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This blog is another opportunity to feel grateful and thank you dear Universe: You continue to bless me with recovery and overall health.
For dog-walking and pet-pampering lovers, the act is closely associated with their happy quotient.
Recently, I started to notice some turnaround stories on how pets helped patients with rare and chronic health conditions recoup by lowering their intensity of pain and other associated symptoms. Almost all pet owners are of the opinion that once acquired they are a difficult taste to let go of.
Does synchronizing the human-animal bond harmonize our way of living better and healthier? Stay tuned to find out more.
For pet lovers, their darling means the world and there is enough evidence that it is beyond just owning them. The experience of companionship, unconditional love, and active involvement in raising them is beyond words and expressions.
Having pets as a part of us is a responsible task however researchers claim and associate having them with several health benefits. Pets are indirectly doing service by helping patients and families manage a broader aspect of health-related conditions:
- Comic Relief: Ms. Anu, a patient suffering from severe depression says ‘’Seeing him wag his tail standing on the doorstep after returning home post work is one of the greatest feelings’’. Laughter is an integral part of our life and what better than having avenues that help add doses of laughter to our life? Our relationships with them deepen so much that they make us smile and laugh like kids at silly things and give us reasons for utter joy and excitement.
- They get us on our feet: our commitment to them gets us to move our bodies and get physically active. Most of the patients emphasized how their pets encouraged them to step out to get some fresh air and it instantly feels positive with their own body language.
Mr. John, a chronic patient and a retired official based in Australia says that even on days when he is not feeling up to the mark, his pet motivates him to get out of bed and it might be a reason for his strong heart muscles.
- Mood booster: pets are reasons for a rise in the feel-good hormone with ease in anxiety levels and have a close connection with reducing work-related stress. Generally, it has been noticed that playing with pets, hugging them, and having their undivided attention increases dopamine which promotes calmness and provides immediate stress relief. It’s crucial for self-development activity when we introduce a helping attitude toward others including nonhumans.
- Follow a set routine: a pet should be trained to adapt to changes however setting up a routine that works both for us and the pet helps train them better and helps discipline. A routine gives us a balanced approach to life and facilitates recovery from ailments.
Mr. Garry, a Swedish shop owner says that he was surprised to find his teen daughter, a chronic patient, extremely consistent with her cat’s food timings and in turn remembered adhering to her own medical routine.
- They take care of our mental and physical fitness: during my conversation, Mr. Joy, a cancer patient claims that at times all you need is a strong purpose in life to recover and his pet gives him that determination to bounce back.
Other benefits include Incremental self-confidence, ease in anxiety levels, daily physical activities, creating awareness about the present moment, making one feel important, and adding a controlled approach towards life.
- They engage our minds, constructively: a pet could make us feel wanted and take away our focus from immediate problems, occupy our time, uplift our morale, and even help develop social connections.
Mr. Mathew says ‘’It was due to Johny (his Labrador) that he started going to a local dog park where he met his support system, his life partner’’.
- Help Pain management: Ms. Julia, based out of Florida says, ‘’Experiencing chronic pain was causing immense challenges to cope with my daily activities leading to uncertainty. Bringing home Boy (her pet dog), was the perfect way to distract myself from health problems and help in managing pain. I advocate for an animal companion to relieve pain’’.
- Overcome loneliness: they are great as companions with their unconditional affection that could be equated to many of our human friends. Many patients claim to feel less depressed, feel happier, and have a lower intensity of illness in the presence of their pets. They connect us as social animals by helping us develop new relationships that last for a lifetime.
Patients and their families claim that pets soon become more of a family and give love and support being non-judgmental having a sense of emotional bonding that could be as intense as psychological therapy.
Typically, what makes our bonding with them even special is the flavour that we search for in our human relationships. What say?
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed above in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
