Animals As Therapists

Kadie Bell

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Most people have dogs, cats, and birds as house pets. When times get lonely, we can find comfort in talking to them. It might seem dumb, but research has shown that the presence of any animal has a positive effect on people at various levels. Emotionally, it's shown that animals reduce the feeling of loneliness, thoughts of suicide, and increase self-esteem. They also increase the ability to learn new skills, solve conflicts, and accept criticism. This shows that just having the presence and knowing that the animal is in the room improves someone's mindset positively. On the physical level of things, it has been shown that animals contribute to the normalization of the cardiovascular system. Animals also encourage exercise and reduce stress. Animals often run around like crazy, and doing that motivates people to get up and also brightens their moods. Animals have been proven to also assist the disabled. Lastly, at the cognitive linguistic level, studies have shown that animals improve involvement in activities, communication skills, language development, and contact with the outside world. Animals have been helping people for a long time and are now saving lives.