Sunday, July 12, 2020

How Service Animals Help People With Anxiety

How Service Animals Help People With Anxiety Social Anxiety Disorder Coping Print How Psychiatric Service Animals Help Social Anxiety Disorder By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on April 04, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on July 22, 2019 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Service animals help those with social anxiety disorder. Getty / Westend61 Are you interested in obtaining a service animal to help you cope with social anxiety disorder (SAD)? There are different definitions and rules regarding animals that can help individuals with mental disabilities. Your choice of animal will depend on the circumstances that you face and your daily needs.   Definition of a Psychiatric Service Animal While most people think of service animals as those that help individuals with physical disabilities (such as blindness), they also help those with medical conditions and psychiatric illness. In this way, psychiatric service animals are just one specific type of what is legally known as a service animal. Based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Only dogs and miniature horses are recognized by the ADA as service animals as of March 15, 2011.   Note that the Fair Housing Act and Air Carrier Access Act have different definitions of assistance animals and service animals than the narrow definition of the ADA. Service animals may also be defined more broadly in your particular state or local area. Check with your state attorney generals office to learn what applies in your area. Emotional Support Animal Vs Psychiatric Service Animal According to the ADA, service animals are working animals, not pets. Animals who are only there to offer comfort or emotional support for SAD and other mental illnesses (known as emotional support animals) are not recognized as service animals by the ADA. Unlike service animals, emotional support animals (ESA) are not trained in skills to support a disability. Generally, individuals who have emotional support animals do not require that these animals go with them in public places, while those with service animals do. So if you have SAD, an emotional support animal would be there to provide comfort but not do specific tasks for you. What kinds of animals can serve as ESAs? Any type that you would normally consider a pet, including dogs, cats, birds, and exotic animals. ESAs are permitted to fly in the cabin of an aircraft and qualify for no-pet housing  but have no other special  privileges. Psychiatric Service Animal You need an animal to perform a major life task. For example, the dog can predict your panic attacks and lead you to a safe place. You need the animal to accompany you to public places. You have a comorbid disorder, such as depression and panic disorder, in addition to SAD. Emotional Support Animal The presence of an animal provides comfort. You don’t need the animal to go with you to public places. You have social anxiety disorder. What Is an Emotional Support Animal? Where You Can Take Your Service Animal The ADA states that service animals must be permitted to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go. Local governments, business, and non-profit organizations must comply with these rules. If you have social anxiety disorder, your service animal has to be allowed to go anywhere that you goâ€"from the cafeteria to the doctors waiting room. You also cant be charged an extra fee for your service animal, so if youre spending a night in a hotel with a pet fee, ask that it be waived. What Your Service Animal Will Wear Your service animal is not required to wear a special vest or harness. This may be helpful if you live with social anxiety, as it could be traumatizing to have people ask about your service animal and why you need him or her. However, you should take small steps and talk to others about your animal when you are ready.   However, there are regulations about leashes. Under the ADA, your service animal will need to be wearing a leash or harness of some sort, unless this interferes with the animals workâ€"in which case, you need to be able to control your dog with your voice or through hand signals. What You Can Legally Be Asked When out in public, you may legally be asked If your dog is required because of a disability? and What work has your dog been trained to perform? Thats it. You dont need to answer any other questions that are asked. You cannot be asked about your specific disability, to provide medical documentation or training documentation for your dog, or to have your dog demonstrate the work he/she performs. Unfortunately, though, many individuals are not familiar with these rules. Air Travel Traveling on an airplane with a service animal is relatively straightforward. The airline is not permitted to require anything of you beyond what they can legally ask you. If you have an ESA instead of a service animal for your social anxiety, you will be required to provide a letter, not more than a year old, on letterhead, from a mental health professional. The letter must state that you have a mental health disability listed in the DSM-5 (but they cannot ask for you to specify your diagnosis), that your animal is necessary for your health/treatment, and that the letter is written by a mental health professional caring for you. Airlines may also ask you for documentation about the mental health providers license. How Service Animals Help With SAD When it comes to SAD, examples of tasks that your service animal might do include the following:Reminding you to take prescription medicationAlerting you to rising anxiety so that you can leave a situation before you become overwhelmedBlocking other people from getting too close to youLeading you to a quiet place or exit if you have become overwhelmed by anxietyLeading you to a seat if you are about to faintPhysically bracing you if you become dizzy or disorientedCalling 911 for you using a K9 rescue phoneAlthough having a service animal by your side may make it easier to talk to strangers, service animals are not supposed to be approached while they are performing tasks. How to Obtain a Service Animal The first step toward obtaining a service animal if you have social anxiety disorder is to speak with your doctor or mental health professional. You will need to qualify for a service animal under the ADAâ€"for which a diagnosis of SAD will be sufficient. If you dont have an official diagnosis, requesting an assessment will be your first step toward obtaining a service animal.  You will then need to approach an agency to locate an animal. Your doctor may be able to provide a referral or contact an agency on your behalf. Service animals are not provided for freeâ€"you will need to pay for the animal. So be sure that you have the financial resources to do so, as well as to provide care for the animal in the long term. If the upfront cost of a service animal is too much, you could consider training an animal yourself. Be aware, however, that there will still be expenses over the years. You should budget about $2,000 a year for your animal. Animals That Can Be Trained as Service Animals The Role of Service Dog Organizations Service dog organizations serve a number of purposes. Usually, they provide an opportunity for service animal owners to become members and register their animals. Registering a service animal with an organization may help to reduce discrimination and problems with access without you having to disclose the nature of your disability. This may be especially helpful for SAD, since it is a condition that may not be obvious to others. While the public should not question that you have a disability, having your dog registered may just make life easier. If you feel comfortable, have your animal wear a vest, harness, or patchâ€"these will usually say Service Dog or something similar. The  United States Service Dog Registry (USSDR) offers a registry with  free  and voluntary online self-registration.   Health Benefits of Pet Ownership In a study of the role of pets among 177 individuals with serious mental illness, it was found that pets helped by providing empathy, making social connections easier, being a family member, and strengthening sense of self-efficacy and empowerment. This study shows that pets are more than just companions. If you are not so severely impaired by your social anxiety that you need a service animal, a regular petâ€"be it a dog, cat, bird, iguana, whatever you feel comfortable withâ€"just might give you the added support and confidence to face your social fears. How Having a Pet Affects Your Stress Levels A Word From Verywell While it may seem confusing at first, obtaining an animal to help with your social anxiety does not need to be difficult. Consider which type of animal is most suited to your situation (service animal, emotional support animal, or family pet), contact your medical professional as necessary, and evaluate your ability to support an animal in your home.   The 7 Best Online Anxiety Support Groups