5 Benefits of Having an Emotional Support Animal

Are you interested in having an emotional support animal? You can read about some of the benefits they provide in this brief overview.

Emotional support animals have made a lot of headlines recently. You’ve probably heard stories about exotic animals being taken on planes under the guise of being support animals.

But, they can be very useful, depending on what you’re looking for.

Keep reading to find out about the top benefits of bringing emotional support animals into your home.

1. Animals Make People Happier

There is scientific research that shows that spending time with animals produces dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps people feel happier. People who struggle with feeling depressed or sad, especially in the winter months, can benefit greatly by taking the time to register an emotional support animal.

2. Emotional Support Animals Relieve Anxiety

If you summer from severe anxiety in certain situations, an emotional support animal might help. That’s why so many people do bring their support animals on airplanes.

But, you still need to follow the rules when you’re bringing along an emotional support animal. Get the proper emotional support animal certification and be ready to show it when you’re asked. A therapist can write you a letter recommending an emotional support animal. Make sure that your paperwork is legitimate — fake emotional support animal paperwork is becoming more and more popular, and causes airlines to ban anyone from traveling with their support animals at all.

And, ensure that the animal that you choose is suitable for your needs. You don’t want your emotional support animal to be a mini horse if you plan to take it on regular plane rides, for example.

3. Animals Can Help With Mental Health Conditions

There are specialized programs that use animals to help people with certain mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. You can look into equine-assisted psychotherapy programs for these purposes.

These programs can also help people with other neurological conditions. That’s also why many assisted living facilities and hospices bring in animals.

4. Become More Social

Unlike service dogs, emotional support animals are allowed to interact with other people. So, if you have trouble interacting with others, or feel nervous about approaching strangers, an emotional support animal can help you reduce your stress levels while giving you a built-in way to break the ice.

5. Emotional Support Animals Have Benefits for People of All Ages

No matter how old or young you are, there are specific benefits of emotional support animals that can help you out.

Children can learn how to safely interact with animals by playing around with service animals, which prevents them from being injured and also helps instill empathy about the world around them. And, older people will feel comforted when they hang out with service animals.

Emotional Support Animals: Now You Know

There are a lot of reasons you might want to bring an emotional support animal into your life. Weigh the pros and cons of the choice, and decide if one could be right for you.

Are you searching for more ways to improve your life? Some of the other articles on this website could help you out.