In this blog, we will talk about several different aspects of anxiety, the benefits of service dogs, and how to get a service dog for anxiety and/or emotional support.
Get a Service Dog for Anxiety: It Works…
Like many others, I grew up going through cancer and cancer treatment.
I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma at ages 6, 9, 11, and 21. It was a little crazy.
As you can probably imagine, a lot of the things I dealt with caused a bit of anxiety at times.
Wait, a lot of things caused a lot of anxiety.
As an adult, I heard of people having emotional support dogs to help with their anxiety. At first, I thought it just didn’t make any sense. It seemed a little “far fetched” (that was a pretty bad one).
“Seriously, a dog can make me calm,” I’d think.
Then, I got my dog Colt. He was a super-fluffy, loving golden-doodle with the coolest personality ever. Oh, and he loved peanut butter!
That was the hardest part of the relationship, having to share my peanut butter.
Unfortunately, Colt died when he was two and a half years old. But, during the time I had him, I got to experience the benefits of having a dog as a service animal for anxiety.
In this blog, you’ll learn:
- The definition of anxiety
- Anxiety statistics
- Causes of anxiety
- Common treatments of anxiety
- The benefits of having a service dog to treat anxiety
- What types of dogs work best for emotional support
- How to train an anxiety service dog
- The price of a service dog
- Types of people who need a service dog for anxiety
- How to get a service dog for anxiety
First, What is Anxiety?
You probably already know the definition of anxiety, but let’s just clarify.
The Oxford dictionary defines anxiety as, “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”
Heck, take a look at the screenshot below.
Anxiety Statistics
According to the ADAA, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. The condition affects 40 million adults ages 18 and older.
In short, anxiety impacts roughly 18.1% of the population every year.
The sad thing is, although anxiety is very treatable, only 36.9% of those who suffer from the tormenting disorder ever get help.
Other Stats on People with Anxiety:
- They are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor
- They are six times more likely to be hospitalized with psychiatric disorders
- The disorder develops out of several risk factors such as genetics, brain chemistry, life events, and personality
- Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety over men
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects roughly 7.7 million adults
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects 15 million adults and is common in both men and women
- Phobias impact 19 million Americans
- More information here
Causes of Anxiety
We’ve all probably had anxiety. You know, that feeling before a job interview or an exam?
How about that feeling you experience while you are waiting on your test results to come back from a medical procedure? Every ring of the phone sends a jolt through your chest.
I am very familiar with what it feels like waiting for test results to come back regarding cancer.
In these types of situations, it’s common for me to have trouble focusing, eating, and sleeping. It stinks!
If you are suffering from anxiety, it can really drain you and interfere with your daily life. Anxiety can hold you back from living a happy and healthy life you deserve and want.
Things That Cause Anxiety:
- Work
- Divorce
- Health issues
- Financial problems
- The loss of a loved one
- Uncertainty
Emotional support dogs can be great for anxiety caused by life as well as anxiety caused by chronic illness.
Common Treatments of Anxiety
In short, common treatments of anxiety usually include counseling and medication.
Talking with a professional about what makes you anxious is always helpful. It’s healthy and just being heard can make a world of difference. So contact a professional.
Plus, professionals can offer proven methods and strategies for dealing with the symptoms of anxiety.
Medications used to treat anxiety might include Lexapro, Zoloft, Celexa, Xanax, and Ativan. However, unlike using a service dog for anxiety, you are putting chemicals into your body.
Natural Treatments for Anxiety:
- Massage therapy
- Acupuncture
- Meditation
- Emotional support dogs
The Benefits of Having a Service Dog for Anxiety
The benefits of having a service dog are endless.
First, having an emotional support dog instantly gives you a companion who loves you no matter what.
This means when you are acting like a jerk, moody, and even antisocial, your furry friend will still love you.
Emotional support dogs are not judgemental like some of the people you know and will never complain about you or talk behind your back.
These dogs lessen your isolation and have been proven to lower anxiety. And there is plenty of research on the benefits of having a service dog for anxiety.
Also, as you go out to dog parks and meet other dogs, you get to meet other people.
Research on Dogs for Anxiety Treatment
Animals play a significant role in facilitating human social interactions and are capable of providing people with stress-buffering social support, and reinforcing self-efficacy,
Study from Ludovica Spattini and colleagues in 2018
Researchers at Ludovica Spattini concluded that dogs are fully capable of helping lessen anxiety and/or depression.
This info rocks. And that’s because, as we have shown, plenty of people get depressed and plenty of people also love dogs.
Additionally, it was determined that simply holding and petting a dog serves as a calming effect for many people with anxiety disorders. That’s kinda’ friggin’ cool.
The studies are there. So if you are one of the millions suffering from anxiety, you may want to learn how to get a service dog for anxiety.
What Types of Dogs Work Best to Treat Anxiety?
Of course one of the biggest parts of having a dog to help ease the symptoms of anxiety is deciding on a dog to get.
There are many great furry friends to choose from. For me, it was, of course, my golden-doodle, Colt.
Be sure to research each dog you consider and get a dog based on what you like. I promise you, you’ll love the little furry person just like a friend or family member.
Here are a few dogs to consider for emotional support dogs:
- Labrador retriever – These dogs are smart, gentle, and energetic (definitely energetic!)
- German shepherd – I love these dogs, personally. They are very intelligent, loyal, and easy to train.
- Poodle – Adapts well to situations, great with kids, and my favorite, hypoallergenic.
- Yorkshire terrier – Smaller dogs that form deep relationships with their owners. Great for apartment living.
- Beagle – Loyal, active, and always friendly. Love ’em!
- Corgie – Bred to be herders, these dogs are even-tempered and affectionate. They make great companions.
- Pug – These are interesting looking dogs. They work well with children and are very involved in the well-being of their owners.
How Do You Train an Emotional Support Dog?
Training dogs for anxiety and emotional support doesn’t have to be that complicated.
The first thing you probably want to do, of course, is to build a trusting relationship with your dog.
This doesn’t mean you have to go out to dinner with your dog, but spending time with your dog will work.
You’ll also want to feed your dog on time and take your dog outside on a regular schedule.
These things will help you to build a relationship with your dog. Your emotional support dog will learn to trust and depend on you. Heck, they will love you, especially if you throw in some peanut butter.
No Special Training is Really Needed for an Emotional Support Dog
Simply put, service dogs used to treat and ease anxiety don’t require any special training really at all. Although hiring a professional to train your dog is still an option. Heck, I hired a pro to train my dog.
Outside of emotional support dogs, many service dogs do require complex and intense training. I mean, lots of training.
Hearing dogs, diabetic alert dogs, and seizure response dogs all require extensive training. These furry folks are doing important jobs that can save people’s lives. Hours of training only makes sense.
Training for any dog that you will have around to ease your anxiety is fairly simple though. You’ll just want to socialize them.
This means getting your furry buddy out to meet other dogs and other people. Not only is this a great way to meet people yourself, but it’s also great for your dog.
Just remember, if any situation ever spooks your dog or makes them nervous, quickly remove them from the situation. The last thing you want is your emotional support animal to have anxiety.
And personally, I suggest avoiding aggressive breeds at all costs. No matter how much the owner claims their dog is “friendly.”
How Much Does an Emotional Support Dog Cost?
Some service dogs can cost from $15,000 all the way up to $50,000. This includes the purchasing of the dog and all of the training necessary.
You have to remember, some of these dogs are performing very involved tasks for their owners. And, because of this, lots of training is required.
However, as stated above, since service dogs for anxiety require no special training, all that is needed is your time.
People Who Need a Dog to Treat Anxiety
There are all sorts of people who fit the criteria for having a service dog.
Many people self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, or other damaging vices to cope with anxiety. However, this can only make things exponentially worse.
People who are suffering from anxiety (and depression) should not only consider professional help but should also consider a service dog for anxiety.
They have virtually no negative side effects and dogs are proven to help set people at ease.
Emotional support dogs can be great for so many different types of people with mental disorders.
People with the following may benefit from emotional support dogs:
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
- Learning Disorders
- Autism
- General Anxiety Disorder
- Gender Identity
- Bipolar
- Cognitive disorders
- Depression
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Finally: How to Get a Service Dog for Anxiety
Finally, the part on how to get a service dog for anxiety. It’s fairly simple and below are the steps. Make sure to follow them closely.
Get a Letter from Your Doctor
The letter from your health professional should:
- Be dated, signed, and on paper displaying your doctor’s letterhead.
- Include the health professional’s license type, date of the license, license number, and the state that issued the license.
- Give brief details on how your service dog will help your condition.
- Include a “prescription” or “ESA prescription.”
Benefits of a Letter from Your Doctor
In most cases, a letter from your health professional will allow your dog to live with you in a place you are renting. Additionally, with a letter from your doctor, your dog may accompany you on flights.
As a note, always check the laws of your state, etc.
A Service Dog for Anxiety: Recap
In this article, we defined anxiety and discussed the prevalence of the disorder across the United States.
We also discussed the many causes of anxiety which can range from everyday life to worries with finances, divorce, and health.
Common treatments of anxiety have usually included counseling and often medication. However, the benefits of having a service dog for anxiety can not only be rewarding but can also be much healthier.
Dogs like golden retrievers, poodles, and even pugs are a few of the dogs that work well as emotional support dogs. And as it turns out, dogs used to help with anxiety don’t require expensive training.
Emotional support dogs can be a benefit to those with PTSD, major depressive disorder, and OCD. And to get a documented emotional support dog can be rather easy. All you need is a letter from your doctor with just a few specific details that are listed above.
Have you had any positive experiences with an emotional support dog?