Animals are amazing and there are many properties to them that are calming and aid in soothing social anxieties.
Throughout my life, I’ve always had animals, whether it be dogs or cats (but mostly cats). There have been many situations where I have come home, stopped my car in the driveway, cried for a solid five minutes, and then I see my cat jump into the window of the house and start pawing at the glass. As soon as I get up and get inside, my cat is basically running and leaping into my arms and starts licking my face and purring.
I’ve even had new pets try and comfort me when I’m upset. When I first received my sweetheart, Achilles, he would not come out from under my bed for 3 days. At one point, I assumed he would never come out and love me. By day 4, I had come home and he was still under my bed, so I was worried something was wrong with him. That same evening, I got some bad news, that one of my friends had committed suicide. I was bawling my eyes out and I even called into work for the next few days because I wasn’t sure I would be able to function. I had been crying for maybe 15 minutes, then Achilles comes running out of the bedroom and jumps on my lap. He was comforting me. He knew I needed it, and he was there. And that started an amazing relationship between me and my cat. He never left my side after that.
I have never been diagnosed with anxiety, and I personally don’t think I have an actual disorder, but there are many days where I get extremely overwhelmed and need to calm myself down before I have a metal breakdown. I have also talked to many of friends and family members who have lived with pets and who are diagnosed with social anxieties who have claimed pets do make a difference.
Animals can sense a disturbance in emotional states. Distress can cause cats and dogs to become upset and act strangely, generally affectionately. If you have pets, you probably already know this and realize that they are always there for you and love you unconditionally.
For those of you who are on the fence about getting a pet because of the maintenance required, don’t think of it that way. Think of it as you are paying this beautiful creature with food and a loving home, and in return they give you comfort.
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