How to Know When You Need an Emotional Support Animal

At various stages in life, it is not unusual to feel as if no one understands you. Including disability and mental health issues, some situations in life can drive you into isolation, stress, or even depression. They can affect your mental health so heavily that your overall quality of life ends up on the receiving end. While this is more common among people in the twenties, fifties, and eighties, pretty much anyone with certain psychiatric issues can experience it. Emotional support animals are often incorporated in treatment for such individuals. When you think about emotional support animals, different types of golden retrievers probably comes to mind. It will not be surprising though as they are one of the most popular emotional support dogs for people with disability, as they are gentle, and attentive to their owners. Whether you have a mental health-related disability or illness, an emotional support dog, cat, or bird can be recommended by your doctor as part of your treatment. 

At times, you may feel that you need such an animal for comfort and companionship, which may provide healing or improve your quality of life. But how exactly do you know you need one? Here are a few tips on how to know you need an emotional support animal.

1. You Have a Mental Health Issue 

For starters, you just don’t wake up one day and decide to get an emotional support animal. In the US, ESAs are pretty much treated like service animals or even better. Unlike the case with pets, this means that the animal can be allowed access to all public places and amenities you legally visit, without limitations, extra fees, or penalties. In line with CertaPet’s article about the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), emotional support animals are not the same as service animals. Rather, they are used as part of a treatment plan for certain mental health issues where companionship and affection can help provide some form of relief and healing. 

After all, you need to have a medical condition that warrants the issuance of an ESA letter. The ESA letter is typically what shows that your animal is an ESA. In this case, a medical diagnosis for mental disability or illness can tell you that you need a support animal. You can also check out the National Service Animal Registry for information and services regarding registration of emotional support animals.

2. You Have Depression or PTSD Symptoms 

More often than not, depression is hard to catch on your own. The same case applies to post-traumatic disorder. But these mental health issues are real killers of mood, positivity, and healthy living. In most cases, people with PTSD will experience:

• Mood problems
• Irritability
• Frequent flashbacks of the traumatic event
• Nightmares related to the event
• Headaches
• Bouts of absentmindedness

Emotional support animals can help recondition your mind and pump positive energy into you. They are natural stress relievers and can help reduce some of these symptoms. If you’re experiencing them, you may need to talk to a psychotherapist about your options, including getting an emotional support animal.

3. You Show Signs of OCD 

Short for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD signs can indicate the need for an emotional support animal. Most people with OCD show signs such as an obsession for keeping things organized, clean, and orderly. Some will be constantly worried in excess about their loved ones, checking on them all the time. Others are obsessed about the locks, switches, and other little things critical in guaranteeing their security. If you show such signs, it could be an indication that you need an ESA. However, this mostly comes after medical treatment for the condition, so you don’t revert back to the obsessive state.

4. Your Mind Is Aging 

As they get older, some people experience a decline in their mental capabilities. This is known as cognitive decline, where memory may become less effective, and concentrating on mental tasks gradually turns into a nightmare. Some people naturally find it harder to control their emotions in their prime years. If you experience these or more symptoms, you could be suffering from age-related cognitive decline, which is a common path for many people. Your physician may approve an ESA letter for you if you are getting older and experiencing such symptoms.

5. Bouts of Extreme Loneliness 

Having a mental health illness or disability is one thing, but recovering and coping is an entirely different thing without a reliable social support system. Even if your loved ones are there to support you, they may not always be around to comfort and console you. Some of them may not even understand your concerns and challenges. If you have a reliable support system and still feel extremely lonely sometimes, you may need emotional support from an animal friend. One thing with animals is that they will never abandon you or go behind your back. Once they are loyal, it remains so until the end. 

Mental health issues are no joke. Sometimes they are accompanied or related to physical health issues and disabilities. Especially for the latter, an ESA can help comfort and console you while keeping you company. They can help improve your life in more ways than you can imagine. The mentioned points are just a few of the various ways you can tell you need emotional help from your favorite animal.