Can pet therapy help with addiction recovery? Yes, a pet can help even those who are not in addiction recovery. Whether it is a cat purring in your lap or your dog giving you an ecstatic welcome home, pets provide many benefits to human health.
Benefits of pets in addiction recovery
The benefits of a pet can help in numerous health issues as well as addiction recovery. Some of those benefits are:
- Calming – a loyal, loving pet has proven to be a source of calming and stress reduction. Reducing stress helps with high blood pressure, anxiety, frustration, and negativity; this will reduce your chances of relapse.
- Bonding – Bonding with a pet helps you learn how to connect with others again. That connection with others can be a huge support during times when you are struggling.
- Physical activity – physical activity helps reduce stress, anxiety, depression and promotes a healthy weight.
- Accountability – being responsible for your pet’s needs helps you rebuild your responsibility, promoting healthier self-esteem.
- Reduce co-dependent predispositions, so you are less dependent on other people for your happiness; co-dependency is frequent with addiction.
- Hope – caring for a pet, bonding with your pet into a friendship provides hope that you can reach addiction recovery.
- Emotional outlet – learning to talk to other people about your struggles. When you speak to your pet about your efforts, you will feel less lonely, and it teaches you to open to your family and friends about what you are going through.
- Builds self-confidence and self-esteem because you know your pet loves you unconditionally.
There are several other benefits of a pet, but those are the main benefits.
Pet therapy uses many types of pets; it does not have to be a dog or cat. Other animals that are used for pet therapy are:
- Guinea pigs
- Pigs
- Horses
- Llama
- Alpacas
- Rabbits
Some people even use lizards or snakes. However, the airlines have changed their guidelines on support animals.
Animal assisted therapy in drug rehab
Many drug rehab facilities outsource their animal-assisted therapy to a third party. If outsourcing, you should make sure that the animals are well cared for.
Also, look for animals with good training and behavior so that the animal and patient are safe.
Using animal-assisted therapy in recovery facilities allows the patients to understand how the animal can benefit their recovery. It also shows them what the animal needs as far as care, such as a dog needs exercise, a cat needs a clean litter box, etc.
If you are interested in pet therapy during addiction recovery in Orange County, look for a recovery center that offers it, even if it is outsourced to a third party. You will be amazed at the benefits of animal therapy.
Addiction recovery can provide you with hope, a new beginning, that you can have relationships again with family and make new friends. 449 Recovery in Orange County, California, can help you make addiction recovery possible.