Companion animals are a common term for emotional support animals. They provide their owners with comfort, security, and devotion. Emotional support animals (ESAs) are therapy animals that can help stressed, anxious, or depressed people. Certified Emotional support animals (ESAs) may accompany their owners to school, work, travel, or social situations.
What Are Service Animals, Exactly?
Service animals are animals that are permitted to accompany their owners to any location, including healthcare institutions, doctor’s offices, and patient rooms. Service dogs can help their owners navigate and support them with daily tasks, providing them independence. Some of the tasks service animals can perform are:
- Guiding people with visual impairments.
- Sending signals to individuals who are deaf or have hearing problems.
- Retrieving objects for those with limited mobility.
- Notifying people when they are in danger, such as when they are having cardiac episodes or seizures.
- The service dog’s companionship might boost an owner’s self-esteem and motivation for self-improvement.
How to Acquire an Emotional Support Animal?
A medical referral obtains an emotional support animal from a health practitioner who can give an ESA letter as proof of their suggestion. An ESA letter is necessary to show that a person is under the care of a health practitioner and has been diagnosed with the condition that would benefit from the assistance of an ESA. It’s helpful to have the letter on a doctor’s letterhead with their contact information to prove the letter’s credibility.
Benefits of Emotional Support Animal and Service Animals
Emotional support animals and service dogs provide numerous advantages. They can influence both physiology and mood. They can, for example, lower blood pressure and other arousal and stress-related signs. Besides, emotional support animal serves as social icebreakers. These advantages may be amplified if the animal has a personal link to the human or if an ESA is used in conjunction with other forms of therapy.
Mental Illnesses with the assistance of an Emotional Support Animal
Emotional Support Animal and service animals can help individuals coping with issues related to mental health such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Situation-specific phobias, including social phobia or fear of flying
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Grief
- Substance use
- Acute or chronic stress
In addition, ESAs, in particular, aid in the treatment of tension, anxiety, and poor mood, all of which are frequent symptoms of mental illness. Speak with your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms and are unsure if you qualify for an emotional support animal.
Look for pet-friendly Facility at Mallard Lake Detox Center.
At Mallard Lake Detox Center, based in Houston, Texas, we believe having an emotional support animal, and service animal is an option that goes well with other treatment options for addiction recovery. If you or someone you care about has a drug or alcohol addiction as well as a mental illness, we’re here to assist you. To discover more about how we may help you or a loved one overcome addiction, contact our online team of experts today.
