Many of us have a deep-rooted love for animals, whether as pets, in the wild, or just the oddly captivating cat videos littered all over the internet. However, animals are more than just cute attractions. They serve many important roles, including search and rescue, service animals, and even therapy animals in addiction recovery.
At PCP, we support the role of pets as a complementary approach to traditional addiction treatment modalities in addiction recovery and believe strongly in the many benefits they offer. Pet therapy can enhance the effectiveness of other treatment modalities such as therapy, medication-assisted treatment, and support groups, providing additional support during the recovery process. Fortunately, we also have both the knowledge and dedication to help you achieve full recovery by educating you on the benefits of pet therapy during your recovery process.
What Is Pet Therapy?
Pet therapy, also called animal-assisted therapy (AAT), is a therapeutic technique that involves using the emotional bonds between individuals and animals to improve their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive well-being. Pet therapy is usually carried out using trained animals such as dogs, cats, horses, or even dolphins. It is a powerful therapeutic tool when used under the guidance of healthcare professionals and has been applied in settings like hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and rehabilitation centres.
Pet therapy is receiving growing attention as an effective form of therapy in addiction recovery. It supports the four dimensions of a life in recovery outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): purpose, community, health, and home. Animal-assisted therapy helps recovering addicts build relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
The term pet therapy typically refers to trained emotional support and therapy animals who undergo special training and certification to ensure that they are well-behaved and safe for interacting with individuals. However, it is impossible to deny the benefits of informal therapy animals like pets and companion animals when it comes to addiction recovery. Additionally, pets have a positive impact on individuals with mental health problems, including stress reduction and alleviating loneliness, which are crucial aspects of the recovery process.
Roles of Companion Animals in Addiction Recovery
Pets can play different roles in addiction recovery, offering invaluable support to recovering addicts through various forms of companionship and emotional support:
● Therapy animals. Also known as comfort animals, these pets provide volunteer support and comfort to recovering addicts and others who do not have pets of their own, sometimes working with professionals during therapy sessions to aid individuals navigating addiction recovery with the companionship of dogs, cats, equines, rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds.
● Emotional support animals. These animals help provide emotional support to people dealing with anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic diseases, and other psychiatric conditions. Coincidentally, many of these conditions place you at risk of developing a substance use disorder, highlighting the importance of emotional support animals in the recovery process for addicts.
● Service animals. These are specially trained pets (usually dogs), which help people with disabilities carry out their daily activities. Substance use disorders are more common among people with disabilities. Many people develop strong bonds with their service animals, so they act as both companions and service animals, offering a unique form of support for recovering addicts.
● Companion animals. Commonly called pets, companion animals are kept mainly for companionship, enjoyment, or as a source of emotional support. They play a crucial role in the lives of recovering addicts by providing unconditional love and a sense of normalcy during the recovery process.
Benefits of Pets in Addiction Recovery
Let’s examine some of the benefits of pets during your journey to recovery.
Establishing a stable routine
A structured schedule is an important part of the recovery process. A stable daily routine offers predictability, reduces anxiety, and helps you create new, healthy habits. Taking care of a pet often involves regular activities like feeding, grooming, exercise, and waste removal. Also, keeping track of vaccinations, grooming appointments, and veterinary visits improves your long-term planning and scheduling skills. These routine activities offer a sense of stability, which improves mental health and decreases the risk of relapse.
Creating a sense of responsibility
Taking care of another living creature promotes a sense of responsibility in your own life. It improves self-control and decision-making since your choices (whether good or bad) directly affect the well-being of another creature. Therefore, pet ownership encourages rational decision-making and competence.
Caring for a pet boosts self-esteem
Taking care of your pet boosts your sense of purpose and self-worth. Low self-esteem is a common consequence of substance abuse and can also trigger relapse. Pets prevent this by offering companionship and being a source of unconditional love and affection. They also add a sense of accomplishment and purpose, making you feel more confident about yourself and your capabilities.
Pets improve mood
Dopamine is a special chemical in the brain responsible for producing pleasurable feelings when we eat tasty food, ace a test, or spend time with people we love. Unfortunately, harmful addictive substances like opioids, alcohol, and stimulants also create a feeling of euphoria by stimulating dopamine release. Pets help restore normal brain function through companionship and emotional support, rewiring your brain to release dopamine in response to healthy triggers.
Owning a pet reduces anxiety
Anxiety is common during your recovery journey and can be due to withdrawal, cravings, social and financial instability, emotional turmoil, and the constant risk of relapse. Researchers have found that pets reduce anxiety and psychological distress, a fact that seems obvious but did not have much evidence-based support until recently. This discovery is important because not only is anxiety linked to an increased risk of drug abuse, but it also worsens withdrawal symptoms and increases your chance of relapse.
Owning pets prevents loneliness
Many recovering addicts have broken social ties with their friends and family, leaving them feeling isolated. Loneliness can increase the risk of relapse and is harmful to both physical and mental well-being. Pets, as companion animals, play a crucial role in this context by offering an endless source of loyalty, compassion, and love, which not only alleviates loneliness but also supports the recovery process. This aligns with the concept of attachment theory, suggesting that Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) can be seen as an attempt to compensate for an inability to build strong social connections. Moreover, companion animals support recovery by enhancing the therapeutic alliance between physicians and patients and providing unique insights into health behaviours, further emphasizing their importance in the lives of patients.
Pets keep you physically active
Studies show that pet owners are more physically active than those without pets. Not only is this great for your mental and physical well-being, but it also keeps you occupied with healthy activities. Regular exercise normalizes dopamine production and reduces cravings. It also improves mood and helps relieve stress, which can worsen the symptoms of withdrawal and cause drug relapse. Pets contribute to improving physical health by encouraging more physical activity, which can lead to releasing oxytocin, reducing stress levels, and boosting immunity, ultimately supporting overall physical health during recovery.
Alleviate boredom
Individuals recovering from addiction typically have a low threshold for boredom, meaning they tend to fall back into destructive habits and patterns when bored. Owning a pet can distract you from drug cravings and dangerous habits by keeping you occupied, offering companionship, and providing stimulation that prevents boredom.
Pets help you socialise
Owning a pet can introduce you to other pet owners and encourage you to meet new people like your local groomer, veterinarian, and pet store. These little interactions help you build a larger social circle and give you the skills and confidence necessary to interact with society. Not only does this boost self-esteem, but it also helps fight off loneliness.
Factors To Consider Before Buying a Pet During Your Recovery Journey
While pets provide many benefits during your recovery journey, they are also a big responsibility and deserve special attention, love, and care. So there are several things to consider before you decide to buy a pet during your recovery.
● Ensure you can provide your pet with safe and stable living conditions. Many people recovering from SUDs face difficulties in terms of finding steady housing and many shelters do not accommodate pets.
● Consider the state of your finances before purchasing a pet. Owning a pet comes with several expected costs like food, veterinary care, and grooming.
● Take note of the pet policy of the place where you live and work. Also consider the pet-friendliness of local grocery stores, restaurants, and shops.
● Also consider the responsibility involved in the direct care of your pet like exercise, cleaning, grooming, training, and waste removal. Ensure you have the available time and physical capabilities to deal with this responsibility.
● It’s also very important to consider other members of the household when purchasing a pet. Do they have any particular allergies, phobias, or reservations against pets?
● Before buying a pet, do some basic research on the needs and special considerations of that particular animal or breed if you’re purchasing exotic pets. Also, reach out to the appropriate authorities to ensure it is legal to own such an animal in that particular locale.
Seek Help at PCP
Pet therapy is an increasingly important part of the addiction recovery process for many individuals. Over the last few decades, the general opinion of pets has shifted away from simple animals kept for entertainment or labour. They help our differently-abled members of society, provide comfort to those in distress, and have truly become a part of the furmily. The benefits of pet therapy in addiction recovery cannot be overemphasized, and it could be a future pillar in dealing with the stresses of healing from a substance use disorder.
At PCP we support the role of pets in addiction recovery and believe strongly in the many benefits they offer. If you or anyone you know is dealing with the struggles of addiction or addiction recovery, contact PCP to receive holistic, patient-centred care.
