Dogs help to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) .

Dogs can help to treat PTSD. Service dogs are amazing animals that help individuals suffering from visual, hearing or other losses to live more independently. However, less mention is made about those that are trained to help with mental disorders. Canine-loving nurse Elaine Smith began using therapy dogs in the 1970s, after she found that introducing them to individuals suffering from a physical illness or mental disorder reduced patients’ blood pressure, and they reported feeling happier and calmer for the experience. Recently, professionals working with war veterans returning from combat duty have similarly found that matching them with a therapy dog or, better yet, reuniting them with their combat dog if they had one – is remarkably effective in alleviating the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition that may arise from exposure to serious injury and/or from witnessing a traumatic event. more