How Dogs Combat Anxiety and Depression
When you think of man’s best friend, what do you think of? A person? An item? Is it something real or imaginary? I don’t know about you, but the first thing that pops into my head is something with four legs and a fluffy tail that barks at squirrels. Since the beginning, dogs have always been the go to companion for humans through hunting, adventuring, and overall friendship that is unwavering.
And honestly, sometimes it's hard to believe that even playing with a dog or hanging around them for a little bit of time can make such a drastic positive change on human lives. They provide the ultimate comfort from snuggling during scary movies to playing fetch in the yard. It's a moment of escape from the harsh realities of life and a moment of pure innocence.
Dogs are very good at reading human’s mental state based on facial features, body language, tone of voice, and any other physical movements that seem out of place. One study by the National Library of Medicine provided information about higher oxytocin production due to pet owners. You're probably thinking, why does this change anything? Oxytocin is a biochemical also known as the “love” chemical. This chemical gets released in response to any sensory activity during low intensity stimulation of the skin such as responses in touch.
Anyone with a pet, especially a dog, recognizes and has this unconditional love for their pet which both sides provide releasing this biochemical more frequently. And this chemical provides all sorts of benefits not only for mood, but for pain-management, reduced aggression, increased trust with individuals in pet owners life, as well as less sickness. Not only did the pet provide an all-natural anti-anxiety remedy for the pet owner, but for themselves. In the study, it states, “pets had less self-reported cases of anxiety and had lower stress-related markers”.
Dogs really are man’s best friend in every way. They show loyalty, unconditional love, and true friendship. Even from personal experience, I can say that dogs do make the world a better place.
Sources:
https://powerfulpatients.org/2020/04/29/how-a-dog-can-help-with-depression/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3408111/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529/full