly how to care for a future pet. It’s something you learn with time. If you bring a pet into your home, you’ll prove you can learn how to keep them alive and healthy. It’ll boost your confidence so you feel prepared to handle anything, which takes the power out of many anxiety sources.
How Pets Can Help With Depression
Anyone who struggles with depression could find relief by getting a pet. These are the primary benefits for pet owners who live with depressive conditions.
They Prevent Feelings of Loneliness
It’s much easier to lose yourself in depressive episodes when you’re alone with your heavy feelings. Although your pet won’t be able to change the brain chemistry influencing your depression, they’ll make you feel less lonely. It’s one of the many reasons that 66% of U.S. households have canine companions and other animals.
They Motivate People to Keep Moving
Depression sometimes makes people feel stuck in bed all day. Just getting up to use the restroom might feel exhausting when your depression controls how you feel about taking care of yourself.
If you have a pet, they’ll still need you during those tough times. This motivates people to get up and attend to their pet’s needs. Once you’re moving, you might find it easier to care for yourself, too.
Things to Consider Before Getting a Pet
While pets can help with anxiety and depression, it’s important to ensure your home is a good fit for them. Ask yourself these important questions before starting your search for your furry best friend.
Is Your Mental Health Stable Enough to Care for Them Daily?
Consider how often your depression or anxiety prevents you from taking care of yourself. Does it make getting out of bed difficult or keep you so busy that you don’t notice the day flying by?
Your future pet will need your care even during those moments. If there’s a good chance your mental health will make it difficult to feed your pet or take them outside to relieve themselves, you might need other forms of support before you can provide stable care to an animal long-term.
Are You Ready for a Long-Term Commitment?
Pets aren’t a short-term commitment. Even hamsters and fish live for years when cared for well. It might seem like having an animal companion will make life more enjoyable, but will you still feel prepared to care for them in five, 10 or 15 years?
No one can predict their mental health that far in advance, but your life goals may be easier to picture. Consider if you plan on enrolling in college, joining the military, traveling for a living or downsizing to an apartment without a yard. Pets need stability. Rehoming them can be traumatic, so take a hard look at your long-term plans before getting an animal companion.
Can You Afford Their Routine Expenses?
Living beings always have some living expenses. Dogs and cats may require monthly medication in addition to their daily food. Recurring vet visits, grooming appointments and vaccinations add up even if you never need to board them.
Small animals cost money, too. You’ll need to replace your guinea pig’s bedding regularly and take your bird to a small animal veterinarian when they’re sick.
Pets can help with anxiety and depression, but they shouldn’t cause additional financial strain. Research the pet you have in mind to estimate how much you’ll spend on them per month. If it would cost too much right now, you can always revisit the idea if your wages increase with a new job or a raise.
Are You Trying to Heal Your Mental Health With Just Your Pet?
Although pets can help with anxiety and depression, they aren’t among the top solutions for people in need. You shouldn’t get an animal and expect them to fix your mental health. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may need to start your journey to a better life with a doctor’s appointment.
Your primary care physician can discuss medical treatments that might improve your mental health more effectively in the short term. If you and your clinician determine that an Emotional Support Animal could be an appropriate adjunct to care, you can explore a legitimate evaluation and documentation pathway through CertaPet’s ESA letter consultation with licensed therapists, which includes screening, a licensed assessment, and compliant ESA letters when clinically indicated. Therapy could also make long-term healing more achievable. When you’re in the best place to care for an animal with your time, energy and financial resources, a pet may be a great addition to your life. You just can’t expect them to resolve your mental health conditions alone.
Consider Finding a Companion Animal
People often discover that pets can help with anxiety and depression. They make it easier to defeat loneliness, produce more happiness hormones in the brain and build self-confidence. If you feel like you’re in a good place to care for them daily and cover their recurring expenses, finding an animal companion might make your life more enjoyable.
Author Bio
Jack Shaw is a senior writer and editor at Modded, where he passionately explores the intricate connections between physical health, mental well-being, and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for crafting engaging content, Jack’s articles offer valuable insights into living a balanced and fulfilling life.
