Pets have been proven to have a positive influence on our physical and mental health. Owning a pet can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. But research has found that pets are also therapeutic for people with mood and anxiety disorders and other psychiatric disorders.
Pet ownership provides many mental health benefits:
- Pets can help ease loneliness or isolation. They accept us for who we are and don't judge us.
- Physical contact is important to our mental health. Stroking and cuddling with a pet is therapeutic.
- Animals improve our mood with their companionship. We're also likely to laugh and feel more playful when we share our home with a pet.
- Pet owners are more active. The exercise we get from walking, feeding and grooming a pet keeps our minds healthy.
- Routine is beneficial in enhancing emotional stability. Caring for a pet provides a predictable routine and link to reality.
Your dog can be a valuable part
of your support system
of your support system
Learn how to incorporate your dog into your recovery process with tips from Support Partners: Canine Companions. This new program, sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and the Psychiatric Service Dog Society offers a brochure with information about the benefits of dogs and easy, practical ways pet owners can immediately work with their dogs to include them in their support network.
The Canine Companions program is part of Support Partners, a national educational campaign co-sponsored by the National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) that aims to open the lines of communication about depression and encourages a support-team approach to overcoming depression.
Visit Support Partners for free guidebooks on including your dog as part of your support team and other topics about depression.
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