Pets known to offer support through the roller-coaster journey to heal from emotional trauma may be referred to as emotional support animals. Emotional support animals differ from working service animals in that the latter are trained rigorously for the purpose of helping people with particular, individualized needs. Our pets, on the other hand, do not need to be trained to provide natural healing. By simply playing with or cuddling our pets, we can benefit from the calming, soothing effect of their company. Even without training, our pets can help us cope with symptoms of anxiety and depression, fear, and the handful of other tough emotions likely to follow a traumatic experience.
Emotional support animals do not require any particular training, but they are still often able to soothe the emotional upsets of owners who have experienced trauma by being present as loving friends and offering support and connection through simple companionship. This offers us a unique way to cope with emotional entanglements and other challenges throughout the process of addressing trauma-related struggles.
One way animals can provide emotional support is by helping increase oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is beneficial because it slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and helps prevent stress hormone production. Thus, increased levels of this hormone in the body can help people feel calmer and more at peace. This chemical alone can help us battle the negative emotions and mental health effects often experienced following trauma, and scientific observation supports an increase of the release of this so-called “happiness” chemical as a result of animal interaction.
Pets can also help us learn to let go of feelings of anger and resentment. These emotions are experienced by many who have faced trauma, and they can be some of the most challenging to expunge in its aftermath. Releasing these emotions, though, can have a lasting positive impact on mental health, and many individuals work with mental health professionals to reach a place where they are able to let these and other related feelings go. Pets do not hold on to these emotions, and the support of animal companions may allow many people to shake off anger and resentment more easily.
Dogs and other pets who provide emotional support can also help us learn how to remain mindful and aware of the present moment. People can reap many benefits by being more mindful, including learning to make the best use of their time and experiencing a regular boost in mood and overall increased emotional stability. People who have not faced trauma can still benefit from mindfulness, but practicing mindfulness can be an essential aspect of stress relief when trauma has been present in a person’s life.
We encounter difficult emotions after a traumatic event in part because these events can become haunting and preclude us from living in the present moment. We may find ourselves overthinking what happened, ruminating, and re-experiencing it. Mindfulness, a concept gaining prominence in recent mental health discussions, can help thwart these effects.
Playing with, cuddling, or even just touching our pets is another way to practice mindfulness, though this act may be both underrated and overlooked.
By definition, mindfulness is the ability to both live each moment as it unveils itself and accept every moment without judgment. The practice of mindfulness has been proven to reduce stress and enhance overall health and well-being. Many activities can enhance mindfulness. Among these are yoga, massage, prayer, meditation, crafts, art, and running, as well as any number of others. Playing with, cuddling, or even just touching our pets is another way to practice mindfulness, though this act may be both underrated and overlooked.
We can learn mindfulness from our pets in other ways, too:
While the many, varied, and often difficult psychological effects of exposure to traumatic events can be debilitating, by putting in conscious efforts to both prevent and work through them, many people are able to find a sense of peace and joy once more. Living with a pet can facilitate and hasten this process, as pet ownership allows individuals to enjoy endless offerings of companionship, structure, and affection. Beyond these benefits, our pets can teach us some important life lessons.
In fact, many people who felt as though they could not help themselves after a trauma went on to report the advantages of living with an adopted pet after the trauma were disproportionately high, even when compared to the additional costs of living with an adopted pet.
Owning a pet may not be for everyone, but for those who have a pet or are considering adopting, it’s worth exploring just how much a furry friend may have to offer.
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