Good mental health not only allows you to live a healthy lifestyle but also helps you with life’s ups and downs. However, Mental health is a huge issue in Texas, and plenty of shocking statistics prove it. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)’s findings,
- 45.3% of the 839,000 adults in Texas who required mental health care but did not receive it did so due to expenditure.
- In Texas, 796,000 adults have a severe mental illness.
- 314,000 people in Texas aged 12–17 have depression.
- Texans are over 5x more likely to be pushed out-of-network for mental health care than primary health care making it more challenging to find care and less affordable due to higher out-of-pocket costs.
Mental health conditions, such as anxiety, stress, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, depression, etc., can drastically impact your mental well-being and quality of life.
Emotional support animals or ESA can effectively address long-term mental health conditions. An ESA can positively impact your mental health by offering companionship, unconditional love, and emotional support.
What is An Emotional Support Animal?
An animal that significantly reduces a symptom of your mental health condition is an emotional support animal. Depending on your needs and preferences, ESAs can be various animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, or even birds. The presence of an ESA can help alleviate symptoms of various mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.
Their unconditional love and support can provide a constant source of comfort with increased resilience and a greater sense of emotional well-being.
Here are The Top 10 Life-Changing Benefits of Emotional Support Animals
Reduces Loneliness:
Loneliness comes with many other mental health problems. In fact, we can say that loneliness could be the reason for most major depressive disorders.
You can reduce the symptoms of loneliness by owning an emotional support animal. The companionship and affection offered by an ESA can make you feel less lonely. ESA will stay by your side no matter what the situation demands.
Minimizes Stress and Anxiety Symptoms:
Interacting With ESA is a drug-free way to decrease stress and anxiety symptoms. It encourages your brain to release happiness chemicals like dopamine and serotonin while alleviating stress and anxiety symptoms. We can also say that it is a natural therapy for alleviating symptoms of most mental illnesses.
Improves Physical Health:
It’s well known that physical activity does miracles for mental health as it enhances the quality of life. But people dealing with emotional or mental health conditions often find it harder to get started.
Emotional Support Animals can encourage you to walk and spend time outside. It reduces the risk of physical illnesses such as cardiovascular health, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Enhanced Mood:
Spending time with emotional support animal in Texas can increase the production of feel-good hormones like oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, improving mood and overall happiness. Moreover, simply being in their presence can positively impact your emotional well-being and fill your life with new energy.
Enhance Sleep Quality:
Your emotional support animal can play a crucial role in improving your sleep by relaxing your mind. Having the presence of your ESA can create a calming environment, promoting a sense of security and comfort. This can help to unwind and achieve a night of more restful sleep.
Social Support and Interaction:
ESAs can act as social facilitators, helping individuals overcome social barriers and initiate interactions. For example, walking an ESA in public spaces can increase social interactions and conversations with strangers, promoting a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation. This interaction also increases your friend circles and makes you feel you are not alone. You have friends to talk to and party with.
Sense of Security and Safety:
An ESA can provide you with a sense of security and safety. The constant presence of an ESA can help alleviate fears and anxieties, providing a comforting and calming effect. An ESA’s companionship and unconditional love can create a safe zone where you feel accepted and supported.
Decreased Feelings of Depression:
If you are experiencing depression, ESAs can provide a source of joy and motivation. Taking care of an ESA and being responsible for their health and overall well-being can give a sense of purpose and help alleviate sadness and hopelessness.
Emotional Support:
ESA can provide comfort during times of distress moments. Whenever you feel low and unloved, ESA can help you lift yourself. Their presence can help reduce loneliness and provide a sense of purpose and connection. Moreover, your ESA will also motivate you to get ready each day for work.
Routine and Responsibility:
Caring for an emotional support animal instills a sense of routine, responsibility, and purpose, helping to establish daily structure and a sense of fulfillment.
When you have an ESA, you become responsible for their well-being, feeding, exercise, grooming, and overall care. This responsibility creates a structured routine that revolves around meeting the needs of your ESA.
Also read: How to Care for an English Bulldog?
