How Assistance Dogs can help people with PTSD
Assistance dogs have long been recognised as valuable companions for people with physical disabilities, but their potential to aid people with mental health conditions, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is increasingly being acknowledged. These specially trained animals can provide a sense of security, companionship, and emotional support, helping individuals with PTSD to manage their symptoms and improve their overall quality of life. In this article, we will explore the benefits of assistance dogs for people with PTSD and C-PTSD, including the ways in which they can be trained.
Pets, and specifically dogs offer numerous forms of support to PTSD and C-PTSD sufferers, depending on the specific needs of the individual. Dogs can support them with physical support, practical tasks, through emotional support or even interrupting self harm behaviours.
Experts say that dogs have also been successful in aiding the recovery of sexual assault victims, being uniquely suited to help them overcome trust and relationship issues. Furthermore, it is suggested that dogs are a great way for an people to practise controlling stress levels and regulating their tone of voice.
Research offers strong support for the general value of pets and data shows that PTSD and C-PTSD patients with a dog are able to sleep more, and have higher levels of oxytocin and dopamine with reduced cortisol, the stress hormone.
Assistance dogs can also be trained to support their owners through providing things such as:
- Improved self-sufficiency, as assistance dogs can be trained to assist in daily tasks
- Provides a grounding for the patient through the dog’s consistent and positive presence
- Deep Pressure Therapy
- Self Harm Interruptions
- Repetitive Motion Interruptions
- Crowd Control
- Guide to Exit
- Marking Blood Pressure/Heart rate changes
- Bracing for Dissociation episodes and blackouts
- ‘Being my company as I am fearful of people and strangers’
- Waking up their owner when they have a night terror
- Ease symptoms of hypervigilance by searching the house to ensure it is secure
- Guiding a patient home during an episode where they don’t have full control of their faculties
- Provide tactile stimulation to help with anxiety attacks
You can click on each of the case studies below to read and watch more about how these amazing dogs (some trained through Adolescent Dogs, and some self-trained) support their owners with PTSD and C-PTSD.
A well-trained dog can be invaluable
With proper specialist training, an assistance dog can open doors for someone coping with PTSD or C-PTSD but your own pet will be able to provide many benefits too. We previously spoke to Barry, a PTSD sufferer who’s dog, Bella, has been invaluable to help him. Bella, a Bichon Frise was rescued when she was 5 and a half months old. Although not a trained ‘Assistance dog’, Bella helps Barry by waking him up in the night if she senses he’s having a nightmare. She does this by “firstly licking my left ear (which wakes me up) then she licks my neck which calms me down”. Bella also helps Barry if he’s having a panic attack by sitting on his feet and staring into his eyes which helps to ground him. When he tells her he’s ok, she moves off.
How do you get an Assistance Dog for PTSD or C-PTSD?
Unfortunately, at present, there are a limited amount of organisations that are able to train and supply specific therapy or assistance dogs for those with PTSD or C-PTSD in the UK – which is why we think the self-training options with Adolescent Dogs is amazing!
We’re currently an affiliate with Adolescent Dogs, which means that for everyone who signs up to their online training programme, they will make a donation to PTSD UK for as long as you’re a member. Simply sign up by clicking here.
One organisation that can provide ‘ready trained’ dogs for PTSD sufferers is Service Dogs UK who train and provide PTSD Assistance Dogs, selected carefully from rescue, to support members of the Armed Forces and Emergency Services (including Coast Guard, RNLI and UKSAR) based in West Sussex, Surrey and East & North Hampshire. You can find out more about them here.
It’s important to note, that while choosing your PTSD recovery path you need to address both the symptoms and the underlying condition. NICE guidance updated in 2018 recommends the use of trauma focused psychological treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in adults, specifically the use of Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Please remember, these aren’t meant to be medical recommendations, but they’re tactics that have worked for others and might work for you, too. Be sure to work with a professional to find the best methods for you.
In order to honour our dogs, and raise awareness of PTSD UK you can now buy a supporters bandana for your furry friend from our Supporters Shop!
If you’ve got a dog who helps support you, why not sign up to our next PTSD UK Wagathon in August!!
The annual Wagathon® event is set to take place this August and we’d love for you and your pooch to get involved to support PTSD UK!
This new annual challenge is set to be huge with fundraisers across the UK challenging themselves and their pooches to complete a 9K walk during the August Bank Holiday Weekend – all whilst wearing their new PTSD UK dog bandana of course! Find out more, and sign up to the PTSD UK Wagathon here
Brooks, H.L., Rushton, K., Lovell, K. et al. The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC Psychiatry 18, 31 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1613-2
Service Dogs for Sexual-Assault Survivors Roni Jacobson
- Published in Volume: 14 Issue 5: October 21, 2008
How Clover the PTSD service dog changed one man’s life Bryan Eneas
Can service dogs help with anxiety? Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph.D., CRNP— Written by Jayne Leonard
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