Can Emotional Support Animals Help Reduce Stress?

For many of us, stress permeates our everyday lives, causing symptoms such as headache, fatigue, racing heart, chest pains, insomnia, muscle ache, and nausea. It can also cause more chronic, serious, and long-lasting problems, like depression, infertility, weakened immune systems, heart problems, high blood pressure, weight gain, and more. Managing your day-to-day stress is vitally important but also very difficult. So, can Emotional Support Animals Help Reduce Stress? Yes, we are going to find out how.

Improved Physical Health

Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure. On top of this, it is also shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Having an animal around can also encourage you to be more physically active. It’s hard to say no to a cute furry face begging for a walk. Staying physically healthy can help reduce stress.

Improve Mental Health

74% of pet owners reported mental health benefits from pet ownership, showing just how much an emotional support animal can potentially boost your mood. Researchers have shown that pet owners laugh more in their day-to-day lives than those without pets, proving just how much joy having a pet truly brings. They also provide a source of unconditional love and comfort and will stay by your side through thick and thin. Being mentally healthy can help you manage the challenges life throws at you and ease your stress.

Provide Comfort & Companionship

Emotional support animals provide a physical presence that can help reduce loneliness and express unconditional love despite what you may be going through. They can also help increase your social engagement by providing an easy and fun topic of conversation. Who doesn’t love to show off cute pictures of their cat or dog?

Psychiatric Service Animals

Emotional support animals are protected by the Fair Housing Act, meaning you can live with them anywhere, regardless of pet policy or fees. However, you cannot take them out in public with you and must follow normal pet regulations if you are traveling with them. However, you may be able to register your emotional support animal as a psychiatric service dog if it performs a task in relation to your mental health. This can include standing on top of you to calm you down during panic attacks, reminding you at a certain time to take your medication, waking you up from nightmares, etc. A psychiatric service dog is considered necessary medical equipment under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and can accompany you in public and while traveling.
In conclusion, if you are experiencing debilitating amounts of stress in your daily life, Animals Help Reduce Stress. Having an animal in your life can reduce stress by improving your physical and mental health and providing comfort and companionship. Learn how you can get an emotional support animal letter of certification or register a psychiatric service dog from our experts at United Support Animal today.