Best Pets For Mental Health

Pets – the companions of love and peace. Pets bring so much joy in our lives. The bond that you develop with your pet is never-ending. Many people regard their pets as part of their family coz of this bond. They make us chuckle, comfort us, support us build healthy habits, relieve loneliness and are always there for us no matter what happens.

According to a survey conducted by APPA, 67% households in U.S. own a pet. That is about 85 Million families! (www.iii.org)

On top of these amazing things, pets are also the winners of mental health. Read on and look at how pets help us improve our mental health.

How pets impact your mental health?

Pets not only leave an impact on your physical health but also make you psychologically satisfied. They lower the pressure on your mind, decrease stress and anxiety and ultimately enhances your mood.

Studies have shown that:

• Pets are cherished as companions which unquestionably add a flavor in your lives. While touching, stroking or hugging an animal, your body become relaxed, calm and soothed. Even criminals show long-term change in behavior after interacting with pets.
• When you are anxious or stressed, pets are a great source to cuddle with and to play with. When you look into the eyes of your pets, you can feel the warmth.
• Playing with your pets increase the level of “Happy Hormones” i.e. the dopamine and serotonin in body which ultimately boost your mood, feelings of well-being and pleasure.
• Do you often get irritate on simple things? Well, get a pet for yourself. Because studies have shown that people with pets have lower blood pressure that those without pets.
• Pets make you laugh and stir up emotions in you which can boost your immune system.
• While you are interacting with your pets, you experience how close you are to mother nature. Pets refine your self-esteem, polishes your social skills and help you to adapt in a community. Hence, people with pets are able to establish better relationships with other people.

According to https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/ , sciences proves that the poer of support from the companioship of pets for people living with mental illness.

How Pets help with Depression and Anxiety?

• Pets calm down your mind:

Every one of us has reached a point in our life where we feel so disheartened and depressed that we lose the importance of life. Everything seems doomed around us. In that particular moment of life, pets can be a great motivator for us.

According to another study published on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ,

“Pets should be considered a main rather than a marginal source of support in the management of long-term mental health problems.”

Having a pet dog in the home was associated with a decreased probability of childhood anxiety.

Just by spending time with your pet, will soothe your mind and ease out all the tensions of the world. Having someone to take care of, will give your day a purpose and make you feel valuable in this desperate state of mind.

• Pets reduce anxiety:

When you are feeling anxious and you don't have anyone to talk to, take out all the things that you have in your mind onto your pet. A pet is a great listener.

The companionship that they offer, helps you relax your mind of all other worldly affairs and enjoy that moment in your life. Watching your pet walking around you and playing with simple things gives you an insight that none other can. It makes you feel connected with nature.

Recent researches suggest that a simple eye contact with your pets can release the love hormone "Oxytocin" in your body that makes you feel happy. It is an immediate mood booster.

• Kids and Pets:

Having a dog or cat or some other animal as pets develop love, responsibility, companionship, empathy and self-confidence in children. Nowadays, kids of small age are more prone to feel depressed, anxious and lonely.

“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ADHD is a common mental disorder in children. Recent surveys have stated that pets have the power to help children deal with this disorder.” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/)

Having a pet to talk to, to play with and to spend time, makes kids mentally strong. Pets help calm aggressive kids, help ease separation anxiety in kids and insert love for nature in them.

• Animal-assisted therapy for mental health treatment:

Mental health is a grieve issue in today's world. Many researches are going on for its remedies.

Well, pets again have a role here. Animal-assisted therapy programs have become an important part of mental health treatment. Mentally ill people are given the taste of human- animal bond. In this way, they address their emotions and issues to them. These therapies have improved the lifestyle of such people in various ways such as:

• Building motions of love and peace in them.
• Better self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Emotionally strong.
• More physically fit.
• Less lonely and preoccupied.

According to a study published on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov , animal-assisted therapy has positive effects on mental health of depressed and anxious people.

• Pets add more meaning to our life:

A question comes to your minds, do pets add meaning to your life?

The answer to this question is simple. Pets make you feel that you are precious. Pets love you for what you are. This makes your life more meaningful and more purposeful. A pet gives you a routine that you strive to follow every day. You find a reason to get up in the morning.

A meaningless existence leaves us vulnerable to anxiety and depression and unnatural mood enhancers like drugs and alcohol. But dogs carve out a route that helps us in future and shape our life in a way that we begin living a purposeful life.

• Pets help us build Healthy Habits:

Physical active:

Pets also need some care from us and in return, they give you unconditional love. Pets require you to be around them for some time. Play with them. Run with them. As a result, you will get your required daily exercise limit.

Probably you would seen videos of people exercising with their pets. People take their pets to the parks, have some exercise and a big of laughter with some old buddies.

Time in nature:

While scrolling down your phone harms your lifestyle in various ways, pets give you the sense of nature around you. You feel more connected to the outer world.

More responsible in life:

By adopting a pet in your life, you will be responsible to take care of it. You will have to feed it, clean it and ensure that it is healthy. In this way, you will have some responsibilities to tackle.

And by doing so, you will become more responsible in other areas of your life. This will ultimately make you a better person.

More forgiving in life:

Pets make you more forgiving? Well, yes.

Sometimes, pets do annoy you by breaking something or simply by urinating in your room. But what you do at this. You talk to your pet, tell him not to do this again and forgive him. This nature of forgiveness will give you inner peace and automatically make you a happier person.

Best pets for mental health:

Ok, now let’s see the best pets for mental health:

• Dog:

The best friend a human can get from animal kingdom. Dog are cherished to be the most loyal pets in the world. However, less is known about the mental health benefits of dogs.

(Stat) studies have shown that dog owners are less likely to be depressed than those without it.

There were approximately 89.7 million dogs owned in the United States in 2017.

And if you own a dog, you need to provide regular walks to it. And the exercise you get from it provides the essential relief to you from depression and anxiety.

• Cat:

Another member of the feline family. Cats too are known to help with depression and anxiety. These small independent pets are beautiful, loyal and love being cuddled. And also they are much less expensive than dogs.

• Rabbit:

The small rodents known as Bunny. These beautiful animals are known to socialize with humans. They also have much higher life expectancy. These pets are also used in animal- assisted therapy to treat mental illness.

• Birds:

Many species of birds are also being kept as pets. These loving and intelligent creatures play with you and some can even talk. They are a great companion and can even increase in numbers dramatically if being kept as pairs.

Conclusion:

Pets are an integral part of our life. Humans have used, tamed and kept various animals as pets since the beginning of human race.

In today’s fast, chaotic and materialistic world, the importance of pets has ever increased.

Tell us in the comments below, which pet do you have or would love to have?

There is a much deeper and sincere reason why we like owning and being around our pets. A reason that makes the relationship between human and pet truly mutual and beautiful one.

The reason is just that we love them. We care about them.

Pets - the friends that ask no question and pass no criticism. Here we discuss the mental health support that pets provide for the well-being of individuals, families and societies.