CAN DOG’S HELP US IF WE’RE MENTALLY UNWELL?

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CAN DOGS HELP US IF WERE MENTALLY UNWELL?
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• Its long been known that dogs can help to reduce
  stress levels in humans and encourage us to take
  more physical exercise and meet new people dogs
  arent referred to as mans best friend without
  good reason. But can a canine companion really
  help us if were mentally unwell?
• Dogs and how they tune in to our emotions
• Dogs of all shapes, sizes and breed are known for
  being able to pick up on the emotional state of
  those humans that they have formed a bond with.
  When were sad, angry or excited, our dogs will
  often match their moods to ours, and the fact
  that we know dogs can do this, makes it all the
  more believable that they can help us when were
  mentally unwell.

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• Your pet dog may come and lie close to you, jump
  in your lap, lick you or nudge you with their
  nose in response to your emotional state, and we
  can only assume that theyre doing so to try and
  help us overcome any negative feelings that we
  might be experiencing.
• The history of dogs as therapists
• While there is no disputing the fact that dogs
  have been in our lives for many thousands of
  years, its only until recently that their
  healing powers have been recognized and used to
  our advantage. Florence Nightingale is noted as
  having remarked about the therapeutic benefits of
  animals back in the 1800s, when she observed
  cats and dogs helping to reduce anxiety in
  children and adults that were hospitalized in
  psychiatric institutions.

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• Later, in the 1930s, Sigmund Freud famously
  begun to use his own pet dog during his
  psychotherapy sessions, believing that it could
  pick up on a patients level of stress and
  tension, and help to facilitate communication
  between both parties.
• The science behind therapy dogs
• Numerous scientific studies have been carried out
  in recent decades that have demonstrated time and
  again, how beneficial dogs can be for those
  suffering from a mental illness. A patients
  blood pressure often drops when they are petting
  a dog, their heart rate typically slows and their
  breathing becomes more regular, showing clearly
  that the dog is helping to reduce the patients
  stress and anxiety levels.

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• Pets have often been used in therapy sessions
  commonly referred to as animal-assisted
  therapies, with the results again, clearly
  showing a significant reduction in anxiety levels
  for those with mood and psychotic disorders.
• If you suffer from a mental illness and have a
  pet dog at home, then youre doubtless already
  reaping the benefits, but that isnt to say that
  you dont need to attend regular sessions with a
  professional therapist and adhere to a program
  that they have designed for you. Dogs may not be
  the cure for mental illnesses, but there is
  little doubt that they can help us to feel better
  and may even speed up our recovery.

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