Study Suggests Pet Ownership for Mental Health is Underrated
December 5th, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Headline
The benefits of pet ownership may be quite clear to those who enjoy taking care of and being around animals, but while pets have been show to increase overall mental well-being, a just-published study in the journal Family Process notes that mental health professionals are placing too little emphasis on the importance of this potential therapeutic source. The study, which was produced at the Center for Family Health at the University of Chicago, suggests that the available benefits, both mental and physical, associated with pet ownership merit a greater attention to mental health treatment avenues that involve animals. From decreased loneliness and blood pressure to greater longevity and feelings of companionship, animals may provide a great deal of the emotional support that many mental health clients crave, without being “replacements” for human interaction.
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This is so true! When you have a pet with you, it makes you feel like you have an all-time friend right at your place, which is just great. This is especially true for people who stay alone. Many such people crave for a good friend, and who better to have than man’s (or woman’s) best friend!
When I first moved out on my own one of the first things that I did was to go out and buy a new puppy because I was so lonely without other people in the house. I can’t tell you how much this helped me. Without my dog Charlotte I would have been an absolute mess. But she really helped me get through this lonely time in my life and there are now many times when I do not want to talk to other people, I just want to sit at home and eat takeout and spend quality time with my pup!
While socializing is the best way to unwind and share your joys and sorrows,it is not quite possible for some people because they have just moved into a new neighborhood and cannot make friends easily or for some others whose work-time does not allow them to socialize much.Such people would find that having a pet is going to fix all this for them because having a pet is almost like having a friend living with you…a great stress-buster too!