PTSD and Anxiety – Furry treatment

It is impossible to ignore the horrors of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We are not saying that PTSD is in any way isolated to war veterans; it is a relatively too common condition that can affect every person in our society, and it is often chronic and difficult to fully cure. There have been multitudes of studies, and a recent one conducted in Europe and published in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that only 52% of the PTSD cases remitted during the follow-up period, and 48% showed no significant remission of PTSD symptoms. Respondents with a chronic course were more likely to experience new traumatic events during follow-up. PTSD is often a persistent and chronic disorder. There are so many studies that discuss prevalence, but after a personally-conducted meta-analysis of VA data, we believe 12-16% of post-deployed, trained soldiers suffer from PTSD, with the number probably increasing up to 25% for Reservists and National Guard members pressed into action.

The incidence and prevalence of PTSD, and the understanding and identification of the disorder grows daily. Multitudes of studies exist, most post-war but now on-going because of the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A great place to learn more and stay connected to this issue can be found at http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/newsletters/research-quarterly/V20N1.pdf.

For years, animals have been used with great benefit in the treatment of autistic children, the aged and the seriously ill. Plus, we all know how Service Dogs help those with chronic physical challenges. So while we honor those who have served so bravely and given so much for their country, we also honor the people who put these animals through such rigorous training – and the wonderful animals that work so hard to help people suffering from PTSD.

We have all heard or seen how Pet Therapy is benefitting sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Soldiers often feel alone and set apart, even from their companions in arms, and the sense of isolation and anxiety can be extreme. This is where pets, and dogs in particular, are helping soldiers who are suffering as a result of the recurring traumas caused by war.

The healing process for PTSD is lengthy, arduous and lonely. This explains why doctors and mental health professionals are enthusiastic about the positive results they are seeing with the relatively new treatment of PTSD through animal assisted therapy.

While the majority of times we are pairing PTSD patients with dogs, the treatment has also seen positive results when patients interact with other animals like horses, cats, and even dolphins. It is proven that pets reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and lower blood pressure while breaking the crippling stretches of loneliness. Often Pet

Therapy, in conjunction with other therapies, is the perfect choice to help PTSD patients to reduce these symptoms.

A primary reason for this success is that animals, no matter how well trained, require human care. This care requires focus – this focus redirects the patient thinking about themselves, and in turn, away from the recurring images that create the trauma. Pets don’t care if you can’t see, are missing limbs, or are bed or wheelchair bound – they are just dedicated loyal friends yearning to exchange comfort and attention. They also are highly perceptive of your mood. This spans almost all pets used for therapy. Horses can truly sense the mood of the rider, and when used in therapy they become a natural form of bio-feedback therapy. Dogs can be trained to interact, not just reactively like horses, but proactively. For highly anxious PTSD patients, a well-trained therapy dog is trained to come alongside and give the patient a gentle poke with a cool nose or a warm paw. When patients feel threatened, having a calm animal nearby acts to soothe their fears and anxiety.

Does it really work?

The use of Animal Assisted Therapy in the treatment of PTSD patients has wielded significant results. In one study of the effect of dogs on patients, psychologists noted an 82% reduction in symptoms. One particular case noted that interacting with the dog for as little as one week, enabled a patient to decrease the amount of anxiety and sleep medications by half. Encouraged by findings so far, the Department of Defense is investing in the treatment to the tune of $300,000. Further studies are to be conducted at Walter Reed Medical Center.

One successful program that is helping treat veterans through pet therapy is Pets for Vets. Pets for Vets was founded in 2008 by animal behaviorist and trainer, Clarissa Black who was looking for ways to help veterans suffering from PTSD and other related combat stress. Pets for Vets finds companion dogs from local rescue groups and gives them the necessary training before partnering them with a veterans who adopt the dogs into their homes forever. This is a wonderful “win-win,” because veterans get well-trained pets, more trainers are employed – and the best part (from the pet perspective) is that we might be able to save some of the estimated eight million dogs and cats abandoned at animal shelters across the United States.

Training and rules for Service Dogs and Companion Dogs vary

Service Dogs – Primarily used for the Disabled

Service Dogs are an extension of the limb or sense that has been lost or damaged. They can pick things up, guide a person with vision problems, or even serve as a fuzzy crutch. They can even help a person having a seizure and remove dangerous objects should the patient fall. In all but a handful of places, Service Dogs are permitted to go everywhere with their owners.

Service Dogs are trained to ignore their natural instincts (such as running away from loud noises or greeting other dogs/people – so never pet a Service Dog unless you have the expressed permission of the owner. It can take up to two years to train a Service Dog because they are trained to:

▪ Perform tasks that are outside of the dog’s natural behavior.

▪ Perform complicated tasks and do things that the dog owner cannot do because of a disability.

Emotional Therapy Dogs

Emotional Support Dogs help veterans with PTSD feel better by giving friendship and love. Depending on the severity of the condition, even just owning a regular (not specially trained) pet can have therapeutic benefit. The dogs need to be calm, affectionate, social, and extremely well behaved. There are many breeds of dogs that lend themselves to this kind of work, but almost any breed can be the right breed for the right person. Often Service Dogs are larger breeds with high intelligence, such as retrievers and shepherds; Belgian Malinois is a breed that is supposedly very gifted in this area. Support Dogs can include lap dogs (toy and miniature breeds) or very loving and trainable breeds such as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers.

If you are looking for a charity that aids those who suffer from PTSD, we suggest the following (I always recommend checking into the charity to see how and where they spend your donation):

www.cci.org

wardogsmakingithome.org

www.freedom servicedogs .org - They save shelter dogs!

www. pets as therapy .org

http://www.neads.org