Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the United States, and it takes a tremendous toll on the well-being, happiness, and productivity of many Americans. We live our lives at a frantic pace, which can easily lead to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and much more. The good news is that there are ways to reduce anxiety without medication—like with the help of an emotional support animal.

People with anxiety can reap phenomenal benefits by partnering with an emotional support animal (ESA). Service dogs, in particular, can help anxiety sufferers enjoy a sense of calm and anticipate oncoming symptoms of anxiety. But how do animals help to reduce anxiety, and how do they fit into our current culture?

A Closer Look at Emotional Support Animals

So what is an emotional support animal? Basically, it is a domestic animal that provides calming or mood-boosting effects to a person suffering from anxiety or another mental health issue. Most ESAs are dogs or cats, but birds or even miniature horses can also be support animals if they help with anxiety.

Just the mere presence of a trusted animal can help people feel more in control and safe. People can relieve emotional stress by enjoying the company of an animal that offers unconditional love, soft fur, and a reassuring presence.

In general, emotional support animals aren’t professionally trained the way service dogs are. They should be well-behaved and should not pose a threat to others, but they are not expected to perform specific tasks and may not be allowed to accompany their owner into shops, restaurants, and other areas usually off-limits to animals.

About Service Dogs For Anxiety

Unlike ESAs, service dogs are trained in specific tasks. A service dog for a person with anxiety, for instance, might be trained to bring their owner items they need during a panic attack, anticipating and signaling an upcoming anxiety attack, or getting help in case an anxiety attack does occur.

For people with severe anxiety or PTSD, the assistance of a service dog can be life-changing. Although it is fairly easy to find an emotional support animal, getting a service dog is a much more challenging process. It is expensive to train service dogs, and the waiting lists are generally long. People with more severe anxiety or another mental illness are more likely to be given a service dog than someone with more manageable symptoms.

Emotional Support Animals and the Law

It’s important to understand that emotional support animals are not officially service animals and do not have all of the same privileges of trained service dogs, such as a protected legal right to enter public buildings with their owners. ESAs often fall into a gray area that has caused some contention and issues due to lack of proper training or people passing off their pets as ESAs in order to bring them into establishments that normally do not allow animals.

There’s been a lot of discussion in the past few years about emotional support animals and where or when they should be allowed to accompany their owners into public buildings. People have lots of opinions about ESAs, but most people don’t have a problem with them. A 2017 survey reveals that 51.4% of respondents believe that there’s nothing wrong with emotional support animals as long as they are useful.

The good news is that as ESAs have become more common to support people with anxiety, depression, and other disorders, lawmakers have begun to clarify the expectations surrounding ESAs. This helps to protect people who rent in buildings that do not allow pets while helping to ensure public safety.

When It’s Time to Get Extra Help

If you’re suffering from anxiety, then having an ESA could help you feel calmer and more grounded in your daily life. But sometimes, an animal alone can’t relieve the symptoms of anxiety, especially if they are accompanied by other mental health issues. If you’re finding that you still experience severe anxiety, even with an ESA, then it may be time to speak with a mental health professional and learn about other ways to cope with your condition. 

Emotional support animals can be fantastic for some people, but it’s important to understand the responsibility of acquiring an animal. Make sure you are equipped to care for them throughout their entire life and ensure that you fully understand your responsibility in keeping the public safe when your animal is around strangers. And finally, if you need help with your mental health, always seek the help of a professional!