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0 By Chelsea Parker
Whether cat, dog, rabbit or reptile, pets require motivation, teach us responsibility and provide an emotional connection. When it comes to mental illness, these functions can be especially important.
For someone learning to become independent and care for themselves, a pet can be a practice aid. Anyone feeling lonely or isolated will talk to their pet as a companion. Should you struggle to get out of bed in a morning, a dog is an alarm without the snooze button, and it can help anxiety attacks to lie with your dog and imitate their breathing during the early stages.
Personally, I got my pet, a Horsefield Tortoise called Shelly, while recovering from a severe bout of depression. She reminds me that ‘slow and steady wins the race’ and while she only eats a few times a week (and needs a bath even less), if I think I have been neglecting her* then I have almost certainly been neglecting myself too. This reminds me to ask for help, particularly with eating, which I struggle with during depressive episodes.
When treated with care and respect, many pets will love you unconditionally and without judgement. They comfort you during the hard times and, dogs in particular, motivate you to leave the house to get some fresh air and exercise.
So this is me, giving a shout out to those beautiful creatures!
*Shelly is a perfectly healthy Horsefield Tortoise. By ‘neglecting’ I refer to not checking on her every day, when really her food and drink can last two/three days easily. In fact, she is quite spoiled and often ignores her food as she knows after a while of worrying about her not eating I will bring her lettuce, which is her favourite!
UNITED STATES
UNITED KINGDOM
Thank you for writing this so very well. My JRT Maili and her cat siblings guide this chronic depressive through the lows that are so so difficult to navigate.