topic Guilt about owning a dog in PTSD and trauma

Guilt about owning a dog

Guest5643 — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 02:57:28 GMT

I know millions of people live alone and has a dog but does anyone else constantly feel guilty for having a dog that constantly witnesses your anxiety depression ect? knowing it takes a mental toll on them

Cheers lynne

Guilt about owning a dog

MyLadyGirl — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 10:11:57 GMT

Hello Lynne,
Dogs are very good in sensing the way we feel. They feel what we feel and that is their nature. From my understanding and experience with dogs, they usually take away the anxiety of depression by consoling the owner. How it’s their nature of putting their head on our lap, running after us, wanting to pat them and many more. Do they have feelings? ‘Yes’ but they understand way what were going through just that they can’t talk. Probably not of mental cause their nature is to help and guide us. That’s why disability people have guide dogs to help them.

Guilt about owning a dog

Guest5643 — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 10:42:13 GMT

Hi Myladygirl

Thanks for your reply. I know thats the problem, there so intune with our feelings and certain dog breeds are so sensitive that i worry im affecting my dogs mental health and wonder if other owners are a worry wart like me and feel guilty. Oh they talk very clearly its just most people cant read them properly.

Cheers lynne

Guilt about owning a dog

Croix — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 11:03:22 GMT

Dear Lynne~

I'm probably living proof that animals can (a) sense how you are, (b) try to be close and comforting when needed and (c) live for the moment, with happiness and bouncing around when things get better. I've had my MH conditions for a very long time, surviving a succession of pets, all long-lived and happy

The only exception I know is Nasty Cat, who will go out of her way to make anyone within reach miserable, by whacking them with a clawed paw as they go past.

They have their own sense of fun and likes and dislikes. At one stage we raised orphan wallabies , and when I went and sat with them they would bounce on the table, eat cigarette ash and drink cold coffee out of my mug. I did speak earnestly to them, made no difference I'm afraid.

The only time I believe an animal's mental health is affected is when they are mistreated, I remember years ago seeinga tiger in a zoo, pacing back and forth in a tiny enclosure. That was mistreatment.

I know perfectly well you cherish Jesse.

Croix

Guilt about owning a dog

romantic_thi3f — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:27:06 GMT

Hi Lynne,

This is a really interesting thought, but to be honest - no.

Anxiety, depression, trauma and health issues here, and I've owned dogs all of my life (sometimes multiple!). I can honestly say that they've probably seen the worst in me, but I can also honestly say they've been the happiest dogs that I know.

I believe that they are very in-tune with our emotions and behaviour, especially when incredibly energetic dogs are happy to be lap dogs because they sense that 'somethings up', but at the same time I don't think that our pain takes a mental toll on them. Google of course disagrees with me, but I know my vet doesn't 🙂

Guilt about owning a dog

MyLadyGirl — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 01:57:51 GMT

Lynne,

I agree with Croix that animals feels stress and have their anxiety is when they are being abused and mistreated. People usually forget that animals are exactly like human too. They feel what we feel. The only disadvantage that they have is that they can't talk but they give love unconditional loves. We always assume that dog have mental because we have. Never assume that, as dogs have a sense of love that it's difficult to understand. Don't feel the guilt that you are making your dog feel depress as you might not know that your dog loves you with all his/her heart

Guilt about owning a dog

Guest5643 — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 02:47:17 GMT

Hi Croix and RT and Myladygirl

I paid a fortune once for a pet psychic who told me "it is too much emotionay for jesse living with me with mental illness and it has taken a toll on him when he was my service dog". That crushed me at the time and so i threw out his certification and id coat which i massivley regret everyday, Its not something i can just replace. I have since learnt i was conned considering i had to detail everything beforehand.

Dont get me wrong hes happy but hes with me 24/7 and because theres no other humans to share the load he has to take it all. He dosnt even sleep even if hes exhausted because he wants to keep at least one eye on me.

I need to make it very clear he has been to sooooo many vets over his yrs and i am blacklisted because i have first hand witnessed many counts of malpractice and i will out them for it. If they deserve a detailed negative review then thats what thell get!😆

Haha croix, nasty cat is like my mums past cat zoe who would do the same to her. She would grab her ankle with both clawed paws and bite her ankle. My cat sits on top of stairs and whacks jesse on head when he goes down.

Cheers lynne

Guilt about owning a dog

Guest5643 — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 03:18:27 GMT

Ive come across scientific studies proving owners with depression and anxiety does indeed affect the quality of life of their dogs and cause cronic high cortisol levels. I knew it takes a toll on them as its a given but others might be interested in hearing this

Cheers lynne

Guilt about owning a dog

romantic_thi3f — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 06:48:52 GMT

Hi Lynne,

Thank you for sharing, and interesting to hear about the pet psychic!

I would be interested in reading the studies - feel free to share the link here. Hopefully they can change my mind!

Guilt about owning a dog

MyLadyGirl — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:24:13 GMT

Hi Lynne,

May I know why are you having anxiety depression ect that make you dog witness that (that's if you feel like to share). You are so caring person especially your dog. Your so concern about him/her. And I believe your a wonderful person that care and cherish the person that your are closed too.

As for the articles, please share them as I would love to read. However, the articles that are available in the net are based on their perspective and point of view based on research to dogs. I do read them but I would not say that I believe with what the write. I believe that dogs show who they are and what they are. There is one thing I learned with my ex dog (that pass away after 15 years with me) is that the feel sad only when they feel that the present of the family is not there (my dad). He became down and sad for a while but came around because of my mother. He was there all the time. So I see from my perspective that your dogs love you a lot that he/she is worried about you that you can do something that is unexpected. She/He is your guiding angel.

Guilt about owning a dog

Guest5643 — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:42:21 GMT

Hi Myladygirl and RT

Wouldnt have a clue how to share a link, your speaking a different language there!😅

Just google along the lines of does your depression and anxiety affect dogs ect. I was googling for a long time but youll find em. MLD google my dog is my family it explains a little bit, you can google my service dog story if you want but i wish i never wrote that thread and wish it was removed

Cheers lynne

Guilt about owning a dog

romantic_thi3f — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 22:57:39 GMT

Hi Lynne,

Oh! That's no worries ha 🙂

I feel so strongly that even though they pick up on our mood it doesn't affect them long-term so I did try and google some things. I'm not sure if I found the same study/studies as you but I think even though the title implies chronic stress there's a little more to these articles -

(the stress is) caused by the mutual physical activity during such a competition and
does not necessarily reflect contagious effects of (human) psychological stress.

From the dog’s point of view, there are indeed several positive effects of the human-dog
interaction

observed increase in the dogs’ cortisol levels does not appear to have anything to do with stress, since they did not display behaviors related to stress. The increasing cortisol levels are therefore probably a reflection of positive arousal (Lewandowski et al., 2014) and preparation for and expectation of activity in the dogs

I think that the internet has taken hold of the title and used it to put responsibility on us and our own stress levels. Croix mentioned in one of the posts about the stress when animals are mistreated; I've seen that consistently myself (I adopt dogs), and with good care, their exceptionally high stress levels have come straight down.

The other thing to try and remember is that there are actual studies about how we affect their mental health in a good way. I'm certain that from your care and concern your dog gets so much love and feels it too.

I hope that this gives you (and maybe others on the post) some comfort.

Guilt about owning a dog

romantic_thi3f — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 22:59:47 GMT

Hi Lynne,

The other thing I thought I'd mention is that if you hit report in the right hand corner of your post, you can ask for the mods to remove your post.

Guilt about owning a dog

Guest5643 — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:05:04 GMT

Hi RT

No thats not the main one i read. I think everyones taking my question a little to serious☺.

Cheers lynne