A MUST READ, for anxiety issues...

For everyone posting about their anxiety issues, and other psych problems, I would HIGHLY recommend going the route I did. I train service dogs for psychological disorders. My personal dog is trained to assist me with PTSD, Panic Attacks, and much more. He will do a "Room Check" walk around the entire room, turn on lights, and close doors. He comforts me during attacks, and can lead me out of a crowd should I become anxious. He is truely an amazing creature. I currently have 2 dogs right now just waiting for their partners so I can begin training. This has been my answer, and I hope this information can help another person out too. If you went to Bonnaroo I was the one there with the Collie that looks like Lassie. I helped change Bonnaroo's access program just a little this year. Anyway, I highly recommend visiting www.psychdog.org and feel free to message me with questions!
~peace

 

wow, this is really interesting.

 

wow ive never heard of that before... i am currently dealing with anxiety issues, panic attacks, etc., and without undermining how having such a dog has obviously helped you, for my own personal experience, this would seem a weak way out. I feel that I need to learn how to deal with my anxiety, and having a dog to lead me out of anxiety-producing situation is just like having another safety blanket to cover me so I dont have to deal with it. I'm more interested in learning how I can overcome the anxiety, not letting it consume me, rather than accepting its place in my life like its forevermore.

 

OMG it is so sad you think of it as a safety blanket! It was my way to deal with my issues without the use of any medications, it was so freeing. I actually had a choice to leave my dog at home or bring him with. Ask him to preform a service OR deal with it myself. As much as I can handle when I can handle it. You don't get that kind of freedom with a pill and you don't get that kind of flexibility trying to do it all yourself. That is why I absolutely loved it, I was completely free!

 

man. anxiety cannot be cured through such exposition and marketting scheme. mental problems, if cured by a pill or something else than your own self are just going to have more chances of hitting you again in the future, perhaps even harder.
What would you do if you were depressed on a deserted island, would you call out the pharmacy or start raising an island monkey, you'd sort it out yourself in your own mind, the pill doesnt know your problems, dogs either, they bring you illusionary pleasure.

 

That is just not true for some people. It is such a simple concept...it is chemestry of the brain. We drop acid and smoke pot for the feeling, if you were alone on a deserted island you could not "will" that feeling, you would want pot or acid LOL
If I were deserted I would ABSOLUTELY befriend the animals, that would be my first goal, monkey or snake or otherwise! Some peoples first goal would be to create an instrument so they could have music because music is their healer, it alters their brain chemestry. To each his own, I'm shocked at peoples judgement on this matter!

 

i am too actualy i think youve done something pretty amazing here & can be extremely benificial, & is a really amazing adaptation on the whole service animal thing as well as the healing powers of animal compannionship.
i'd really love to suggest this as an option to a freind of mine in fact..

 

Wonderful! I'm glad people are starting to become aware of the benefits of service animals for mental issues! I also suffer from an anxiety disorder and depression and animals are the only thing that empower me to look forward to the days. I would love to have a dog, but my cats are my healers for now.

I can see how some people would see this as running away from your problems and being an illusion like a pill....but your right in the fact that it offers freedom and choice. Just because you are using a natural tool to help you heal doesn't mean you are accepting the anxiety forever. I would much rather have an animal help me heal than a person...screw doctors....animals understand more than you could ever believe.

Along with using the wonderful powers of mother natures creatures, the Linden Method has begun to change my anxious life forever. Basically i've learned to stop giving the anxiety power, stop thinking about the sensations, stop talking and thinking about the anxiety, and "reprogram" my brain. Check it out.

 

This is freakin' awesome, considering I'm going to be a psychologist and I adore dogs. I wanted to do dog therapy (not therapy on dogs, therapy with dogs) and I didn't know there were canine solutions to anxiety disorders too. Thanks!

 

bah whatever. lol. whatever makes you happy i guess.

 

i suppose different people have different anxiety experiences, and different things work for them. for me though, this would not be the answer

 

Wow, i think thats such a great alternative to other forms of treatment 4 anxiety/ depression. Everyone has different ways of copeing with their problems and "dog therapy" is a natural/unorthodoxed way to deal with psychological problems. I believe that self determination is a key factor but a sometimes a buffer or reassurance makes all the difference. After all, a dog is a mans best friend.

 

see 'a dog is a man's best friend', thats one of the key examples of human's illusionary pleasure. It means fuck all anything, dogs are wild animals that got domesticated by us, if something they'd be happier in the wild. saying their 'man's best friend' is a typical human reaction to make the owning of a dog more pleasurable. That's why I think the most natural way to go is by neglecting all of that irrealistic happiness and to purely sort it out in your own perceptions and then you'll be even more apt of receiving real happiness.

 

I think this is amazing. I don't suffer from any anxiety problems, and a dog may actually be in danger if I have an 'episode' around him; so this is not something I'm interested in.

I too can see how some may veiw this as a blanket but I think what you said really holds true. "I actually had a choice to leave my dog at home or bring him with. Ask him to preform a service OR deal with it myself"

If having this dog around has eased your stressors and helped you cope with your anxiety I say good for you. I think it's fantastic, and I'm jealouse. I'm still currently looking for my way out, and I might just give pills a go.

Have a good day, and remember, pass to the left. Peace

 

That's pretty interesting, and I'm glad it worked for you. Different things work for different people, so you just have to find what's right for you [even if it may seem somewhat gimmicky, no offense!]. But in either case, I'm glad that it helped you out of your anxiety - whatever works, right?

Rock.

 

I didn't know that a dog would help with anxiety or depression (like a seeing eye dog). That is until, after 14 years of dealing with depression and meds almost the whole time, I recently got a lab puppy. My need for meds is always present but at least now I'm feeling more useful. I guess I just needed to take care of someone that really needed me to take care of them. I'm to my psyc doctor at least every 2 months but the last few times it just seems like I couldn't do it anymore. I mean take medication that just left me feeling nothing at best and at worst wishing/praying I were dead. Anyway, I am so glad for Maizy. I can't believe how much better I'm starting to feel. I don't know for how long I'll feel this good but I don't care, it's nice to feel it. I will always love and take care of my little one. I'm always thinking of her. I would never hurt her.

 

lol

 

I think it's sweet and well,animals are very comforting and they say that petting a cat helps lower your blood pressure.