Everyone has seen someone in public who walks with a service dog due to a disability like blindness, but did you know there are service dogs for veterans with anxiety? Military personnel who return from anxiety-inducing experiences while serving in the military often develop an anxiety disorder. Using service dogs specially trained to help people with anxiety can make a huge difference in their quality of life.
Montare Behavioral Health of Tucson, Arizona offers residential treatment for mental health disorders like anxiety. In fact, we offer a program designed to help veterans regain control of their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Our staff understands the important role having a service dog fulfills, and offers dog-friendly care under our roof.
What Exactly are Service Dogs?
The U.S. Department of Defense released a report that in 2023, 523 service members committed suicide. This is an increase over 493 in the previous year. This makes it imperative that veterans have access to all forms of support to help improve their mental health. Service dogs for veterans with anxiety offer a specialized type of support for military members and retirees who struggle with poor mental health as a result of their service time.
Service dogs for veterans with anxiety are specially trained to become live-in pets for the individual who needs their assistance. The dogs are trained to provide companionship and reduce the symptoms of anxiety the veteran experiences. They assist people who have anxiety disorders, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Service dogs help their owners feel more at ease in public because they provide a barrier-like distance between themselves and other people. Just having their dog around them at all times helps ease the symptoms of anxiety. Not only does the dog provide a service, but they also create a real bond of trust and adoration. In fact, having a pet can help people feel more connected and positive even if they do not have a mental illness.
Benefits of Service Dogs for Veterans With Anxiety
Being the owner of a service dog for veterans with anxiety offers a variety of benefits. The individual feels like they aren’t alone even when they struggle with their emotions and memories. Having a constant companion helps raise the veteran’s ability to feel and express love and feel less isolated.
Many vets struggle with social interactions. Having their dog with them provides a level of comfort that makes it easier to spend time with others. It also provides a barrier between the person and the situation around them that feels like a safe wall.
Many veterans struggle with nightmares as part of anxiety or PTSD. Service dogs can help wake up the individual when they are having troubled dreams. Even the act of sleeping with or near a beloved pet helps people fall asleep more easily and stay asleep.
Vets develop a sense of independence when they have a service dog. This makes them feel more capable of taking care of themselves at home, as well as more inspired to venture out to run errands, exercise, and socialize.
Studies show that dog owners tend to live longer than those without a canine friend. Dog moms and dads also tend to be more active due to playing with their dogs, taking them for a walk, or exercising with them. Dog owners take 2,760 more steps per day compared to non-owners, and are less sedentary. This is important because increased physical activity helps reduce symptoms of anxiety.
How Can Veterans Get a Service Dog for Their Anxiety?
You can find service dogs for veterans with anxiety through a few different outlets. K9s for Warriors provides more service dogs for vets than any other source in the U.S. They train rescue dogs to help people with a variety of mental and physical difficulties and match each dog with the right person for them.
The American Humane Society has a program called Pups4Patriots that matches trained service dogs with veterans who need them. The program is free and provides a new life for both the owner and the dogs living in shelters.
Guide Dogs of America offers specially trained dogs that help people with both physical and psychological issues. They can help veterans who have anxiety related to PTSD.
Paws Assisting Veterans (PAVE) provides trained dogs for vets with physical and psychological issues. They assist those who have anxiety related to PTSD.
Contact Our Dog-Friendly Mental Health Treatment Center
Are you someone who uses a service dog for veterans with anxiety or is interested in learning more about this service? Montare Tucson offers comprehensive care for veterans with anxiety and other mental illnesses such as PTSD and depression. With the help of our licensed and compassionate therapy team, we help you make real and lasting progress in overcoming the symptoms of anxiety. We provide multiple types of highly effective therapy and access to prescription drugs that alleviate anxious feelings.
Contact us today to find out how easy it is to enroll in our Veterans Program. We understand how to help you process your experiences and emotions and put your past demons to rest.
Published: 2/5/2025
