Recently people all over the world have been suffering from mental and psychological issues. The numbers of those suffering from depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and bipolar disease are increasing every year. Thanks to the internet most of these people do not seek medical assistance when suffering from mental health problems. It’s also because mental health professionals usually cost a lot of money and it requires a lot of energy to find the right one for you. Issues like loneliness, social anxiety, and certain phobias can actually have negative effects on performing major activities in your life, like being in a committed relationship, insomnia, or even learning disabilities.
If you have a similar disease, do not worry, you’re not alone. You just have to find a comfortable way of dealing with it on your own so you can cope and adapt. Animals are known to sense sadness and emotional stress and therefore getting Emotional Support Animals might be very beneficial for you. Here are a few things you need to know about getting an ESA.
What Are They Good For?
They provide assistance and comfort that is needed for one to go on with their life. To get one of those animals you would need to understand all the aspects, obligations, and legal rights you have as an owner of one of those animals, https://www.certapet.com/faq/americans-with-disabilities-act/ will help you follow the legal process, as well as check if you’re qualified to get one and understand the difference between emotional support animals (ESAs) and service animals, who are trained to aid their owners with certain tasks and help them cope with their disabilities. ESAs on the other hand do not be trained to assist you with certain activities, they must only be trained to obey owners, not hurt anyone and not cause distress to their owners because that would defy their purpose, right?
Your Rights As The Owner Of An Emotional Support Animal
Well, you’re not disabled and you do not need them to assist you with activities that you are not able to do like moving a wheelchair, reminding you when to take your meds, or aid you in case you have trouble seeing or hearing. However, governments understand that you need them and they are as important to you as service animals are to disabled folks.
Emotional support animals are allowed in your house even if it’s a rental and your landlord as a no pet policy. If it has been proven that you need an emotional support animal by a doctor, specialist, or therapist then no one can deny you the right to own an ESA. You just have to make sure that the animal is nice and will not cause harm to anyone around you. Airplanes too, can’t stop you from accompanying your emotional support animal while traveling around. You would just need to make sure that they are leashed, on the floor (passenger’s feet) or in a cage while you’re on the plane other than that, you’re all good to go!
How do you get an ESA?
It’s a very simple process. First, you need to make sure that you’re actually qualified to get one. You can do that by visiting a phycologist, psychiatrist, or therapist and talking to them about how you feel and why you think a pet will be able to help you. You can even discuss it with your current therapist if you have one and let them advise you on how beneficial this step would be for your overall emotional wellness. If you do not have a therapist then you might want to consider answering detailed and personal questions on the internet, as mentioned above, to see if you qualified to get one. Just make sure the website is secured and that it’s not a scam.
If you’re qualified you will be receiving a standard letter, signed by a professional that allows you to own an emotional support animal. You can submit this letter at the airport and to your landlord to avoid arguments, negotiations, and embarrassment for yourself. You should also make sure that this letter is done and signed by a licensed mental health professional and that you can get back to him/her in case you have any concerns, questions or need their signature on other documents.
Nothing can go wrong if you have a pet around the house, you will have someone to talk to, share and spend some fun time with. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed and think a pet will be able to provide to assist you and fill the void then go for it. You do not need to visit a mental professional to be able to get one, you can do it online but you will still need to make sure that you have legit ESA letter and the right legal documents so you can be able to take it with you wherever you go. There’s nothing better than the company of creatures that genuinely love you for no reason!
