Dogs Can Provide Help With Mental Health: Here are 3 Examples
There is no denying the fact that animals and humans have a powerful bond, reaching all the way back to the dawn of human civilization. Obviously, that’s no arbitrary fluke; there are many practical ways in which domesticated animals like dogs help people in their daily endeavors. In days of yore, dogs were an essential hunting companion, who helped provide sustenance for any human community. And even in the contemporary high-tech world – dogs still help people with disabilities, like those visually impaired. Here’s a great article on the benefits of owning a dog on dogblog.com.
However, it’s not all about the practical. Apart from that, dogs also have a positive impact on humans when it comes to mental health. Indeed, there is a genuine positive bond between human pet owners and their furry pals, when it comes to the former’s mental state. Most polls suggest that people who own pets view them as far more than mere animals; they think of them as members of their family. And the pets definitely make these people feel better; studies have shown that dog ownership helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and even depression. The companionship that a dog provides is essential to lessening loneliness as well. That’s why we’ve decided to provide you with a few specific examples of how dogs can provide help with mental help!
1. Reducing Stress Levels
As we’ve mentioned above, people who are dog owners suffer from mental issues to a lesser degree than those without a pet by their side. In fact, studies have shown that adopting a dog goes a long way towards helping someone significantly reduce their stress level on a daily basis. Playing with a dog and petting them actually reduces the body’s production of stress-related hormones. And that’s not just a long-term benefit either; these benefits are chemically noticeable only a couple of minutes after interacting with a dog.
On the other hand, spending time with a dog also increases an individual’s levels of dopamine and serotonin. As you may know, these hormones are essential to relaxing and calming one’s nervous system. While people laugh and smile at the silly behaviors of their pets, the body releases “happiness hormones” at a higher pace; further reducing stress.
Other Hormonal Impacts
Apart from this, playing with a dog that’s friendly also significantly reduces one’s cortisol levels; the quintessential stress hormone. On the other hand, interaction with dogs will increase your oxytocin levels; this is also a peptide hormone that will help lower stress levels. This is one of the major reasons why medical professionals consider animal-assisted therapy to be ideal for people with stress-induced chronic problems.
And that’s not all – the tactile action of stroking your dog will directly help with lowering blood pressure. Obviously, lower blood pressure will help with one’s stress levels in a big way. Furthermore, dogs don’t just have a calming biochemical effect on adults. Many studies indicate that aggressive or hyperactive children can be calmed after playing with a dog.
It’s not just about getting people’s attention with a new plaything either. There was a study in which a cohort of stressed adult individuals was given the option of petting a toy, a turtle or a rabbit. All the indicators showed that stroking a toy had no positive psychological effect. On the other hand, playing with real animals did lead to positive changes.
2. Alleviating Childhood Anxiety
Many experiments indicate that children suffering from anxiety can be helped by getting them a pet dog. In fact, a study about pets and people conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has shown the very same results. Almost 650 children took part in the study, and around half were children with dogs in their households. The CDC researchers tracked the kids’ physical activity levels, BMI, and anxiety levels.
In the end, the study showed that the children did not vary a lot in terms of physical activity and BMI in regards to dog ownership. However, they had a wide discrepancy in anxiety levels. More than 20% of all the kids that did not own a pet dog actually suffered from anxiety-related issues. On the other hand, only about 10% of the kids with pet dogs had anxiety problems.
Thus, there’s no doubt about the fact that pets have a positive childhood impact on anxiety and stress. Those that grow up with dogs in early adolescence have a far greater chance of growing into healthy and happy teens. And that’s without even looking at how pets help young children learn about compassion, sharing, and other socially desirable behaviors.
There are numerous ways we can help children alleviate anxiety if it already exists and one of them is to help them develop regular working habits. A calm dog on a leash and 2 walks per day are just enough for a child to feel useful and responsible but with plenty of available resources kids can learn how to take care of their pet – from flea inspection to removing ticks to full dog grooming routine, which will all add up to their day-to-day satisfaction and self-confidence in the long run!
3. Decreasing Loneliness
When people have the obligation to care for a dog, they feel far more wanted and needed. Indeed, caretaking for another living thing has many benefits for one’s mental health. Caring for a dog not only makes you feel less lonely, but it also has a negating effect on depression. Many depressed individuals feel like they have absolutely no reason to live – and as banal as this may seem, a dog can change all of that. If another being is dependant on you, the drive to go on will definitely increase. Nothing can quite top that kind of sense of meaning and purpose.
Conclusion
As you may have surmised on your own – dogs can provide help with mental health in a variety of ways. Naturally, thinking that having a dog will completely rid you of any mental issues would be a mistake. However, when it comes to daily mental hygiene – having a pet to take care of and keep you company is a major boon. That’s why we thoroughly recommend thinking about dog ownership, as an auxiliary form of support for mental problems. Not only will you find yourself being less lonely, but your empathy levels will increase as well; all of which is necessary on the road to becoming a healthy and stable individual.
