Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition that develops after someone experiences trauma. Depending on the severity of the trauma and how it was induced, the symptoms of PTSD will vary greatly. While the condition can be managed with medications, sometimes having a friend in your corner when you need them the most is just as helpful.
This is where service dogs for PTSD come into play. These canine companions are trained to help people who struggle with PTSD. Read on to learn about the various service dog tasks for PTSD and how they can help.
What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops when someone experiences a great trauma. It’s a common condition for people who fight in wars and for children/adults who have gone through abuse. The symptoms of PTSD vary depending on the person and the severity of the trauma, with the most common ones being anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event and how things unfolded.
What Is a Service Dog for PTSD?
A service dog for PTSD is a psychiatric service dog trained to help people with PTSD. These dogs are often trained to handle specific tasks like applying therapy, getting people away from danger, and much more.
PTSD service dogs are also protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), so they can live with you in an apartment that’s not pet-friendly and travel on airlines. They’re also allowed in most public settings, which separates them from emotional support animals (ESA).
Common Service Dog Tasks for PTSD
Service dogs can help people who struggle with PTSD in several ways. However, the tasks they’re trained for vary greatly depending on the individual’s conditions. Learn about the most common service dog takes for PTSD below.
1. Deep-Pressure Therapy And Comfort
Service dogs for PTSD are great at helping people with deep-pressure therapy. This is a technique where dogs will sit on their human’s lap or apply pressure in different ways to stop panic attacks in their tracks.
Aside from providing comfort by applying pressure, psychiatric service dogs trained for PTSD can provide comfort in other ways or just by being around.
2. Avoiding Triggers
PTSD may induce some general anxiety, but there’s often a trigger that causes someone to enter a panic attack. Service dogs for PTSD can be trained to recognize these triggers and help people avoid them. For example, if a trigger is loud noises, PTSD service dogs can prevent their humans from heading in that direction.
Not only can they prevent panic attacks, but PTSD service dogs can get someone out of crowded public spaces if they have a panic attack in public. In fact, they can even get help.
3. Remembering Medications
People who struggle with PTSD may also take medications to reduce symptoms. Some medications may be taken daily, and others may only be taken if someone is having a panic attack. Regardless of the medication’s cycle, PTSD service dogs can remind their companies that it’s time for medication.
Aside from reminding people when it’s time for medication, PTSD service dogs can also bring medication to them; this is great for panic attacks when people may not be able to grab their medications themselves.
4. Interrupting Harmful Behaviors
Unfortunately, PTSD can sometimes result in harmful behaviors like self-harm. These acts can lead to pain, worse PTSD symptoms, and even death. While medications can manage these symptoms, service dogs for PTSD are trained to spot triggers and interrupt any acts of self-harm once they begin.
Having something physically interrupt the act can be enough to stop it in its tracks. Service dogs for PTSD can also bring medications and find help.
5. Emotional Support
Last but not least, PTSD service dogs can offer emotional support. In fact, just being around and getting people out of the house for walks creates a routine that can distract someone from their PTSD symptoms.
Plus, if anything does happen, a service dog’s presence is sometimes enough to keep someone calm. Just knowing that someone has your back is a great way to treat PTSD.
Understanding the Benefits of Service Dog Tasks for PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious condition that requires careful management, and a service dog may be the right tool for the job. Medications are great at stopping panic attacks and keeping emotions in check, but service dogs have the ability to connect with people on an emotional level and find help, steer people away from triggers, and much more. Therefore, it’s always worth considering the benefits of a service dog for PTSD, along with the various tasks they can help you with.