7 Facts that May Make a Pet Right for Your Disability
The positive impact that a pet can have on the lives of their human partners with disabilities and mental health challenges cannot be overstated! Pet owners report feeling less lonely because of the presence of their pets. At the same time, they are less stressed because having a pet offers you the opportunity to get out of your house and meet new people. Pets make you more sociable and social support is very important for one's mental health.
1. Service Dogs Prevent Injuries
With thorough and appropriate training, dogs can perform a wide variety of crucial tasks for people with disabilities that keep them safer. People who suffer from epilepsy can benefit from a service dog that can detect the onset of seizures and alert the owner so that they can prepare for what follows. People with balance challenges rely on their furry companions for stability. Service animals help deaf and blind people successfully navigate hearing and seeing the world. The list goes on but the goal, first and foremost, is to adhere to their training and take good care of their owner.
2. Clever Canines Enhance Independence
Service and therapy animals provide countless physical but emotional benefits. As they perform essential tasks for disabled individuals, they open up new opportunities for independence. Removing the need to consistently rely on other people can also alleviate negative feelings and emotions, anxiety, and depression. Imagine that the duties that a family member performs—opening the door, retrieving a dropped item, etc.—are transferred to a service animal. This offers the person with a disability the autonomy they are seeking.
3. Fish Tanks Are Relaxing
Many people think about a cat or a dog when they imagine pets. However, there are many other species that can be an asset to people with disabilities and the community at large. You have surely gone to the dentist. Many of them have fish tanks in the waiting room, but have you ever wondered why? It is not to decorate the room, as some might think. It is because watching at a fish tank is relaxing and it relieves your anxiety, underlines a college paper writing service. Research has shown that watching a fish tank for at least 30 minutes a day slows your heart rate, helps you relax, and makes you less tense. At the same time, taking care of a fish is simpler that other animals.
4. Therapy Animals Have Been a Thing for a Long Time
If you think that this thing with therapy animals is something new to the market, you should know that the first therapy dog was in World War II. Since then, therapy animals are used to help people with disabilities and mental health issues recover. Because they have such a long history, they are better and better trained to be worthy and successful companions for those who need them.
5. Pets Improve Your Mental Health
Whether disability and mental health disorders intersect or not, the mere interaction with animals can have a marked effect on overall wellness. Studies show that pets improve the mental health of their owners. They are known to reduce the body's production of cortisol, the primary stress hormone, which makes people feel more relaxed and at peace. Just petting a dog can reduce the risk of a stroke. At the same time, pets are great companions that can dispel feelings of loneliness.
6. Animals Help You Learn Better
Whether it's a hermit crab or a chinchilla, animals have been shown to stimulate learning. Some teachers rely on a classroom pet to invigorate creative writing assignments, bring a math problem to life and teach overall responsibility.
For students with learning disabilities, attention deficit, obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxieties, the presence of a pet both lowers stress level and opens the mind to new ideas and learning. In addition, the tactile stimulation of stroking or brushing a pet can help children with physical and developmental disabilities develop their fine motor skills. According to Learning Disability Today, "Encouraging nonverbal children to read to a therapy animal can often be more effective than interacting with trained speech therapists and reading coaches, allowing the child to exercise their free will in a situation free of judgment or expectation."
7. They Calm You
Enduring panic attacks is not pleasant at all and finding ways to cope with it can be difficult. There are many breathing exercises to address this condition, but pets are known to help too. Using their keen sense of smell and ability to read body language, both dogs and cats sense when you do not feel well and, depending on the characteristics of their breed and personality, they can help you. If you have heard about deep pressure therapy, you know the drill. Both cats and dogs will stay on you to calm you down. Cats usually start purring and those lower vibrations have a soothing effect.
Pets come with many benefits for those who own them, especially for people with disabilities. They help you relax, learn better, prevent injuries, and help you become more independent. Pets come with more positive emotions, so ask yourself, could one be right for you?
Author: John Peterson
Date: January 5, 2022
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