Medical alert dogs can help people with anxiety and other emotional health conditions. These service dogs can be expensive, but they may help with anxiety-related symptoms, condition management, and other daily habits.
Service dogs act as companions and aides to people with disabilities. Traditionally, this has included people with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments. Many people are familiar with this type of service animal.
These dogs can also assist people who have a condition that isn’t visible, such as diabetes. This is also true of mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.
Service dogs differ from regular pets. To be legally recognized as a service animal, these dogs are trained to perform tasks that can help someone with a disability. Depending on the person’s needs, this can mean anything from bringing a person their medication during times of crisis to finding help during a medical emergency.
Psychiatric service dogs are trained to help a person accomplish necessary tasks and protect them from harm. Psychiatric service dogs typically assist people who have mental health conditions that interfere with their day-to-day lives.
A psychiatric service dog may help someone with anxiety by:
- bringing medication, or water to help swallow medication, during an anxiety attack
- bringing a phone over during an anxiety attack, which you can use to call your therapist or other support system
- leading someone to you if you’re in crisis
- providing tactile stimulation, such as licking your face, to help disrupt an emotional overload
- providing pressure against your chest or abdomen to create a calming effect during moments of distress
Sometimes, people mistake emotional support dogs for psychiatric service dogs. An emotional support animal simply provides the owner with a therapeutic presence.
These animals aren’t trained to perform any tasks. Their presence is meant to mitigate any psychological or emotional symptoms you may be experiencing.
Research is mixed on the proven benefits of medical or service dogs for those with anxiety and mental health disorders.
While most research does point to psychosocial benefits related to pet ownership and companionship, the studies do not conclusively show that the service dogs specifically help those with anxiety in the context of treating or managing the mental health issue.
This pet-companionship benefit is also generally shown in research for people with disabilities and chronic conditions, though it may be more specifically demonstrated for hearing and visual loss and other conditions, including diabetes, where the alert dogs serve more specifically an alert purpose than emotional support.
However,
Specifically, that may include reducing the severity of PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression while also enhancing their quality of life and psychosocial functioning.
You must meet several criteria to be eligible for a service dog. This may include:
- having a physical disability or debilitating illness or disorder
- being able to participate in the dog’s training process
- being able to independently command and care for a service dog
- having a stable home environment
Service dogs are trained to meet a person’s needs before they’re placed in someone’s home. A dog that has already served as a pet usually can’t be trained later as a service dog.
To apply for a psychiatric service dog, you will need a recommendation from a medical doctor or licensed mental health professional.
People with less debilitating anxiety may benefit from an emotional support animal. These domestic animals aren’t limited to canines; they’re intended to provide comforting companionship.
Emotional support animals are still regarded as pets in most situations. This means they don’t have the same legal protections as service animals in public and private spaces. These animals are afforded a few of the same provisions, though. A person with an emotional support animal is still qualified for no-pet housing and may fly with the animal without paying an extra fee.
People who believe they will benefit from an emotional support animal also need a prescription letter from a mental health professional.
About
31% of adults in the United States experience some form of anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, and roughly 19% have experienced some level of anxiety disorder in the past year.Overall,
more than half of adults in the United States have experienced a serious or moderate impairment from an anxiety or mental health disorder. This means that only a fraction of people who have a mental health disorder are qualified for a psychiatric service dog.
Coping with anxiety varies from person to person, so it’s important to find what works for you. What you may need depends on how you’re feeling and what’s triggering your anxiety.
Some general tips include:
- going for a walk
- practicing mindfulness
- performing breathing exercises
- getting a full night’s sleep
- exercising regularly
You are not alone
If you need help, reach out to your therapist or a mental health professional. If you don’t have one, the National Alliance on Mental Illness offers tips for how to find the right therapist or doctor for you.
The organization also offers help finding someone in your area. You can do this online or by calling 800-950-NAMI.
If you need immediate medical attention, you should call your local emergency services.
If you think that you would benefit from a service dog or emotional support animal, you should reach out to a therapist or another mental health professional.
They can work with you in determining whether a service dog or an emotional support animal is the best fit for you.