4 Ways an ESA Keeps You Mentally Strong
An emotional support animal can make a huge difference to how emotionally stable someone with a mental disability feels. There is no denying that these disabilities are often extremely difficult to deal with, but even an ESA dog (or cat, or horse, etc.) will ensure that you stay mentally strong throughout the whole process.
1. An ESA Will Keep Your Mood Positive
It is hard to feel mentally strong if you are feeling anxious, low, depressed, confused, or are going through other negative emotions. These feelings can often end up causing a person to spiral, exacerbating their symptoms.
An ESA helps to counter this by keeping your mood positive.
How?
Well, spending time with your ESA will increase the amount of feel-good neurochemicals in your body. Everything from dopamine to serotonin to oxytocin start to rise when you are in the presence of an animal. These hormones can take your mood from down to up in no time at all, saving you from having to deal with the negative emotions that accompany your mental disability.
2. An ESA Provides Unconditional Love
Having someone who loves you with all their heart, no matter what you do, is a huge boost to a person’s mental health.
Even though you may be receiving plenty of love from humans, there is nothing quite like the unconditional love that an ESA provides. They will help you to feel connected to the world, preventing feelings of loneliness from arising. This can make a huge difference to your mental state, enabling you to feel much stronger since you have someone who is always on your side.
3. An ESA Helps to Regulate Intense Emotions
Intense emotions are common when it comes to mental disabilities.
These sudden changes in your mood and emotions can make it difficult to feel strong, since you never quite know what’s around the corner.
Well, this is something else that your ESA can help with…
There is quite a bit of research out there that points to the way in which an ESA can help to regulate intense emotions. Many experts believe that this is due to the fact the animal itself is calm and stable. These feelings then transfer over to their owner, helping to reset any intense feelings that their owner may be experiencing.
4. An ESA Encourages Socialization
While you may not feel as though you need more people in your life, studies show that having a strong social network can make a huge difference to how mentally strong a person feels.
Many people who are dealing with mental disabilities find it hard to meet new people, but this is another area where your ESA can help.
A pet makes a fantastic ice-breaker, and you will likely end up meeting so many new, like-minded people because of your ESA. Whether this may be at your local park, the pet store, the vet, or even online on pet forums, connecting with other people will really give your mental health a big boost.
Many often underestimate the impact that an ESA can have on a person’s mental health. However, if you have been struggling with staying mentally strong and stable, you will likely find that an ESA is able to completely transform your life in no time at all.
