People who own animals can attest to the power of having an animal companion to come to, spend time with and find comfort in when things get difficult. The immeasurable therapeutic support and value of animals is even greater for addiction recovery and therapy. Pets relieve stress, provide a safe haven for exploring thoughts without any repercussion and provide unconditional love. The constant companionship is unparalleled and can be healing for people with addiction.
Therapeutic Support
Many therapeutic modalities which provide animal assisted therapy do so during treatment to give the same sense of warmth and comfort pet owners experience when seeing animals at the end of a long and arduous day. Most people who seek this type of treatment are excited to have animals come alongside and provide comfort during the difficult recovery journey. Therapy works for most dependency challenges in rehab both during and after treatment.
Benefits of Companionship and Treatment
The immediate physical and emotional benefits are obvious but others, including exercise, companionship and unconditional love and loyalty are unsurpassed. There is a warmth and familiarity that is helpful for individuals but can also help reacquaint that person with themselves and focus on things like being less selfish and more nurturing while receiving love from the animal. Integrating pets and addiction treatment goes beyond giving individuals separate living spaces but also makes the person responsible for someone other than that person including feeding, grooming and caretaking.
Proven Results
The numbers speak for themselves including how a pet can be more beneficial to an individual more than even a family member’s support. A completely non-judgmental sounding board is available to help the person deal with fear, complaints, reservations and troubles. Overall, the combination of pets and addiction treatment can dramatically be under-utilized even as people don’t know the best options available for recovery include those in the animal kingdom. Animals have no hidden agendas or inclinations towards judgment. The instinct is merely to bond with the owner, offer support and provide connection humans cannot find anywhere else.
Contact Cypress Lakes to find out how we provide holistic therapies alongside traditional therapeutic techniques to support individuals in recovery from addiction. Call us today for more information, at
1-866-217-2636.
