Can Furry Friends Aid in Your Trauma Recovery?
Animals, including our bunnies and dogs, offer powerful mental health support for those living with depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of trauma recovery. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is especially useful when combined with other methods, such as talk and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
While AAT is not adequate as a sole treatment for unresolved trauma or PTSD, it may be used as an adjunctive therapy to offer symptom relief and a path toward post-traumatic growth.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is an emotional response to experiencing or witnessing disruptive events such as natural disasters, accidents, or incidents of abuse. The mental and emotional health ramifications of trauma are far-reaching and can significantly disrupt one’s daily life. Finding the right kind of support is crucial to alleviating symptoms of trauma recovery and coping with daily struggles.
Symptoms
The symptoms of trauma reactions vary from person to person but most commonly include disruptive levels of depression and anxiety as well as insomnia.
Those experiencing significant symptoms should consult a traditional counselor or psychiatrist to seek treatment, as AAT alone is not enough to offer relief. These symptoms can be chronic but are treatable with the right approach, which may include AAT alongside other therapeutic modalities.
What Trauma Can Feel Like When Not Healed
If you’re experiencing lingering symptoms from your trauma recovery after appropriate diagnosis and treatment, you may struggle to get through the day without emotional and mental disruptions. Your thoughts might feel clouded with rumination about the event, and you may experience lingering anxiety in situations that trigger painful memories, hindering your motivation and ability to sleep.
If symptoms interfere with your ability to function, it’s critical to get assessed by a mental health professional and seek treatment. Otherwise, trauma could interfere with your job, hobbies, and rest, making life significantly less enjoyable.
How Animals Help Build Trust and Safety for Trauma Recovery
Animal-assisted therapy sessions are a good complementary therapy for trauma survivors. AAT offers stress relief and may boost mood and encourage better emotional regulation throughout the recovery process. For some people diagnosed with PTSD, the presence of a trained therapy animal may provide a sense of safety and trust that reduces anxiety and depression symptoms.
Knowing When You Need To Open Up Can Be Difficult
If you’re interested in complementary therapies to make opening up during counseling sessions easier, it may be time to try AAT. With this approach, you may feel more comfortable and at ease sharing your symptoms and daily challenges, helping foster psychological resilience.
Animal-assisted therapy allows you to learn new coping mechanisms in a safe, supported environment with a comforting companion.
Consult Unleashed Counseling About Animal-Assisted Therapy
Enhance your support network by consulting Unleashed Counseling about animal-assisted therapy for trauma recovery. These approaches offer those recovering from terrible events a chance to relax their nervous systems and develop coping skills alongside a trusting companion. Animal-assisted therapy can be helpful in the journey toward a more peaceful daily life.
Get started today to find additional relief from traumatic experiences. You can book an appointment online to schedule your consultation.