My Dog is My Therapist

I have depression. Fortunately, I also have many people in my life who are constant sources of comfort and support. But my dog, Fia, gives me something nobody else can.

She came into my life unexpectedly six months ago, and slotted into the family so quickly that it's hard to remember my life pre-pup. At the time, I'd already heard about the widely-acknowledged benefits of pets for people struggling with mental illness. Having a dog would ensure I was never alone. It would get me out of the house for exercise and fresh air. (I also have a cat, but she craves neither exercise nor fresh air, and while she's nice and soft to stroke, she's far too self-absorbed to pick up on anyone else's crappy mood.)

They were right. Having a dog does make me pull my boots on and leave the house—which is crucial on those days when even washing my face feels like a challenge.

But my relationship with Fia is more than that. She picks up on my mood and she doesn't judge. Instead, she just curls into a ball and nestles into the crook of my arm—a warm body and steady breath against my rib cage. She's there for me, physically and emotionally. No questions asked. No awkward moments. She never expects me to explain or apologize. I never have to pretend or censor myself. I can sit in silence for hours on end, or I can walk around the house talking to myself, with her at my heels. Both these scenarios, which would leave most of my friends unnerved at best, are perfectly acceptable to my canine companion.

That's the difference between my dog and the family and friends who care about me. With the very best of intentions, people ask questions. They judge. They expect me to explain or apologize. And sometimes I feel obliged to do so because guilt and paranoia and worry are the birthrights of a person with mental illness.

A new study validates everything I feel about my dog. Researchers from the University of Manchester and University of Southampton spoke to 54 people who were under the care of community-based mental health services and had been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. When asked to rate the importance of members of their personal support network, including friends, family, health professionals, and pets, 60 percent of participants said their pets were among those who played the most important role.

They also said that pets helped them deal with their mental health issues by distracting them from their symptoms and distressing experiences (such as suicidal thoughts), forcing them to be involved with the world, and providing constant company.

"While the value of therapy animals for [coping with] mental health problems is well documented, the nature of the role that pets play in the everyday management of serious mental illness was under-explored," says Helen Brooks, a research fellow at the University of Manchester. "This study builds on existing evidence to demonstrate the specific function pets are considered to have in the work associated with managing a mental health condition in everyday life."

People in the study, she adds, said that relationships often broke down because friends and family did not understand their condition, and that they didn't feel motivated or able to talk to others because of their condition. "People talked about how their pets were sometimes the only thing that stayed constant in their lives," she says.

My dog is not the only constant in my life. But sometimes she's the only one who gives me the peace I need.