The Healing Power of Pets

I've written about my depression before.  I have come a long way from where I used to be, but the depression is still there somewhere, lurking in a dark corner and waiting for any opportunity to take hold again.  When I try to explain it to my husband, I describe it as something big and heavy sitting on my chest - it is almost that physically real.  (To assure the readers of this blog, I promise I am okay.  I lead a happy and healthy life - don't worry.)  There are many things I try to do to "ward off" an episode of depression - go outside, visit with family, get involved with an awesome book.  But the tactic that has proved to be the most effective is spending time with animals.

Having a pet is known to benefit a person's health.  Just petting and being near a furry friend is shown to lower blood pressure and to allow your brain to release feel-good hormones.  The sense of touch you feel when stroking a cat or scratching behind a dog's ears is soothing and stress-relieving.  Our pets love us unconditionally, and the affection they show us has an amazing effect on our mental health.  Owning a pet has also shown to improve symptoms of depression:

Riley always improves my mood.  No matter how awful I am feeling, Riley never fails to make me smile.  It really doesn't take much.  A tilt of his fuzzy head, a glimpse of his hilarious underbite, the way he tosses his bones into the air with glee - I always have to crack a smile.  My dog drags me out of whatever gloomy funk I am in, and, if only for a little while, brings me back into the joyful present.

I can't not smile at this.  Look at that tooth!

Riley forces me to take responsibility.  When you own a dog, you cannot sleep until noon or veg out on the couch all day.  You have to get up, shake yourself off, and take the dog out for walks and potty breaks.  You have to interact and play with the dog, showing him affection and love.  Riley helps me get off of my butt and get moving outside, where the sunshine and the sight of him running through leaves or snow is usually enough to cheer me up again.

With Riley, I am never alone.  Depression hates company; it waits until your friends or loved ones leave, and then it wraps you up in all its dark loneliness.  But when you have a pet, you always have company - you never have to feel lonely.  This has been a blessing to me.  My husband and I have very different schedules; he often works night shifts, and when I have been home without him for nights on end, I often miss him terribly.  Riley helps to fill the void, to keep his spot warm on the other side of the bed.  If I get sick, Riley is lying right there with me on the bathroom floor.  It's very comforting, to say the least, knowing that.

Riley makes for good conversation.  I am not generally a very social person.  I tend to keep to myself, and that's not always a good thing.  But through blogging about animals, I have learned this:  Other dog lovers love to talk about dogs!  Dog-related stories or advice have done wonders when breaking the ice with new blogging friends, and I find it very easy to talk about animals with others.  Pets can act as a "social lubricant", allowing us to make conversation where we might otherwise not have.

Riley senses when I am not feeling myself.  I believe that dogs really do have an excellent way of sensing human emotions.  Riley is a daddy's boy through and through, and when Jared and I are both home, there is no question as to whose lap he will choose - I get snubbed every time!  However, there are a few exceptions to that rule.  Riley has an uncanny knack for climbing over to snuggle with me every time I am upset or sick.  During one particularly nasty crying jag, Riley crawled to my side of the couch, plunked himself in my lap, and stayed there for several hours.  When I had a rough day at work, he wouldn't leave my side that night.  I'm interested to know - does your pet do this, too??

Riley snuggling with his mama (which he never does!) after a cute little dog hurt her feelings.  And her face.  Also, I promise I don't usually look this...corpse-y.

And it's not only your own pet that can change your mood.  Every time I volunteer at a shelter or humane society, I leave the building feeling ten times better than when I entered it.  Jared and I did just this the other day, as I needed some distraction from the down-in-the-dumps feeling I had had all week.  Snuggling a kitten and receiving some sweet dachshund kisses definitely did the trick!  This always does wonders for my mood - just another benefit of volunteering :)

This sweetie pie is Ella, a very snuggly Doxie whose butt wiggles and excited kisses are the ultimate anti-depressant!

Thank you so much for reading!  If your pet has helped you through tough times, too, please feel free to leave your story in the comments!
xoxochelsea