Published on 12, July, 2020
Pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy (AAT), is a type of therapy that involves using animals to help people improve their physical, emotional, and mental health. Pet therapy has been used for many years to help people with a wide range of health conditions, including mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.There is a growing body of research that supports the effectiveness of pet therapy for improving mental health. Here are some of the ways in which pets can help improve mental health:Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Pets have been shown to help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety in people. Studies have found that simply petting a dog or cat can help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin.Boosting Mood: Pets can also help boost mood and alleviate symptoms of depression. Spending time with a pet can increase levels of dopamine and serotonin, which are neurotransmitters associated with feelings of happiness and well-being.Providing Social Support: Pets can also provide social support and a sense of companionship, which is especially important for people who may be feeling lonely or isolated. Pets can offer unconditional love and a non-judgmental presence, which can be very beneficial for people struggling with mental health issues.Encouraging Physical Activity: Many pets, such as dogs, require regular exercise, which can encourage people to be more active and get outside. Regular exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health, including reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Yeah I don’t get this at all. Appreciate other people find joy in pets. Maybe if I were to keep a pet it would probably be something like a goldfish. Pretty to look at you wouldn’t try and pet it or talk to it or tell that you’ve had a hard day. Having animals running around me if anything tends to stress me out. some people seem to treat pets like substitute people. I don’t get that. I can’t imagine thinking about a pet as a companion. I mean companionship requires a degree of responsiveness and for me responsiveness is usually verbal, so unless you’re talking about a parrot that’s a complete 0% success rate right there. I mean people talk about love languages and I’m pretty sure one of my main love languages is Conversation which you can’t do with your pets. The second is probably the horny stuff which you shouldn’t do with your pets.
I'm not sure you really understand what having a pet is like. Aside from when he's being walked, my dog doesn't spend any time moving faster than a slow walk so hardly running around me. And companionship includes a lot of things other than talking and sex. It's a nice feeling to come down in the morning or get back home from wherever and have a living, thinking being be super happy to see you. It's not for everyone, I guess but it's mostly an incredibly rewarding experience to have a pet (one that actually knows you exist, not a fish).
I definitely think my dog has helped me deal at least a bit better than I would have otherwise. He is pretty old at this point so probably will pass in the next couple of years and that'll really suck.
T said:my dog doesn't spend any time moving faster than a slow walk so hardly running around me.
The speed is not the issue. It’s just unnerving to have a rogue element moving around your house behaving in irrational ways, pooping on the floors, scratching the furniture, or jumping all over you without warning. I grant you children can also sometimes do these things but at least you can talk to children about it.
“And companionship includes a lot of things other than talking and sex.”
does it? I’m sorry I’m not one of these people who can sit for ages in silence with someone and just think oh yeah I’ve had a really good time hanging out with this person. I normally have to do something with them, if it’s not talking then it’ll be playing a game or possibly watching a movie, but even then I’m the type that’d want to talk about the movie afterwards. I am the kind of guy who'll ask you about the book your reading.
as for physical contact. I generally only want physical contact between myself people who I consider friends or people to whom I am sexually attracted. A pet lacks the intellectual reciprocity for the former and until Elon Musk makes his cat girls also the physiological necessities for the latter.
chat GPT has a better chance at meeting my criteria for emotional reciprocity than a ball of fur.