By If you are interested in acquiring an emotional support animal, talk with your mental health professional. They can help you determine if an ESA is right for you and can write you a letter of prescription.
Although dogs are the most common type of emotional support animals, other animals can also qualify as ESAs. Emotional support animals don’t have to be specially trained.
1. They Help You Deal With Anxiety
Animals help people cope with anxiety, and emotional support animals are no exception. ESAs can help their owners manage their symptoms, which allows them to live a more normal life and participate in therapy sessions.
To be considered an ESA, an animal must be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional. This includes therapists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists. These professionals must determine that the animal alleviates a person’s mental or emotional disability. The individual must also provide proof of this diagnosis on letterhead. This documentation allows them to live with their pet or fly on airlines that are otherwise not pet-friendly.
Besides providing comfort, ESAs can also keep their owners active. Walking a dog, going to the pet store, and running errands are all things that can keep you busy and help reduce stress. They can also give you a sense of purpose and make your life more meaningful. This is important for coping with the stress of a terminal illness diagnosis.
2. They Help You Deal With Depression
During a terminal illness diagnosis, depression is one of the most common emotions to experience. Emotional support animals can help ease depression by comforting their owners and distracting them from negative thoughts and feelings. They can also help keep their owner company while they are feeling down.
A person’s emotional support animal must be certified to be an ESA by a mental health professional, such as a therapist or psychiatrist. This is done with a letter that states the animal alleviates the symptoms of the individual’s disability. Unlike a service animal, an ESA is not required to perform tasks and can be any domesticated animal.
Because of this, the Fair Housing Act allows people to have their emotional support animal with them in places that normally don’t allow pets. They can even travel with the animal on airplanes without having to pay additional pet fees. While a dog is the most common ESA, other animals like cats, birds, rabbits, and guinea pigs can be helpful too.
3. They Help You Deal With Grief
Emotional support animals are great for helping people deal with grief during a terminal illness diagnosis. Grieving is a natural reaction to losing a loved one and it is important that people take the time to grieve in their own way. This can include crying, searching for meaning and even finding moments of joy. It is also common for people to withdraw from socializing and spend more time at home.
It is also common for people to begin experiencing grief while their pet is still alive, prior to the animal’s death. This is known as anticipatory grief. People can feel shocked, angry, scared or sad during this time and it is important to remember that all of these feelings are normal.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have turned to emotional support animals in order to feel less isolated. They can help with a range of symptoms, including depression and anxiety. ESAs must be certified by a mental health professional to qualify as an emotional support animal. This means that they are considered pets and cannot be banned from public places or charged pet fees, as long as the animal has a doctor’s prescription.
4. They Help You Deal With Stress
During a pandemic, many individuals have to remain in quarantine and are unable to go out and socialize. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. A ESA can help you cope with these feelings by providing comfort and companionship. They also give you a sense of purpose, as they require care from you. This may include taking them for walks, playing with them and feeding them.
Dogs are known for their calming presence and are often used as emotional support animals. Their trained responses can also reduce the severity of panic attacks and anxiety disorders. Moreover, dogs are known for their unconditional love and devotion to their owners. This makes them an ideal companion for people suffering from depression and loneliness.
The key to getting an emotional support animal is working with a mental health professional. Licensed mental health professionals can write an official letter to confirm that the animal alleviates symptoms of your disability. This can get you special accommodations in housing and other public places, including college dorms.