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How a PTSD Service Dog Can Help

A Black and Tan German Shepherd bonds with her Handler whos holding her gently

Across the world, many cultures and people consider their dogs to be part of the family. These furry friends are another member of the yearly holiday card, have a designated bowl for treats, and offer loyal companionship throughout their lives. However, service dogs go beyond and can help individuals navigate specific challenges. For people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), canine companions are more than just playful friends who might eat anything left within reach – they are crucial members of a vital support system. 

Some of the facts about PTSD highlight the value of canine companions in the lives of those battling PTSD.  For instance, one of the most common forms of PTSD is reliving a traumatic event. With a service dog present, a person experiencing a PTSD flashback can refocus their attention to the present moment and appreciate their bond with the animal. Likewise, PTSD often keeps a victim from being able to experience positive emotions. Dogs’ natural ability to sense human emotion and offer comfort provides a source of positive emotion to a PTSD sufferer.

These dogs are more than just pets; they become pillars of support for their owners, offering comfort and a sense of grounding amidst the chaos of life. In the fight against debilitating symptoms, service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder

serve as unwavering allies, providing an unparalleled level of support. The role of these extraordinary animals takes center stage in the journey of those dealing with PTSD, demonstrating the transformative power of love and support in the face of trauma.

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that leaves a person unable to function in their daily lives. Exposure to a traumatic event can cause a person to develop PTSD, which can leave them feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and unable to cope with their daily lives. Symptoms of PTSD may include nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and social withdrawal. It is possible to manage PTSD with proper care and treatment. Traumatic events that may cause PTSD include: 

  • Sexual violence, such as sexual assault or rape
  • War
  • Terrorism
  • Physical and psychological abuse
  • Fatal or injurious accidents, such as a car wreck
  • Serious health problems
  • Assaults or threats of violence

Other events or situations may cause trauma and even PTSD, depending on the individual. Speak with a qualified mental health professional if you or someone you love suffers from the different stages of PTSD and has not received a diagnosis. 

What is PTSD Like? 

After experiencing a traumatic event, some people may start to feel like their worst nightmares are playing on repeat, which is a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although it typically takes up to three months after a traumatic event for these symptoms to appear, it can take up to a year for some individuals. Regardless, it’s important to understand how PTSD affects a person

  1. Intrusion: This is when a person is re-experiencing the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares. This includes extreme physical or emotional reactions such as heart palpitations, chills, or panic attacks when reminded of the trauma.
  2. Avoidance: This involves avoiding people, places, activities, and thoughts that are reminders of the trauma. It may also include emotional detachment from family and friends or losing interest in recreational activities.
  3. Negative mood changes: This can be expressed through negative beliefs about oneself or the world, feeling isolated, persistently feeling fear, anger, guilt, or shame, and the inability to recall key parts of the event. It may also result in the inability to experience positive emotions and less interest or participation in usual activities.
  4. Arousal and reactivity: This includes feeling irritable, sudden bouts of anger, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, being startled easily, increased alertness, reckless or self-destructive behavior, panic attacks, and dissociative experiences. 
  5. Dissociative experiences: This may include feeling as though you are sometimes a different person, having an out-of-body experience, not remembering how you got somewhere, feeling as if time is moving slowly, or experiencing dream-like states when awake.

A PTSD diagnosis takes into account the severity of these symptoms and looks for patterns of at least one month. Consider how these symptoms appear in your life or the life of a loved one. 

What Determines a PTSD Diagnosis?

Unfortunately, many people who have PTSD avoid getting an official diagnosis, often because they worry that an official diagnosis may negatively affect their personal or professional lives. While each person must make their own decisions about seeking help, we believe that it is ultimately a good thing to have psychological issues and mental health struggles diagnosed by a mental health professional. A diagnosis opens up opportunities for appropriate treatment and aides, such as service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Typically, a person must experience PTSD symptoms for 1-6  months to receive an official PTSD diagnosis. However, this can vary. It’s important to find a holistic and trauma-informed therapy center to help make this diagnosis. PTSD symptoms can take many forms, depending on the severity of the disorder, the event or events that brought it about, and the individual makeup of the person suffering. 

Woman cuddles her Golden Retriever dog friend in summer at garden

Treatment Options for PTSD

Treatment options for PTSD have come a long way in the last several decades, and several medications can reduce symptoms. These medications work best when combined with therapeutic practices.

ILC offers a variety of therapeutic approaches aimed at healing trauma and, by extension, reducing symptoms of PTSD. We believe that including dogs and other service animals yields consistently positive results. Our treatments include:

Service Dog or Emotional Support Animal?

While emotional support animals are helpful to their owners, they are not the same as service dogs. Service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder require certain training and can perform specific tasks to help their owners in various situations. 

An emotional support animal also does not fall under the provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), whereas a service dog for PTSD does. Official service dogs can accompany their owners in public and to several other places where emotional support dogs or animals may not be allowed. 

How Do Service Dogs Help With PTSD?

Service dogs perform tasks that help make their handler safer in different environments. For example, sight-impaired individuals might use a service dog to navigate unfamiliar public places. Likewise, people who suffer from seizures might use a service dog to alert them to get to a safe space before a seizure occurs.

For individuals who have PTSD, your service dog will respond to your needs. A PTSD service dog’s tasks include:

  • Alerts: Service dogs can alert their handlers that a car or a person is approaching, when it is time to take medication, or that their handler is experiencing a spike in cortisol levels or blood sugar. These things may cause or be signs of an oncoming panic attack.
  • Interruptions: Service dogs can nudge, lick, or lay down on their handler if the handler dissociates, experiences a flashback, performs repetitive behaviors, or engages in self-harm.
  • Protective Movement: Service dogs can perform specific movements at certain times to protect their handler from a surprise approach from the back. They can also provide a physical barrier between their handler and a crowd if that is a trigger for their handler. 
  • Guidance: Service dogs lead their handler to safety if they are experiencing a panic attack, dissociation, or unsafe situation.
  • Call For Help: Service dogs can search for emergency services, a safe person, or a counselor from a pre-planned phone if their handler is non-responsive or needs crisis services.

After receiving a PTSD diagnosis, you’ll want to look at the available treatments and strategies available for healing and recovery. Service dogs for post-traumatic stress disorder are a viable option for many. 

Getting Help for PTSD

Alongside therapy, service dogs aid in a person’s recovery from PTSD. By performing specific tasks that help their handlers deal with symptoms and triggers, service dogs can reduce anxiety, increase serotonin, and lower blood pressure. PTSD service dogs also provide companionship and comfort to their handlers.

Integrative Life Center provides a supportive environment for our PTSD treatment clients. We welcome service dogs on-site and work with individuals to find the treatments that best meet their needs. 

Contact ILC to learn more about the qualifications for PTSD, trauma treatment, or how therapeutic services could benefit you.

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