The Power of Pets: How Animals Can Improve Mental Wellness

I am a military spouse and mom of four boys.

With one of those boys diagnosed with High-functioning Autism, absence seizures, mitral valve regurgitation, gastrointestinal issues, tics, and chronic childhood migraines, I spent many days and nights in the hospital, or traveling to distant cities to see doctors and specialists, so much that it became routine. With my husband either deployed or on TAD (Temporary Additional Duty), I held down the fort and slept very little.

In fact, I would jump up out of my sleep and run into my son’s room to check on him often, because of all the past instances we had gone through with him medically. I was scared to sleep for too long, for fear I might miss something. What if he needed me and I was not there for him! I could never forgive myself. Every phone call from the school would physically make me sick to my stomach before I even answered the phone in fear that something had happened. There is nothing like a mother seeing their child in pain it creates a feeling of helplessness. Even though I knew I was doing everything I could, I still felt helpless.

It broke my heart seeing my child playing alone at the park or at school during recess and not interact socially with other children, and not be able to read social and emotional ques. He had his family, but he was alone, and that bothered me more than it bothered him. I felt so helpless.

I often considered the benefits and what life would be like if we were to get a service dog for my son. However, I also felt that it would be selfish of me to take away from someone whose different abilities I thought were greater than my son’s.

One day, I was at the Camp Pendleton commissary after having a long stressful day and just wanting to get home. A lady walked in with a service dog in training. I stopped her and asked if I could pet him. She gave him a command “go visit” and he walked up to me, turned around and sat right in front of my feet. As people walked by, he did not budge, he had his eyes on his trainer and did not break focus as I kneeled and stroked his back. It was so calming and soothing! She gave him a command to put his chin on my knee and I was able to stroke his head as he just stared at me as if to say, “don’t worry momma I got you.” I learned that day that having a service dog is not about how significant one’s disability is compared to the next, but what a service dog can do for you specifically.

So, we got Ione, our service dog.

Having Ione as a companion for my son helped get him through his melt downs and he was quietly there for him for however long it took. Ione provided that body pressure when my son needed it, especially since he is not a fan of human touch. When he would get home from school, he was able to relax and release the tics that he held in all day and go through the physical motions it brings with it. And Ione would be sitting at the door every day waiting on his buddy, so he could be right by his side providing comfort and support.

Having a service dog changed my son’s life!

My son defied the odds and graduated from high school this year and will be going to college in the fall studying electrical engineering and competing in track and field.

I look at my son and see how far he has come and all that he has accomplished, despite what he went through and what we were told. He has worked so hard to get to where he is today and while he still struggles in areas, he refuses to give up and I am so proud of him.

Goodson says the following are some reasons why having a pet helped her family, which could help other military families:

• Helped to calm her son when he was under high stress due to stressful situations at school.

• Taught her son responsibility. For example, he brushed him, cleaned up after him on walks, brushed his teeth and cleaned his face, paws and ears.

• Provided social connection and interaction with others in the community whereas before he was closed off and struggled with social interactions and communication.

• By teaching the service dog commands, it enabled her son to learn how to advocate on behalf of his needs as well as how to recognize what que best fit those needs in that moment. This also transpired into his school setting, and he began to speak up in the classroom with both his teachers and peers.

According to Kelly Williams, LMFT, Associate Director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD in San Diego, there are other ways pets can benefit mental wellness.

“When experiencing depressive thoughts or behaviors, such as difficulty getting up or completing basic tasks for oneself, some clients report their pets as the reason for pushing themselves,” Williams said.

“The need to walk a dog or complete a routine for a pet can give a person a sense of purpose that they have been struggling to find themselves.”

“Additionally, I have personally noticed during telehealth sessions, when some clients have the ability to hold or pet their animals in session, they are able to ground or regulate themselves in difficult conversations or topics,” she added. “Furthermore, clients who bring in their service animals to sessions at our Cohen Clinic, can use their pets as additional support when discussing difficult topics or when processing trauma.”