HOW DO I GET A SERVICE DOG?

[Tenshi]

Hi there,

I'm new here but I decided to join BeyondBlue as they talked about helping to find solutions to Anxiety and Depression. I am diagnosed with Anxiety and although not properly diagnosed, do sometimes feel depressed.
I turn 14 in December, so I'm still quite young therefore really don't want to take repetitive medication. So for the past year I have been researching other Solutions and for the past 4 months or so, through personal research, I have concluded that the best option for me would be a service dog. I'm young, energetic and love animals. I already have a dog and a cat who often help calm me down if I'm having a panic attack but my dog is nowhere near qualified to be a service dog! An anxiety I get is that I'm afraid people won't see me as "mentally ill enough" or that I don't "qualify" for a service dog that I know would help. I think something that gives me this anxiety may be my mum. And trust me I have a great relationship with my mum but this is one of the few things we seriously fight about. Its that I prefer to have a label on my issues. That is a personal preference I wish my mum could respect. I would prefer to be able to say I have anxiety or I have tourettes or I have depression (not diagnosed with all of those btw-examples) than to have to avoid the question or have to struggle to explain whats going on with me. While my mum doesn't like me having labels on my issues, I can respect it as she is my mum and she probably doesn't like to hear he own daughter define herself as someone with anxiety. She just can't see it from my perspective. Anyways to the question of this forum: I live in Sydney and would really like to soon go to my GP privately and talk to her about service dogs (If thats who I even talk to!) But I really want to know the following. Does anyone have a service dog and want to share some info? Where I have to go or what I have to do to qualify for a service dog? How involved must parents me in the process? Is my GP the right person to talk to? What should I say to her? Do I need to try and "convince" her that a service dog is what I need? Should I bring all my personal research with me? Can a service dog live with a non-service dog? There are so many questions I have so I'm going to sum it up by saying if you have ANY info on getting a service dog please say below 😉

Thanks so so much in advance for any help and please feel free to say something if you're having the same issue x

Tenshi -xoxo-

[Fizz_wizz]

Hi tensei

I too suffer really badly with anxiety and depression my dad does as well so he always understands but my mum doesn't so shes had a hard time understanding what's going on with me but your mum cares a lot about you and probably wishes she could end your suffering as for a service dog I'm not really sure where to go but maybe look it up on the internet I also have a dog not a service dog but he makes all the difference he gives me confidence we have such a strong bond. Pets are really good for people with anxiety and depression.

[geoff]

Hello Tenshi, and welcome to the forums.

I'm so sorry you are suffering from anxiety as well as probably having depression, the two of these are normally linked together, unfortunately, and sometimes parents don't want to accept the fact that one of their children has a mental illness problem, so they keep pushing it away, not believing it to be true.

At your age, your mum will need to be involved in all the aspects you have asked and a service dog won't be provided unless you have gone through all the appropriate channels first, like seeing a doctor and a psychologist regularly, I'm sorry to say.

There is a waiting list of people who need a service dog just as the same applies to people wanting an eye-seeing dog.

When you see your doctor they may prescribe medication but this doesn't mean you need to take forever.

I'm sorry but hope you can stay on with us so we can talk further.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Tenshi]

Thanks so much for the reply Geoff,

Just to clarify, its not that I'm not open to my mum about it and it's not that she is apposed to the idea but I just think she needs to be educated on what they actually do. You mentioned that there is a list of people awaiting a SD (service dog). Where is that list or what company is it through?

Ignoring my personal situation, any info on companies, websites etc for getting a Service dog in Sydney would be amazing.

Thanks,

Tenshi -xoxo-

[geoff]

Hello Tenshi, thanks for getting back to me, if you google this today, ''how to get a mental health service dog Australia' as I get up very early in the morning about 12.30 am, then I'll get back to you in the morning, please remind me if I forget.

Hope that suits you.

Geoff.

[Tenshi]

Hey Fizz Wizz,

So glad to hear from you. Good to know someone else with similar issues has read and joined this forum!

[Tenshi]

Found some great info online. Considering I don't talk to him about it much, I'm going to talk to my dad about it today, hopefully it will be something he thinks about while he is away (going on business trip tomorrow)

[geoff]

Good Morning Tenshi, for starters you may want to google this and see how you get on,

'how to get a mental health service dog Australia', you may have already plus,

-'emotional support animal Australia dog'

-Centre for Service Therapy Dogs Australia info@cstda.com.au 0458 458 541

- positiveresponse.com.au/assistant-dogs 07 3459 2121

- minddog.org.au 0490 850 993

- awaredogs.org.au 1300 99 2213

Tenshi, these are in different States and may offer you what you're after, but I'd like to know how you get on, and the site that said there was a 'waiting list' I can't find it.

Hope this really helps you.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hi Tenshi, I have replied back to you this morning but I think it's waiting for moderators to check the half dozen sites which I have supplied.

I hope they can help but I'd really like to hear back from you.

Geoff.

[Tenshi]

thanks so much geoff!