Dogs have an infinite potential to provide comfort for people who are struggling with PTSD, such as veterans, who comprise approximately 6% of the American civilian population. However, the benefits of having a dog for veterans go beyond providing emotional support. A dog can help combat isolation and help owners regain trust, all while promoting physical and emotional well-being.
What is PTSD and how does it impact Veterans?
According to The American Psychological Association, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can be treated either with medication or through psychotherapy. Some of the symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and trouble concentrating and sleeping. The National Center for PTSD estimates that around 7% of veterans suffer from PTSD.
PTSD can greatly impact the lives of veterans and their families as it may lead to isolation and a lost sense of trust. These symptoms can make it very difficult for people who are suffering from this condition to get support. While therapy, and sometimes medication, is the advised treatment for PTSD, not all veterans can access this sort of treatment, making this condition even more difficult.
How Dogs Help Veterans with PTSD
An increasingly accessible way for veterans to address PTSD is through pet ownership. Dogs, in particular, help veterans with PTSD in several ways. A dog helps combat isolation, regain trust, and promote physical well-being all while providing critical emotional support. Also, they help veterans transition back into civilian life.
By welcoming a pet into their lives, veterans with PTSD start a profound relationship of loyalty and companionship. By the very nature of their being, dogs establish a deep bond with their owners and can sometimes sense when their owners are feeling anxious. Through their unconditional love, dogs provide an important safety-net for their owners to rely on.
Dogs Help Combat Isolation
PTSD produces severe anxiety, which can lead many individuals who are suffering from it to stay at home and refrain from socialization. Serving in foreign countries under hostile regimes can leave lasting psychological and emotional impacts. Being stationed away from their communities for years can create a sense of disconnection, making veterans feel like outsiders and deepening feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Beyond providing companionship and helping to alleviate loneliness, dogs are a great means of socialization. Having a dog is a great way of sparking conversations and making friends. During walks, visits to dog parks, or obedience classes, a person can meet other pet parents and feel a part of a community.
Dogs Help Regain Trust
Many veterans may struggle with the ability to trust, which is another sign of PTSD. Dogs are a great means to experience a bond of trust. Through bonding activities, such as visiting national parks, art therapy with their dogs, listening to music, and even dog training, Veterans can slowly regain their sense of trust.
Dogs Promote Physical Health
One of the most important responsibilities a dog owner has is taking their dog for regular walks. This activity encourages the owner to spend time outdoors and engage in physical exercise, which offers significant health benefits. Nearly all dog breeds require a substantial amount of exercise, especially high-energy breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, and Greyhounds.
For veterans, walking or jogging with a dog can be an excellent way to enhance physical health. Varying walking routes can also benefit cognitive function by stimulating neural pathways while helping to reduce anxiety and stress. Additionally, PTSD often disrupts sleep, but regular exercise, like walking, can improve sleep quality. These walks also provide valuable bonding time with their pet, strengthening the connection between pet and pet parent.
Dogs Provide Emotional Support
Dogs are a great source of emotional support for people dealing with anxiety. They provide unconditional love and loyalty. Dogs truly love their owners. They are keen on their owner’s behaviors and can sense when their pressure is high, or when their mood is low.
Some dogs can even sense a rising blood pressure in their owners, and provide comfort by pressing against them and helping them focus back on the present. This is very beneficial for veterans suffering from nightmares and disturbing flashbacks.
Dogs Help Veterans Transition to Civilian Life
One of the most significant challenges veterans face is transitioning back to civilian life. Many veterans have endured extremely hostile situations and harsh environments that feel worlds apart from everyday civilian life.
Owning a dog can be a powerful tool for veterans to reintegrate into their communities. Dogs can encourage greater community involvement, as studies suggest that having a dog promotes social interaction and reduces social anxiety.
Away Back Home
There’s nothing like returning home. Unfortunately, for many veterans, the story is not always so rosy. There are many challenges that veterans face when the time comes to integrate back into their communities. A dog is the perfect way to connect to home. Dogs are great allies for meeting new people, gaining new healthy habits and experiencing unconditional love.
They teach their owners how to traverse new experiences through the kindness and tenderness a pet inspires. Caring for a dog provides a powerful pathway to reconnect with home, embrace nature, and find inner peace through the loyal companionship of a loving animal.
