Dr. Pet – at your service!
A friend of mine was recently telling me about why she
adopted a small dog. She is a young,
ambitious woman who lives in a busy city away from her family. ‘It’s just good to know there is someone
waiting for you at home’, she explained.
In our fast, one-tracked lives many people view their pets as companions.
We all think we know the benefits of having a pet. Companionship, affection, loyalty among others. But are we aware of the complex and real benefits of our relationship with our pets?
Animals therapists working with patients who have life-threatening conditions or immobilizing accidents know these benefits well. Contact with animals encourages recovering patients to become more active and motivate them to make the effort to engage once again with the world around him in
positive ways.
The presence of pets in the home is beneficial for people undergoing stress from
illness, disability or other conditions.
They give comfort and contentment. Therefore they are an antidote to loneliness. Playing or petting an animal encourages us to
relax physically, mentally and emotionally.
Spending time with your fluffy, endearing companion can promote positive
affective behaviour thus generating happier
feelings.
Our animal companions encourage
calmness in persons undergoing medical or other stress. For this reason dogs and cats have been used
in treatment of Alzhiemer’s and ASD among others. Even watching some fish in an aquarium can
help to temporarily normalize high blood pressure!
Pets teach
commitment. We are responsible for
their happiness. We owe them the best
lifestyle we can afford to give them.
They also teach us about behaviour - their and ours. We learn to watch them and discover their preferences, character as well as quirks. Horses, for instance, are used in therapy
because they mirror behaviour, responding to us according to the positive or
negative attitude we carry with us. This process helps us become more aware of our behaviour towards others.
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| Rider, therapist and pony on the same team. |
A good study of how animals teach us about our own behaviour
can be found in ‘A puppy called Aero’. It is a book for everyone, written by the
protagonist Liam Creed and tells a heartening tale on growing up, ADHD and an
encounter with a rollicking puppy.
The benefits of spending time with animals are well known to
people working in therapy settings. Cats,
dogs and dolphins among others, have been used in Animal Assisted Therapy.
One theory (the biophilia hypothesis) explains that we have a primordial tendency to look to animals for signs of unrest or fear, signifying in the primitive world, a sign of danger to ourselves. Conversely seeing an animal at rest, calms us down and helps us chill out!
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| A young rider proud of his achievements! |
Horses have also found themselves involved in giving
therapy. Hippotherapy is a well
established strategy which is beneficial on a number of levels. It has been
used to treat addictions, teach anger management, encourage problem-solving and
support assertiveness training. In
riders with autism, hippotherapy has helped to increase their physical mobility, balance and coordination as well as stamina. It has been known, among others, to increase
expressive language in non-verbal riders.
Hippotherapy or equine assisted therapy, has similarly aided the
recovery of victims of sexual abuse and emotional trauma. Through contact with
the sight, smells, sounds and sensations of horse-riding, the rider’s mind
learns to process and integrate environmental stimuli, leading to better body
awareness, improved emotional adaptation and ultimately increased
self-esteem. This in turns kick starts
the rider’s ability to integrate better socially.
Over the years we have seen an increase of animal presence
in cities. Cat Café’s have sprung up in Asia and Europe
alike. Animals are now invited to practise yoga and meditation with fellow human practitioners. After all much of
the inspiration for yoga and martial arts postures and movements come from
animals. You don't believe that? Just watch this bear practise her morning stretches! J
This rise in pet numbers indicates a significant shift in the way we look at our humble companions - we have started to acknowledge the fact that animals provide us with an important service.
They are able to support us in creating a loving responsible environment, normalize everyday stresses and overall, boost our sense of happiness and wellbeing.
Hence they merit our greatest respect.
Share your thoughts with us about how animals support our wellbeing. Send in photos of your favourite pet/therapist/companion and tell us about how they help you to heal and relax.
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