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Psychiatric Service Dog Training For Panic Attacks

5 benefits of Training a Psychiatric Service Animal

new regulation by the DOT

Summary of todays Podcast:

1. Changes for psychiatric service dogs and airline travel

  1. New rules for Airlines travel with a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD)
  2. Who and How to qualify for a PSD
  3. Service Dog Training
  4. Ways Psychiatric Service dog help with Panic Attacks and PTSD and depression

Question of the day is: What is the only question that a person can ask someone to determine if they have a mental health service dog?

I was so relieved when I found out about having my cute little furry Emotional support Animal (ESA) fly with me by federal laws for airlines. I could take my dog with me and have him on my lap, if I had a letter from my therapist stating I need my dog to fly with me because I have anxiety, I can take him with me.  That is no longer the case now.  This is a big loss for many to be able to take your furry friend with you.

The 2 laws are for airline travel and housing and they have been around for a long time:

  1. For Housing-The Fair Housing Act.1973- FHA was enacted 47 years ago for people with a disability, physical, or emotional to have their animal with them in housing and to not be discriminated against. There are no changes to this law.
  2. For Air Travel- the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) 1986-enacted 3 years ago. Enables you to bring an animal, mostly dog or cat on the plane with you. To Be on your lap the entire flight, or at your feet outside of a carrier. 

12-2-20 the Department of Transportation has changed the regulations. No more ESAs on planes, they are considered pets.  But date when this will take effect.

Service Dogs for Panic Attacks

The new Classification is a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD). Up to 2 dogs, but only dogs, no other kind of animals. They must meet more stringent requirements and a DOT form is needed to the completed attesting by penalty of a felony that your dog is “trained” to perform a task that helps you with your psychological symptoms.  

The person can train the dog themselves or have a professional train them or the animal could have intuitively trained themselves to recognize and respond and alleviate the client’s psychological symptoms.

For example, Training for a Psychiatric Service Dog for Panic attacks, the dog might notice when you are starting to get anxious, even before the you do. The dog must respond, for instance, comes over and licks at you, or puts him head in your lap and this alerts you to your rising anxiety before it escalates to a panic attack and this calms you down, this would be an example of being trained to perform a task.

Or training for a Mental Health Service Dogs for depression could be that the dog lick or paws at you to wake you up, since one of the symptoms of depression can be sleeping to much and you dog comes and gets you out of bed, that is trained to do a task.

You Can Qualify For Psychiatric Support Dog Easily

The examples could go on and on for all the different ways a dog could be defined as a PSD.

Here are more examples:

  • Helps Calms you from having a more severe panic attack
  • Takes you out of an overwhelming situation from PTSD triggers
  • Calms you in crowds by being a barrier between you and others
  • Brings you back from dissociative state
  • Gets between you and others to provide space
  • Nudges you to keep moving in social situations or crowds
  • Helps to get you out of bed, when depressed or helps you overwhelm state
  • Licks your face to calm or bring you back to reality
  • Lays on you when having panic attack to apply pressure
  • Comes to calm an Autistic person before an episode worsens

5 benefits of having a certified PSD Training dog is that they can go with you into

  1. Public places
  2. Stores, Hotels
  3. Restaurants
  4. Fly in a plane with you in the cabin, within your space with no fees
  5. Be in no pet house, without weight or breed restrictions or pet rents.

If you believe your animal helps you with one of the above. Then you are prequalified for next step to get a certified PSD.

If you want to get a certified PSD by a mental Health professional, then an evaluation of your symptoms and need for one is the next step. For Housing this may be required.  Many clients want the certification by me as a Licensed Mental Health Professional with my specialty of certifying for an ESA or a PSD to receive an Official letter or a Photo ID certifying that they meet the law.   This way clients with anxiety are relieved to have the paperwork and not be questioned.

By the law the only question that can be asked is How is your dog trained to help you with a task? Or what task is your dog trained to help you with.   On our PSD letters and ID’s that wording is written directly on it, so that there is not question what can be asked.

Mental health Service Dogs, Service dogs for panic attacks, Psychiatric service animal, Psychiatric Support Dog. Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) are just some of the names of a new class of Service animal that is born out of the changing for emotional support animals that a announced on Dec. 2, 2020 for airline travel.


If you are interested in more information or if you have questions you are welcome to call us at 760-485-6785 or go to ESApros.com


9 Benefits of Emotional Support Animal in California

“​

Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogs - loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimism, unqualified love - can be elusive to humans.

​John Grogan

At present, in excess of 30% of the adult population in America is struggling with some sort of mental health problem. For this reason, the role played by an emotional support animal in California and other major American cities has become very important.

Apart from distracting us from our daily activities and struggles, they also help to alleviate stress to a great extent. Many of us feel better because of these animals in times of extreme emotional distress. The emotional support animal laws in California will enable you to dwell in rented apartments legally along with the emotional support animal. In the subsequent paragraphs, we will take a look at how emotional support animals will help to make our life easier.

emotional support animal california

​​​​9 Benefits Provided by ​Emotional Support Dogs in California

1.

You'll experience decreased feelings of solitude

Canines and other pets will help to decrease the feelings of loneliness in individuals and also provide companionship. It is extremely difficult to deal with mental illness all by yourself and people suffering from these types of conditions often face problems in functioning in the public and social settings, thus aggravating the sensation of solitude plus isolation.


These types of feelings can be lessened with the help of an emotional support animal. These animals love to go for strolls and might also compel their owners to come in contact with the outside world for socialization.


Although they are not able to speak, they can act as constant and patient listeners. At times, you require somebody to talk to. A trusted animal will never allow you to feel alone whatsoever.

companion
2.

Enhanced physical activities

An emotional support animal will assist you in leaving the house and going for short strolls. This is extremely important when it comes to a healthy body and mind. People often ignore to perform physical activities because of depressive disorders and other issues.


However, these animals will provide you with some purpose in life and you will feel like doing physical activities. For instance, a dog might help individuals who are suffering from mental problems to go for a short walk outside.


Apart from being good for the body, physical activity will also increase the production of endorphins which are known as the feel-good hormones.

3.

ESA animals reduce anxiety and stress

ESA can also assist in reducing stress and anxiety. Contemporary lives can be very stressful and many of us are unable to handle the anxiety effectively. Some even suffer from panic attacks from time to time.


These animals help to counteract all these effects of anxiety and extreme stress. It has been shown by studies that the stress levels of any person decrease once he interacts with any faithful animal. With the drop stress levels, anxiety also is lessened in the long run. And, decreasing stress will be able to prevent panic attacks too.

emotional support dogs
​4.

ESA pets give you a sense of purpose

Caring for any animal will help to develop a sense of purpose and will improve your mood as well. Many people struggling with mental disorders might feel that their lives do not have any purpose. However, an emotional support animal implies that you have somebody depending on you on a regular basis.


Ensuring that the animal is provided with food, water, and proper exercise develops a positive frame of mind for the patient and he or she gets back the interest in their lives. Spending more time with the animals will also enable them to focus on the requirements of the animals instead of their own problems.


At times, this type of distraction can help you immensely in avoiding a panic attack or depressive episode.

​5.

​Better physical health

While somebody is struggling with his mental health, it can hamper his physical health significantly. Anxiety, stress, and depressive disorders can result in hypertension, high cholesterol, weight gain, and lots of other physical problems.


However, these issues can be contracted easily in the presence of an emotional support animal. It has been shown by studies that these animals help in minimizing the triglyceride levels, blood pressure, plus cholesterol. Apart from that, enhanced physical activities will also help them in shedding pounds in the long run.

Esa Registration
​6.

​More social support

​As mentioned earlier, these animals are going to be a fantastic support for any person who is struggling to mix with the outside world after a period of detachment.


However, emotional support animals will be able to transform this attitude of their own owners to a great extent and help them to interact with others much more freely.

​7.

Feel safer

 ​

​Having the company of an ESA animal anywhere you go will provide a sense of security and safety to any individual out there. The animals are playful in nature and this will help their owners to relax and overcome their paranoid feelings effectively.


service dogs
​8.

​​​​They can help you recover

It might be that you are recovering from any injury sustained by you that had a significant impact on your mental health. In that case, you can take the help of the animal to boost your recovery process to a great extent.


Apart from this, whenever you venture outside for a stroll along with the animal you will be experiencing an increase in your physical activities which can improve your health considerably.

​9.

They reduce travel anxiety

 There are many people who are suffering from travel anxiety and will not be able to board an aircraft while going to another destination. 


Realizing this fact, the emotional support animal laws in California and other cities have permitted individuals to take their emotional support animals along with them on the plane for overcoming their anxiety.


Conclusion: California Service Dog Laws

Even though one cannot deny the role of an emotional support animal in California when it comes to treating the mental and emotional conditions, it is also important to consider other treatment procedures too.


One must use the support from these animals along with other cognitive behavioral treatment methods. In this manner, it will be possible for you to witness some notable changes in the overall quality of your mental health and you will be able to lead a stress-free and happier life than ever before.


Emotional Support Animals Evaluation Letter​ ​


Simple and Easy Approval for an ESA Letter in as little as 24 hours


Find Out in 30 Seconds If You Qualify

Call us with any Questions 760-​485-6784


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