Getting an ESA Will Help You Deal with Mental Hassles
Is emotional or mental trauma holding you down? Are you struggling to go through life in your current state of being? Lucky for you, we are going to share with you one secret to bringing some light back into your life.
The secret to living a happier and more fulfilling life is to get an Emotional Support Animal. These innocent fur buddies could be what you need to finally let go of all the mental and emotional trauma holding you down.
Get your ESA letter by clicking here.
Here is what you should know about using emotional support animals to deal with trauma:
Q: What Are Emotional Support Animals? Are They Different From Other Animals?
Think of your Emotional Support Animal (ESA) as a comrade or friend who always offers you support whenever you are feeling low. While ESAs aren’t any different from other animals, they enjoy more privileges than normal pets.
Typically, you should consider getting an ESA recommendation letter if you want to have an Emotional Support Animal. This will help you get through common barriers for owning or traveling with pets.
In fact, some people have to pay extra fees just to have their ESAs with them. All this could be solved by owning a simple recommendation letter for their assisting animals. It’s like ignorantly having to pay extra, whereas the government offers an easy way out.
Here are some compelling reasons why you need an ESA for your emotional trauma.
1. ESAs Can Be Invaluable In Dealing With OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder. Victims often feel that they have to perform a specific task in a given manner, with them sometimes having to repeat the action several times.
Some OCD symptoms include:
- Symmetry- the need to do everything perfectly
- Paranoia- checking doors, locks, ovens and security systems
- Fear of ruminations, contamination and intrusive thoughts
While these symptoms are common in all cases OCD-related, they shouldn’t be confused with the urge to maintain an organized and neat space or room. The urges that come from OCD could distract you and interfere with your daily life. In fact, they could make it tough for you to do ordinary tasks.
For instance, if you dread contamination, you will struggle with shaking other people’s hands or touching unsanitized items. You could find yourself washing your hands repeatedly.
How Emotional Support Animals Can Contribute To OCD Therapy
An Emotional Support Animal could be your best companion if you want to deal with any mental disorder. The fact that they will almost always be around you will make you feel that you are surrounded by love. Such support can be what you need to recover from OCD-induced fears.
Emotional Support Animals will also act as a distraction in a couple of ways:
- They will always be ready to play around with you
- They will keep you on your feet when attending to their need, such as taking them out for a walk or offering them food
- They will be your cuddle buddy whenever you are having a nervous breakdown since they can sense your stress or grief
Something as small as your furry friend jumping at you could help ease your worries while signifying that there is more to life than what’s currently holding you down. Their presence will give your life some stability, which could be the boost you need to fight any compulsions or obsessions.
In a nutshell, ESAs are amazing at keeping negative thoughts at bay through distracting you.
At ESA Care, you can get in touch with a licensed doctor to get your ESA letter.
2. ESAs Are Therapeutic
Psychiatrists often suggest therapies to their patients as a way of dealing with their mental health struggles. While there are several therapies to take up, getting an Emotional Support Animal is one of the most recommended options.
Q: Are You Eligible For An Emotional Support Animal?
Almost everyone suffering from a mental disorder can benefit from an ESA. This list includes people struggling with:
- Anxiety
- OCD
- Depression
- Stress
- SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder)
- Panic Disorder
The Side Effects of Taking Drugs
Drugs like antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs are often a go-to solution for a lot of people struggling with mental issues. While these drugs give instant relief from their condition, they have some detrimental side effects. Some of these side effects include:
- Hallucination
- Mood swings
- Irritation
- Blackouts
- Nausea
- Tremors
- Loss of coordination
What Makes ESAs an Amazing Therapy?
Since we have already discussed what Emotional Support Animals are, we will use this section to show you how they can bring out your productive side. But before addressing the hows and ifs, we should talk about your state of being. For instance, let’s say you are struggling with depression.
When suffering from depression, you could have self-esteem issues, struggle to handle everyday chores, and even blame yourself for some misfortunes in your life.
As you might have noticed, these symptoms are a depiction of negative energy. It all trickles down to your brain chemistry. If you are surrounded by negativity, your brain produces fewer endorphin hormones (the happiness hormone), such as dopamine and serotonin.
Q: How Do Hormones Influence Your Mood?
Hormones have a significant impact on how you feel. Whenever you have a great experience, the feeling prompts the brain to facilitate the release of serotonin. In turn, you will feel even better.
The brain will also react to situations that scare you and place you in fight or flight mode. It will signal your adrenal glands (situated right above the kidney) to produce adrenaline, the hormone that increases alertness.
In the case of Emotional Support Animals, your brain also gets triggered while interacting with them. It encourages the release of endorphins to calm you down. If you are suffering from depression, this induced state of being calm can help you out.
What makes these animals even better companions is that they will neither ask questions that remind you of your current situation nor judge or abandon you.
Instead, they will drown you in loads of love, which will ultimately help you fight your depression.
It is easy to get your hands on an emotional support animal.
3. ESAs Will Give You A Different Perspective Of Yourself
The statement above wasn’t a mistake. You could get to experience a different version of yourself when spending time with ESAs.
Life is a race
As you grow, it is normal to become so ingrained in situations that occur in your life every day that you forget to take care of your happiness.
It is typical to start seeing some toxicity in people with each step in your life. Even worse, you could join the race of trying to please everyone.
If you spend a good part of your life trying to please others, negativity creeps in, which can make you feel stressed. The fact that you can’t always put a smile on every face should be okay.
For instance, think of when you post a picture you like on Instagram. The comment section will be filled with all types of comments, but you will most likely listen to the message being aired by the majority. In most cases, you could find yourself caving into these comments during the next post to please people, whether you approve the changes or not.
Long story short, it is impossible to please everyone. The one constant thing you can get from today’s toxic world most of the time is anxiety, criticism, and negativity.
If you have been caught up in the business of pleasing everyone, thinking about your happiness is long overdue.
How to Heal These Wounds
We have a great solution for your mental scars- Emotional Support Animals. They can provide the boost you need to revive yourself.
With their innate instinct to give anyone in need some care, emotional support animals may be just what you require. Other than offering unconditional love and care, you will never sense any form of discrimination from them.
The question is, how exactly can owning an ESA help you out?
It is human nature to thrive around support. Whenever a partner shows that they genuinely care for your growth, recovering from any issue becomes quite easy.
ESAs will empower you to see the importance of living life unapologetically and under your own terms. Their presence in your life will force you to always make healthy life decisions. Surpassing obstacles that may stand in your way with these fluffy buddies around becomes a walk in the park. In turn, you can keep your head up when facing life’s ebbs and flows.
Their unconditional support can act as a cornerstone, keeping you strong every single day.
Research confirms that the support that comes from ESAs could help keep you afloat if you are drowning in negativity. All this could eventually help you see life from a different and positive lens.
At ESA Care, you can consult with a licensed doctor to acquire your ESA letter.
4. ESAs Will Help You Overcome Phobias
People often struggle with telling phobia and fear apart. Phobias are often irrational fears directed towards specific animals, objects, or situations. When such a person comes into contact with their phobia’s trigger, they might experience episodic panic attacks.
There are a variety of phobias, including:
- Aviophobia- fear of flying
- Glossophobia- fear of public speaking
- Dentophobia- fear of dentists, dental visits, and dental procedures
- Acrophobia- the fear of heights
- Nyctophobia- the fear of darkness and night
How Can Phobias Alter Your Life?
Phobias can cripple how you do daily activities. For instance, nyctophobia (the fear of darkness) could have you canceling late-night hangout plans with friends and family members. It could also have you up all night as you struggle to deal with the darkness. In turn, staying up all night could affect your productivity during the next day.
Sure, missing out on some of these activities a few times can be excusable. However, bailing out on these activities frequently could turn out to be a significant problem.
Even worse, if you fail to seek help on how you can deal with your phobias, you might have to deal with issues like:
- Chest pains
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Losing track of reality
- Excessive sweating
- Losing control of yourself
The list of consequences is longer than this, especially for phobias that go untreated.
ESAs Can Help Deal With Phobias
If you feel that the time for you to overcome your phobias is long overdue, then getting a pal that will consistently be there for you is wise. According to recent research, Emotional Support Animals can sense whenever something is weighing you down. During such instances, they will sit next to you for some cuddle sessions.
If you are in the mood for some playtime or a walk, you can always rely on them.
A simple move like taking a walk with your furry friends could be what you need to clear your brain of all phobias, fears, and frustrations. It is easier for your brain to trigger the release of endorphins when you have a pal that is looking after you emotionally.
Endorphins, on the other hand, will raise your happiness levels.
Did you know that anxieties and phobias are closely related, and sometimes intertwined? Phobia could easily trigger stress and anxiety, and vice versa. The best way to steer away from both hardships is to aim at always remaining happy- and having an Emotional Support Animal will provide just that.
Get your ESA letter by clicking on the button below.
5. ESAs Are Reliable Companions
Humans are meant to be social beings. This happens to introverts too. While they may have a small circle, they still need to be around companions. Aesop once pointed out that the best way to know a man is through their company.
Sadly, people struggling with mental health issues might find it tough to enjoy being social. Being agitated, angry, or anxious most of the time might make socializing with them tough.
Don’t be grumpy
No one wants to be around someone who is always grumpy, and that could lead to loneliness.
For instance, say that you are supposed to interact with two people. The first person is all happy and always cracking jokes that keep people laughing. The second person is isolated and never lets people get too close.
Given a chance to pick between interacting with the two, who would you go with? The most obvious choice is the first person since they will light up your life.
If the world sees you as the second person, you might be going through a tough time. Being in this situation isn’t your fault. Your current mental state could have contributed to your situation. While you could be isolating yourself, you still need to enjoy social interactions.
It is tough to say this out loud, but it is the truth. On the flip side, you might already have a consistent social circle, though no one understands you. You could have tried translating your situation to your loved ones, but they didn’t quite relate to your situation or understand it.
Why not end this loneliness by getting yourself a companion?
Finding Companionship in Emotional Support Animals
ESAs could be the kind of companionship you need to battle your loneliness. But the question is, how can they help?
Contrary to the myth, animals do understand humans, and our every interaction. Some animals, such as emotional support dogs, do have the power to process your speech as well as the intensity in your voice.
By simply interacting with you and listening to your tone, they can draw ideas about your current emotional status. If they feel any form of despair or loneliness, they will get closer to you and lie beside you or on your lap. Not only will they listen to you when the whole world isn’t, but they will also stick by your side until you start feeling better.
Moreover, they are highly likely to play around and do silly things to draw a smile on your face. In the end, they will make you realize that you aren’t walking alone in this life.
Instead of sitting in solitude, why don’t you pick your laptop or phone, and start researching the best emotional support animal for yourself? All it will take is a few steps that we will discuss below.
At ESA Care, you can consult with a licensed doctor to acquire your ESA letter.
6. Fighting Anhedonia Is Easier With ESAs Around
People struggling with Anhedonia often find it tough to enjoy activities that once brought them more happiness than anything else in the world.
For instance, you might have loved painting and could spend countless hours doing it. Anhedonia can rob you of your motivation to the point where you won’t enjoy it anymore.
While there are two types of Anhedonia, we will only discuss Social Anhedonia, a situation that can be deeply rooted in your mental wellbeing.
Q: What Is Social Anhedonia?
People suffering from Social Anhedonia struggle to enjoy social interactions and contact.
Social Anhedonia is a common trait in people suffering from depression, according to a study published in nature, and it could reduce their grey matter’s size. It could also result in Schizophrenia. Some common symptoms of social Anhedonia include:
- Social withdrawal
- Difficulty dealing and adjusting to social situations
- Reduced interest in physical intimacy
- Having negative thoughts about oneself
- Withdrawal from previous relationships
Did you know that Anhedonia affects females more than males?
During the onset of depression, it is common to start losing interest in things you once loved. Later on, you could lose interest in life. In some cases, people end up committing suicide since they can no longer see their life’s purpose.
Treating the condition can be as easy as treating the psychological condition underlying it, which is typically depression in most cases. There are instances where Anhedonia could be as a result of the medication you are currently taking.
Before visiting a psychiatrist, you should first consult your regular physician to rule out medication as the reason for social Anhedonia. Most therapists will suggest treatment options that will help you deal with your depression. These can include therapy sessions, taking antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
ESAs can act as the main treatment for your situation or simply play a complementary role.
ESAs will motivate you into enjoying life once more
If you are struggling with mental illnesses like depression, and have made it this far into reading, you are stronger than you might realize. You will overcome your current struggle.
However, you can always use a friend who will encourage you to shed all the negativity around you as you embrace living a happy life.
With an Emotional Support Animal by your side, you will get to change your life once you reignite your purpose.
These furry pals do this in the simplest of ways. ESAs can pull you out of depression by showering you with love every time they feel that something is amiss with you.
You will constantly need to do ESA-related chores, such as walking, feeding, and playing with your pal. This will gradually stabilize your life and encourage you to enjoy it some more.
ESAs are pros at loving and cuddling you, which could just be the emotional support you need. Their mere presence could encourage the brain to trigger the release of endorphins (happiness hormones), keeping your depression at bay.
Other than keeping you happy, having a furry friend around will help you overcome Social Anhedonia.
7. Dealing With Autism With The Help Of ESAs
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Also referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each person suffering from Autism might have unique behavior, including:
- Repetitive behavior
- Obsession with specific routines
- Disapproval of physical contact
- Issues with speech articulation
- Failure to make eye contact
While autisms can be identified in the early years of infancy, between 2 and 3 years, it sometimes takes as little as six months to get identified. Kids suffering from Autism achieve specific growth milestones later than usual.
Surprisingly enough, some people suffering from Autism often flaunt extraordinary qualities, including being musical geniuses and having a photographic memory. At the same time, they might still struggle with communication and exhibit difficulty in controlling their behaviors.
What Can ESAs do For a Loved One With Autism?
Autism can be controlled with the help of an Emotional Support Animal. Autistic people often prefer to be left alone due to their quirkiness, which could make them feel lonely.
ESAs can change this by being reliable companions since they will neither judge nor say anything mean to an autistic person. Besides, ESA’s innate ability to spread love could mean that an autistic person will find a friend who could walk them through overcoming their fears.
These furry pals could also contribute towards relieving stress from the lives of an autistic person’s parents. Luckily, the first step to enjoying these perks is getting an emotional support animal letter, which could help you pick the ideal companion.
At ESA Care, you can consult with a licensed doctor to acquire your ESA letter.
8. ESAs And Fighting Bipolar Disorder
Also known as manic depression, Bipolar Disorder causes its patients to go through extreme mood swings. They experience overwhelming highs and agonizing lows. While one moment a patient might be feeling euphoric, they could be hypoactive in the next moment.
The highs can be defined as manic episodes. During this time, patients are likely to experience bursts of energy to live life. These highs can be mild, moderate, or even severe, so it might be tough to link the changes in behavior with a mood disorder. All you might see is an optimistic, upbeat, and fun person to be around.
However, it can be easy to identify erratic behaviors in their joyful state. Other than the patient being easily distracted and impulsive, they could talk so fast that it becomes tough to understand them. The manic phase is often one of the most productive times for people with Bipolar Disorder. Most use this time to deal with large projects and hang out with friends until the depression sets in.
While you could be laughing with a friend with the disorder today, they could be feeling low tomorrow. Their motivation to thrive in life becomes depleted as they walk into a state of pure sadness. Most will isolate themselves from friends and family.
In other cases, activities that a patient could handle with little hassle could feel like uphill tasks. The person can easily feel irritated, which could make socializing with them difficult.
Bipolar Disorder symptoms include:
- Acting recklessly
- Hallucinations
- Feeling uniquely optimistic
- Constant distraction
- Feeling hopelessness
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Experiencing suicidal thoughts
- Experiencing issues with memory retention
- A sudden loss or increase in appetite
- Speaking quicker than other people can understand or keep up
The gaps between the highs and lows could go on for weeks, and it might be tough to predict when your mood could shift. We understand that these mood swings can be not only troublesome but also depressive.
ESAs can offer a recovery path
If you are struggling with Bipolar Disorder, ESAs will help you overcome it.
Your Emotional Support Animal will sense all your emotions. Whenever you are going through a manic phase, you could benefit from having your pet lay on your lap. Their cuddles will uplift your spirit.
Since all you might need during this point in your life is some love and care, ESAs can act as your support system.
Get a furry friend for yourself today, and enjoy feeling like a completely new person.
9. ESAs Can Keep Heart Diseases At Bay
After every 37 seconds, the United States of America loses a person to heart diseases. While there are a variety of causes for heart disease, stress is a common contributor.
Stress is a leading factor in a couple of diseases, including:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Digestive diseases
- Neurological diseases
- Reproductive diseases
- Sleep disorders
The list of diseases that can arise from stress is endless, and these are just but a few examples.
Stress interferes with the Heart’s Activities
Stress could occur from the accumulation of life’s hardships or worries. For instance, you might be worried about your lack of finances, workload, loss of a loved one, trouble making ends meet, or even failing a semester. If these situations fester for too long, they could alter the activity of your heart.
According to research published in The Lancet, emotional stress is linked to heart disease. In the research, scientists imaged the amygdala (a region of the brain that is linked to stress) with the aim of determining how increasing stress levels can affect the heart’s functions.
The observation was that stress stimulates the amygdala, which further triggers the production of leukocytes (white blood cells) by the bone marrow. In turn, this sudden increase of leukocytes in the blood leads to the inflammation of your arteries, which is often a precursor for stroke, heart attack, and angina.
Moreover, intense situations, the amygdala signals the release of adrenaline by the hypothalamus (a master gland situated in the brain). Adrenaline acts as the fight or flight hormone and is commonly only present in the blood for a short time.
However, adrenaline can linger in the blood of people suffering from chronic stress for longer, which increases their blood pressure. In turn, this increased blood pressure could lead to the inflammation of arteries by exerting excessive pressure on them.
Simply put, tense situations or stress, in general, encourage the inflammation of arteries, a common reason behind cardiovascular diseases.
Managing Stress
While the reason behind your stress can be outside your scope of control, your reaction to stressful situations matters a lot. Emotional Support Animals could be just what you need to be in control of stressful situations.
They only need to read your body language to sense and respond to your tension. During stressful times, your fluffy buddy can play around with you or force you to cuddle or take a walk with them.
Other than providing you with stress relief and helping maintain your heart rate at a normal pace, these simple actions could prevent you from having your arteries inflamed.
Why should you be stressed out all the time while you can easily achieve emotional stability with the help of a fluffy buddy?
At ESA Care, you can consult with a licensed doctor to acquire your ESA letter.
How to get an Emotional Support Animal letter
We have already outlined nine strong reasons why getting an Emotional Support Animal Letter can be helpful. If you are wondering about the process of getting your hands on such a letter, you only need to follow a few steps.
Steps for getting an ESA letter:
1. Fill An Online Questionnaire
The first step towards getting an Emotional Support Animal letter is to fill out a questionnaire online. You will be asked to produce information about your personal and medical history as well as details about your pet.
2. Book An Appointment
Next, you will have to select an appropriate time and date for an appointment. You don’t have to worry too much about this as the staff will walk you through the different packages.
3. Visit The Medical-Healthcare Expert
You will then receive a notice before the meeting to ensure everything is going on as planned. Once the scheduled meeting time arrives, you will be contacted by a licensed professional through an online video meeting. The physician will ask a few questions to assess your mental condition. If the need arises, the doctor could suggest taking some tests.
4. Receiving Your Emotional Support Animal Letter
Once the whole assessment is done, you will receive your ESA letter. However, receiving the letter is contingent on the licensed doctor’s positive diagnosis of your mental health condition.
It takes anywhere between two and five business days to get your ESA permit.
What is an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
Simply put, an Emotional Support Animal letter is a permit that a licensed healthcare provider gives to affirm that you need emotional support. It also works towards protecting your rights and those of your pet.
Vital Points to Remember
Getting an ESA letter is typically a straightforward process. You neither have to submit documents nor pay any extra fees. All that is required of you is to follow the above steps.
If a website promises to help you register your Emotional Support Animal and offer you a certificate as proof, it is most likely a scam.
All you need to certify your need for emotional support is an Emotional Support Animal letter, which is a legal document. The document is typically valid for a whole year, after which it can be renewed.
ESA letters offer plenty of benefits, including:
- Allowing your ESA to stay in your apartment, regardless of restrictions
- Allowing you to fly with your ESA
- Allowing you to live with an ESA in a dorm
- Eliminating the need to pay extra fees for traveling with your ESA
- Acting as a legal permit
Final Word
Getting an Emotional Support Animal letter could be the first step in your recovery journey. It will open doors for you. For instance, you can live with your support system, even though the building’s owner prohibits having animals around.
Best of all, you will constantly have a friend who will always be there for you around the clock without ever judging you.
What are you waiting for? Start your emotional betterment journey today by getting an Emotional Support Animal letter. At ESA Care, you can get in touch with a licensed healthcare practitioner, who will assess your condition and pave ways for you to get your ESA letter.
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