Animals can provide fun and companionship. Animals can also provide emotional support to people with mental health problems. These companion animals are known as Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and have grown in popularity in recent years.
An emotional support animal letter is a companion animal that provides some benefit to a person with some disability. Animals aim to provide companionship and support to help alleviate at least one aspect of a disability.
Dogs are the most common emotional support animal, but cats are also very common. Other animals, such as young horses, also act as ESAs. Rare emotional support animals that have travelled with their owners include pigs, ducks, monkeys and turkeys. The majority of ESAs are not rare, exotic or stable creatures.
Functions
Why would a person choose to use an emotional support animal? Research has long supported that animals can provide important mental health benefits. Petting has been shown to positively affect mental health by strengthening emotional bonds and helping people deal with crises. Other benefits that animals can provide emotional support include:
- Less anxiety. Simply petting an animal produces a relaxing response and improves your mood.
- Traumatological support. Pets can relieve people in difficult situations, including those who have experienced trauma.
- Improved physical health. Studies show that ESAs lower blood pressure, slow breathing, and improve the ability to manage pain.
- Smaller unit. Animals provide company. This is especially important for people who live alone and have symptoms of depression or anxiety.
- Mutual care and love. Caring for emotional support animals can also help give people a sense of purpose. Not only do animals provide unconditional love and companionship, but they also need care and love in return, which is emotionally rewarding.
Emotional animals and service animals
Although there are some similarities between emotional support animals and service animals, the two have essential differences. On the other hand, register emotional support dog help people with disabilities by performing specific tasks.
Service animals are specially trained to provide services to people with some form of disability. These disturbances can be sensory, physical, intellectual, mental or spiritual. Service animals can perform tasks that include alerting people with sounds, navigating streets, pressing elevator buttons, retrieving objects, warning others, or alerting people to shifts. Emotional Support Animal Letter Housing exists to provide companionship to alleviate distress or provide other forms of comfort.
Choose an appropriate emotional support animal.
Choosing the right ESA is an important decision left entirely to the user's discretion. All domesticated animals can qualify for ESA, but consider how they interact with their chosen mate. If seeing a snake devouring a mouse every day excites you, great! But if the condition is alleviated by, e.g. to pet, train or look after a more loving being, then go that way.
Also, consider your budget. Dogs are much more expensive than hamsters. Especially if the puppy needs medical attention. Do your research thoroughly and think beyond your property for the next few months. Ideally, a register emotional support animal fits into your lifestyle and provides emotional relief during difficult times rather than adding stress.
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