A large population of the world suffer from mental disorders. Mental disorders are more common than the average person may think. The most common being anxiety disorders and depression. “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population.” According to ADAA “. They also mention that depression “Affects more than 15 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.”(ADAA) While these disorders are not visible to the naked eye, they are very much so real, and can dramatically hinder one’s life. According to Web MD people who have an anxiety disorder may experience “feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning, overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations, and excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there's little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.” (WebMD) They also mention one with depression may feel a “constant sense of hopelessness and despair”.  (WebMD) Doctors can prescribe medicines to treat anxiety and depression, and while for some they may work well, for others, they may do more harm than good. Medicines can have a lot of risks and side effects that may not be worth it in the end. However, recently, more and more people are using animals as treatments to these disorders. Animals are a safe and symptom free method of treating mental disorders. They have been proven to be effective through many studies with patients. Animals meet the goals of medicine while they also come with numerous benefits medicine cannot provide. Animals are a much better alternative to medicine when treating mental disorders as there are little to no risks.

Antidepressants and Anti-anxiety medicines can greatly benefit many individuals. For many, however, they can cause a lot of unwanted feelings. Antidepressants work by changing the balance of certain chemicals in your brain, and this can attribute to a lot of overwhelming side effects, according to WebMD (WebMD. These include: nausea, increased appetite and weight gain, loss of sexual desire and other sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction and decreased orgasm, fatigue and drowsiness, insomnia, agitation, irritability, anxiety and many other unpleasant symptoms.  On top of the feelings one can experience with a mental disorder, they now may experience many uncomfortable side effects from medication. This can really put a damper on ones motivation to get better as they may feel there is no way out of the pain. Many people are unaware of the possibilities to use animals as a source of relief, and go on feeling like there’s no hope. More awareness should be brought to the use of animals as they can save lives.

So how can animals be a form of treatment?  A doctor can actually prescribe a service animal or write a letter for obtaining an ESA (emotional support animal) for those who need them. These animals are protected by law, and you are given certain privileges with them. For example, a popular choice for a service animal or ESA is a dog. It is no question that dogs can improve one’s happiness, but they also pose so many more benefits and ways to help one overcome anxiety or depression. For starters, a person now has the responsibility to take care of that dog. This means they cannot lay in bed all day, and they must get up to feed it, walk it, etc. Walking a dog opens one up to many opportunities to socialize with other people. Dogs are great conversation starters and draw people to them naturally. One will also be getting exercise walking by walking the dog, which will release endorphins in their brain that stimulate feelings of euphoria and general well-being. Dogs can also sense when you are feeling down and respond to it. They can be trained to lay with you, fetch something you need, etc. The feeling of a warm, soft, and loving being beside one in a time of need can help draw them out of it faster and more effectively. Finally, as Danielle Hark mentions in her article for the Huffington Post, they can prevent loneliness (Hark). If one doesn’t like to be alone, they can make great domestic companions. 

Should a patient want to use animals for treatment, there a few ways they can go. The first option is a service dog. A service dog, defined by ADA National Network, “means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability” (ADA National Network). Service dogs are generally used when a patient’s ability to perform everyday tasks is hindered by their disability. For example, a person with PTSD and/or an anxiety disorder may find trouble performing tasks when in the midst of a panic attack. The service dog can help in a number of ways. According to ADA National Network, the dog can “remind the handler to take medicine, provide safety checks or room searches, or turn on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, interrupt self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders, and keep disoriented individuals from danger.”(ADA National Network) These attributes a service dog can provide are extremely valuable to patients who struggle with a disorder. Medicine can only go so far. Having a bond with an animal who is with you every step of the way and truly loves and wants to help you can provide a vast amount of comfort during these rough moments. Kathryn Oda in her article for Huffington Post says, “It has been over a year and a half since that day and I have never spent another day unable to get out of bed. I have not cried myself to sleep or spent my days paralyzed by fear and regret. Sure, I still have days when I feel sad or anxious, but with my best Buddy by my side, I have finally learned how to manage these feelings and emotions. I finally realized the answer to my decade long question of how to manage anxiety and, depression. Exercise, laughter and love - all things that were unattainable for me before, were achieved by getting a dog.” (Oda)  Kathryn is a prime example of someone who spent her whole life struggling with depression and finding no way out-until she got a dog. Kathryn’s experience with a dog shows that they can indeed be a form of treatment for mental disorders, and that medicine is not always the answer. 

Another way animals can help those with mental disorders is being an ESA, or Emotional Support Animal. An ESA (with the specific example of a dog), defined by United States Dog Registry, “are dogs that provide comfort and support in forms of affection and companionship for an individual suffering from various mental and emotional conditions.” (US Dog Registry) ESAs are not required to perform specific jobs like service dogs are. They are meant exclusively for emotional strength and unconditional love. An ESA does not have to be a dog however. As stated by National Service Animal Registry, “All domesticated animals may qualify as an ESA (cats, dog, mice, rabbits, birds, snakes, hedgehogs, rats, mini pigs, ferrets, etc.) and they can be any age (young puppies and kittens, too!” (US Dog Registry) This benefits everyone as there is plenty to choose from, especially if one has allergies to dogs or cats.  ESAs are protected by law, and if you qualify for one, you are allowed to house them in non-pet-friendly places. ESAs can make wonderful additions in the lives of those who may not have severe anxiety of depression, but still struggle with it in their day to day lives. Having a pet to come home to and love everyday can be a mood booster in itself, but these animals can improve one’s activity levels, decrease loneliness, reduced stress, help form bonds, and be good conversation starters for socially anxious people. Having an ESA is a much better option to medicine as long as one can properly care for one as they have little to no risks and complete the same tasks one wishes to do with medication. Sam writes in an article for Odyssey about her ESA Dumbledore (a dog), “I know you may be thinking, Everyone’s pet loves them unconditionally, why is yours any different? Dumbledore is more in tuned with my emotions than I am myself, which basically means he knows me better than I know myself. Dumbledore and I could be in a room with a hundred people and if he feels any downward shift in my emotions or behavior he immediately becomes completely unconcerned with everyone but me and does everything in his power to help. On my absolute worst days, when my world is falling apart and no one notices, he does and he is always there to make it better.” (Sam)

The final method animals can be used as treatment is in Animal Assisted Therapy. While this is a lesser known method, it is still as effective as the others. AAT as described by Animal Assisted Therapy Services,” is the use of animals as a therapeutic tool to assist a person in restoring balance to their life.” (AATS)  AAT works in many ways. One can have scheduled visits with therapy dogs and a psychiatrist, or one can even ride horses! Tori Rodriguez mentions several studies in an article for Psychiatry Advisor regarding AAT. Tori Rodriguez first talks of “A multisite study5 conducted at 15 schools in Brisbane, Australia explored the use of animal-assisted activities in the classroom of 64 children with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who ranged in age from five to 12. In the eight-week program, children were exposed to animals in the classroom and additionally received 16 sessions of animal interaction.” (Rodriguez) It was reported after the study that the children “significant social improvements, including increased social skills and decreased social withdrawal behaviors, and more than half of the parents reported that the children were more interested in attending school while they were in the program.” Tori Rodriguez also includes information about instances where a dog was present during sessions with kids with mental disorders and their psychologists improved their responses greatly. The kids who had dogs present in their sessions had lower heart rates and thus were able to perform better during the sessions. (Rodriguez) It is evident that the presence of animals greatly improve the lives of those who struggle with mental disorders and change their lives for the better. 

Medication is not all bad. For some, it can be life changing. Many people report that medication has made them a better them, and they could not imagine life without them. However, like anything, there are two sides to every stone. Many people report that the side effects are overwhelming. According to an article about antidepressants on WebMD, “side effects are one of the main reasons that people with depression stop taking their medicine during their recovery. One study found that 65% of the 1,000 people surveyed said they had stopped taking their medicine, and half of those people cited side effects as the reason.” (WebMD) These side effects include: insomnia, sleepiness, increased anxiety, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, sexual problems (such as delayed ejaculations in men and lack of orgasm in women), headaches, dizziness, and weight gain or loss. A lot of the time, side effects are pretty difficult to avoid, and you will at least feel a few of them. In an article written by Sarah Klein for Prevention.com, she includes quotes from Rob O’Hare, a comedian who has dealt with depression all his life.  "It's kind of a guessing game," O'Hare says. He ended up in the emergency room after what was likely an allergic reaction to Lexapro when he first tried it in 2003” (Klein). Everyone reacts to medicine differently. This is an important piece of information one must keep in mind when considering medication. Medication is also not a cure. It can help manage symptoms, but it doesn’t make it go away. Treating mental disorders comes down to the individual and their commitment to feeling better. One must want to get better to truly be on the path of recovery. Animals can bring light to a dark place, help one find the strength to get better, and can create a relationship with someone that brings numerous benefits medicine cannot. 

Animal rights activists are against the use of animals as service dogs, ESAs, or therapy dogs. For example, PETA, an organization of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, are highly against it. PETA writes in their “Doing What’s Best for Our Companion Animals” care sheet “Optimally, humans should be relied upon for support of the disabled rather than working dogs and other animals—it is too common for animals to be exploited and abused.” (PETA) PETA makes the argument that putting animals in a situation where a person made find themselves in danger (for instance if someone had a panic attack or seizure), that this is dangerous for the animal too. This is not a reasonable argument as the animal is not in the same situation as the person, even if they are in the same place. The animal is protecting their owner in a time of need, but they do not experience what the owner does. The dog does not have the disability. PETA also makes the claim that “Some people love their working dogs, but others don’t, which means that working dogs cannot count on having a home where they will be treated well.” (PETA) This argument is not logical as many people who get service dogs rely on the bond they form with the dog in order to get through their disability and find relief. Why would someone mistreat an animal that helped change their life?

Through-out time, animals have been useful to humans in many ways: food, transportation, and companionship. Now we are finding animals can even heal. The benefits animals can give a person are numerous and life-changing. The world of medicine has advanced amazing lengths, but it is not always the answer when someone has a problem, especially a mental problem. From rough side effects to the costs and number of doctor visits, medication can be more of a hassle than a benefit. Animals can provide that change one may need in their life to overcome their problems and get them on the path to the life they wish to live. Animals do not come with harsh side effects and are not as costly in the long run. The bond with a living, breathing creature can help a person struggling with a mental disorder conquer the struggles of day to day life, and bring happiness and joy back into their lives. 
