Does anyone else use a psychiatric service dog in addition to their meds?
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Does anyone else use a psychiatric service dog in addition to their meds?
If anyone knows how to have a therapy/companion dog please let us know!
:thumbsup:
Definitions from The Delta Society
Quote:
The Difference between:
Service, Therapy, Companion and "Social/therapy" Animals
Service Animals are legally defined (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990) and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have disabilities. Federal laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in public places. Service animals are not considered 'pets'.
Therapy Animals are not legally defined by federal law, but some states have laws defining therapy animals. They provide people with contact to animals, but are not limited to working with people who have disabilities. They are usually the personal pets of their handlers, and work with their handlers to provide services to others. Federal laws have no provisions for people to be accompanied by therapy animals in places of public accommodation that have "no pets" policies. Therapy animals usually are not service animals.
A Companion Animal is not legally defined, but is accepted as another term for pet.
'Social/therapy' Animals have no legal definition. They often are animals that did not complete service animal or service dog training due to health, disposition, trainability, or other factors, and are made available as pets for people who have disabilities. These animals might or might not meet the definition of service animals.
I am aware of patients who have had their physicians write essentially a "prescription" stating the animal provided necessary "support" for the human. The animal is then afforded access to restaurants, transportation, etc. just as a service animal used for visible physical disabilities. The "script" is the "permit" allowing the patient/service animal team protection under the ADA.
Although no standardized training or performance measures are required, having an animal that is safe and under control is only responsible. Common guidelines are the AKC's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program, and Therapy Dog Registration with orgs like Therapy Dogs Inc., Therapy Dogs International, Delta Society, etc.
I should clarify that the term "therapy dog" usually refers to a the canine half of a dog/handler team that provides comfort to third parties (animal-assisted therapy for reading improvement in children, emotional support in hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices, etc.)
I guess I'm trying to answer both questions, and the answers are different:
Need a ("psychological") service dog? Get a doctor's note.
Want a Therapy Dog? You gotta train with the dog. It's the team that gets registered. But that's for helping other folks. Highly recommended, however. Rewarding on a number of levels. Good luck! HTH, Hermie
I have a pug as my psychiatric service dog. I have many mental disorders..
(Psychosis NOS, Anxiety NOS, Severe Depression, Severe OCD (which is in Anxiety NOS), ADHD, and some undiagnosed eating disorders.)
...and my dog really helps me!
I'm getting a cat soon as well (:
my pug is on my profile, I believe... I think its the only pic i have on this site.
i will make him my avatar, soon (:
and as for getting a dog for services... you must be courageous enough to demand to your psychiatrist that it is absolutely necessary (which it was for me.)
especially because I basically live in strict isolation, (an apartment, and I don't talk to many people) I would go mad without my dog.
I think it's important to state it to the psychiatrist like this:
"You know, I've been feeling very ____ lately and i really don't know what to do. I recently found out about psychiatric service dogs, and I really am interested! I know it would help me. I would have a being to care for, other than myself. It would be very helpful. Can you see what you can do about this?"
Something like that. Because just tell them how it would help you in social ways.... basically, ways that medication canNOT help.
Like, how you might meet new friends while walking the dog at the park.
My mother, who helps me care for my puggy, has met SO many friends while walking the dog. So have I. And it really helps me open up.
Many autistic children/adults (of all spectrums) would greatly benefit from canine companionship because it would help them to learn proper social skills, as well as meeting new people.
I think having a dog has helped me accept myself more, also... because it has given me the gift of unconditional love. (the dog gives me unconditional love, which definitely makes me feel better about myself.)
I also love the dog unconditionally, which makes me more kind of a person.
It's really like how starting a family can soften a person's heart.
So there you go, here's some things you could tell to your psychiatrist, if they apply to you.
You could say you would be helped tremendously, with all the things that dogs help with that I mentioned above.
G'luck ! :) x