Today's post is going to be short. I missed last week because things have been crazy, and this week, to be honest, I'm having a really hard week. My meds are working, but I'm deep in circumstantial depression and while it's not as bad as the chemical, it's a very close call.
As such, I want to talk about the import of animals to the overwhelming majority of people who suffer from depression.
I am actually not one of those people who believes that animals in general have high levels of recognition that "their human" is feeling badly, and therefore they need to provide comfort. Nor is this a highly scientific article on the benefits of pet ownership for the mentally ill. All I want to talk about here is how I, personally, am one hundred percent certain that the positive benefits from animal ownership are often lifesavers in the case of depression and anxiety.
To be clear: I am not speaking of trained therapy animals. I am speaking of your every day rescue.
I am alive because of my rabbits. I am alive because they are high-maintenance, and they might not even necessarily love me, but they need me. And that's the core issue. Animals need us. And for people who suffer with not feeling worthwhile or necessary, having that one being who absolutely thinks you are? Essential.
And yes, there are other benefits. For most people, pets make them laugh. Laughter is hard to come by when depressed, but pets are one of the few things that can generally cause it. If the pet is a dog, it tends to force the depressed person out of her house and to physically move, both of which are beneficial to working one's way toward a semblance of functionality.
Pets will not make everything better. But they will, almost always, provide significant aid in a number of areas and be something to focus on at the worst of times.
The person you know who has depression--or yourself--not a dog or cat person? Okay. Some other options are: guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice, iguanas, geckos, frogs/toads, fish, snakes, birds, even farm animals, like pigs, horses, or goats. Obviously those last three require the ability and space to care for them, but my point is, not even this is an exhaustive list. There is an animal for just about anyone, it's simply a matter of finding that animal.
Whether the animal works as a calming device--fish often work this way-- a comfort source, something to laugh at, something to make a person more active, or just a reason why the person has to get out of bed, pets aren't magic, but they really do come very very close.
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