HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Emotional Support Animal

Support Forums
>
Depression
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/9/2013 8:29 AM (GMT 0)
Has anyone here gotten an emotional support animal??? My landlord doesn't allow us to have pets at my mom's house and I live in on campus housing. Does anyone know if I can still get one? I've done research and it says with major depression disorder you can get one but I don't know. Please help!
Posted 12/9/2013 10:47 AM (GMT 0)
Pets are a huger responsibility, you have to have a lot of time to devote. Maybe you can volunteer at the animal shelter so you can be around them. But to have one while going to school is a lot of responsibility. I did it, but I don't think I had enough time to devote to it.

Best wishes.
Oh I wasn't on campus, I was renting a place. I hope that you can be around some but think twice about taking one home with you. What would you do with it when you went home where you can't have one?

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 12/9/2013 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hello CGD .......

   I am a firm believer that at least some types of animals can be a huge boost to our emotional well-being. They do take some time, some cost and some love though.

   What Karen just said makes sense - at least as a starting point. If you were to volunteer at a shelter for animals, you could be of great value to the animals - and they might help you develop a relationship with an animal, that might be adopted at a later date.

   Even if adoption doesn't happen, you would be in a win-win situation with the animals in need of help and love.

   Good luck to you on your decision.

Rob & Gizzy

P.S. - Gizzy is my best friend, a 34-month old Samoyed ... about a 45-pound dog full of love.

 

Posted 12/9/2013 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
college.

I volunteered for years at shelters before I could adopt my own dogs again.

It works wonders for your depression, you meet new people like yourself and you get unconditional love from animals. just don't let it take over your life, keep your priorities at school and you will be fine.

Peace and courage
Trina
Posted 12/9/2013 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
Karen, (that's my momma's name!)
I have an animal on campus that is a cat but he is an outdoors cat and doesn't come around anymore since it's cold. I've noticed that since he doesn't come around, even on my medication it's hard to deal with all the stress of college. I have my classes dispersed throughout the week with loads of spare time. The thing about volunteering though is I do not have a car. It's hard for me to get on and off campus. Plus, when around animals, I smoke less (a habit I am trying to quit.) And with emotional support animals, land lords have to let you have them. And I don't go home to my mom's house that often anyway.

Rob& Gizzy
I love your dog's name!!! And Samoyeds are so cute! My mom has already offered to pay for the animal's supplies because she knows that it is one of the only ways I have ever been able to calm down when I am stressed and upset aside from smoking cigarettes. I have always had a dog or a cat in my life and since coming to college where one is not readily available or able to come in my apartment to snuggle, my depression has gotten worse. I love animals and really would love one to curl up with when I am sad. They are great at sensing when they are needed. That's why I really would like to get one again. I am talking to my psychologist tomorrow about it while I am there.

Trina
I have always had animals and without a car, volunteering is very hard to do. And to the fact you say they work wonders for depression is the reason I am hoping to get one again. I do try to focus on school but it gets hard when I get so stressed out that I spiral down. Animals help stop that from happening.
Posted 12/9/2013 8:57 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you need to widen your scope of coping skills.

Have you tried any of the following? Journaling, art, meditation, mindfulnes, music, drawing, crossword puzzles.

There is a thread called Resources at the top of our forum, I urge you to review the 4 pages and see what might help you. We all need more than one thing that helps us get through our troubles.

peace
Trina
Posted 12/9/2013 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Trina
I have tried all of the above! And that is one thing my psychologist and I are working on. But even he has started to suggest we might try a service animal. Which is what I am going to talk to him tomorrow about. I've been seeing him since the start of school and he is pretty smart.

CGD
Posted 12/10/2013 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
C
See, our landlord at my moms won't even allow that and in my college apartments all we are allowed to have is ONE FISH. Fish are not at all cuddly and do not love. XP which really really sucks. From what I've researched, if you have a psychologist write a letter of necessity, and your animal is registered as an emotional support animal, landlords have to let you have them due to The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As long as you have the proper documentation, they have to let you have them in your home. Same with college housing. And since I have CMDD (chronic major depression disorder, which is documented in my medical charts) it says that I am entitled to one. My mom thinks it's a great idea and my psychologist at school has hinted at it but cannot flat out suggest it because of the school. He also can not sign the letter of necessity. He can, however, send me to an off-site psychologist to work with on it. The whole process only takes about a week to a month to complete.

CGD

CGD
Posted 12/10/2013 7:39 AM (GMT 0)
I get it. I think I do better with animals than people sometimes. When I was at college it was a stressful time. Strange surroundings and not knowing many people combine with stress from classes can be tough. I was allowed to have a hamster at college, in my dorm.

By all means, speak to your therapist but don't get your hopes high. The school may require lots of paperwork or they may refuse all together. The problem in dorms is that so much area is common for everyone. Some people are allergic to a lot of animals. The school may have their hands tied because of this issue.

No matter what, continue working on coping skills. It's easy to get discouraged and quit when you have depression. Just listen to your therapist and keep trying.
Posted 12/10/2013 8:37 AM (GMT 0)
C
OH MY GOSH!!! You just made me fall off of my bed laughing. Thank you. I needed that.

CGD

Angel
I have an apartment and no one living with me is allergic. We all love animals. I have spoken to housing and they only require you to present a letter of necessity signed by a licensed psychologist and sign a waiver saying if anything is damaged by the animal, you'll pay for it. I am talking to the school psychologist about it tomorrow at my weekly appt. We've been working on the coping skills but my panic attacks are starting to get bad again. They always do around holidays. Depression is bad all the time.

CGD
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply