Pets and Stress Relief Man's Best Friend Is Key To Wellness
The link between pets and stress relief has long been known. The role that animals (domesticated pets, specifically) can and do play in helping human beings achieve and maintain wellness in many areas of life is a very interesting field. Organizations such as
Therapet
in the USA or
Therapeutic Pets of Canada (TPOC)
are doing amazing things for people AND pets to help relieve all kinds of stress.
Why do people keep pets? They say that a dog is man's best friend because of the unconditional love that a dog will show towards its owner. The health-benefits-related history between pets and stress relief is very extensive.
We have known for hundreds of years that pets provide a form of animal therapy to their keepers. The number of therapeutic jobs an animal is capable of fulfilling is quite amazing.
Through programs like "therapy dog training", animals provide assistance in extended care facilities to comfort the elderly; pet therapists are used to assist with grieving and loss; pet therapy is used in dealing with trauma situations; animals (horses) are used to help persons with physical disabilities improve their mobility; and most recently, I learned that dogs are used to help children who struggle with reading become better readers.
Whatever the use of pets as animal therapists, it seems an excellent way to help us human beings relieve stress and achieve wellness.
And What About The Animals Themselves? Socially Responsible Pet Ownership
It's one thing for us to acknowledge the link between pets and stress relief, but animals can be a very large cause of stress as well. So often, we get pets as gifts or because we are overcome with a sense of social justice if an animal is being mistreated. We take on the responsibility of owning a pet without a real plan as to how we will fit this responsibility into our lives. What we thought was going to be animal therapy has now become an animal-ownership induced stress. The idea of pets and stress relief.
Or what if your pet becomes ill and you don't have the resources to take care of that pet. In my own life, I had a recent terrible experience with a pet that became very ill and didn't respond to any of the known treatments. No matter how much I spent and no matter how many vets I saw, the dog just got sicker and sicker. I felt so bad for that dog's suffering (our baby) that it caused me an immense amount of stress. That dog is now in a much better place and her suffering has ended, but I feel stressed out just thinking about the situation as I write this.
What about you? Have you watched the recent hit movie, Marley and me? Animals can be our greatest therapists but they can also pose a huge problem in our lives if they are not well-managed.
Take A Pets and Stress Relief Test
The following questions may help you in deciding what role animals play or should play in your life.
1) What role do animals play in your life? Have you always had pets or is owning a pet a new experience? Do you have too many or too few pets in your life?
2) Would you say that the animal(s) in your life cause you stress? Is it good stress or bad stress?
3) If the stress is good, why is it good? Can you build on this good stress to achieve an even higher level of pet therapy for you and your family?
4) If the stress is bad, why is it bad? Can you change the situation to reduce the stress? Can you identify the problems. What can be done to solve them?
5) Do you feel that you do a good job of managing pets in your life so they are a help and not a burden?
6) Does your owning a pet cause extreme stress in the life of another person close to you? What can be done to solve this problem?
7) Have you ever bought a pet for someone else or help someone else acquire a pet? When choosing a pet, it is important to consider the needs of the animal and the future owner. If you are going to assist someone in getting a pet, it is important to ensure a good match. The link at the top of this page gives some excellent information on the needs of pets.
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SO, WHAT'S THESTORY ON STRESS?
STRESS is out of control! In fact, life is out of control! Effective stress management and problem solving skills may be the only thing that will keep your head above water in the next decade. It really is becoming quite serious and so should be taken very seriously. What is your plan for the next decade? Or, will you let stress win?
Maybe you thought life was crazy in the first decade of the 21st century. Unfortunately, it's only going to get worse. Experts predict 10 years of economic devastation before things improve. A whole bunch of economic factors are coming together all at the same time and the results of this trend will not be for the weak-hearted.
Your stress management skills and life coping skills may well be a key factor in deciding who wins and who loses. And, I don’t mean the lottery! I am talking about health & wellness. Poor stress management leads to serious illness.
In the past 30 years, chronic degenerative disease (CDD) has been on the rise. Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Asthma, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Chrohn’s and Depression are just a few of the 200+ chronic degenerative diseases that experts say are directly caused by stress. We are fighting for our lives. How much more stress can any of us really take?
But, there is hope! Achieving and maintaining wellness is more than possible. So, come with us to learn everything YOU need to know in order to take back control of your health and your life.
