Could Catherine Zeta-Jones Suffering from Bipolar II Disorder Be Helped by a Puppy?

April 18, 2011 - PRLog -- On April 14, 2011, news of actress Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Bipolar II diagnosis and subsequent stay in a mental health facility was made public.  Bipolar II disorder is a disease on the Bipolar spectrum that is characterized by a greater influx of depression than mania.  As Bipolar Disorder varies with cycles of episodes of mania and depression, Bipolar I is characterized by more episodes of mania, where Bipolar II sees a longer state of depressive disorders.  Though there is no substitute for the role of medicine when it comes to treating mental health disorders, studies have shown that pets such as a puppy can help alleviate symptoms as well as help reduce the amount of depression experienced.

Those with various mental illnesses often remark that having a pet, such as a puppy, to love and care for can bring happiness into their lives as well as help them during their dark periods.  As many who deal with mental health issues may find that they tend to avoid human interaction during their darker periods, a pet can help keep a pet owner balanced and feeling connected to the world.  Dogs that need to be walked everyday and have outdoor exposure give a reason for owners to leave the confines of their home and to venture outside, even if they aren’t feeling up to it.  Again, a puppy is not a substitute for medication, but when added to a therapeutic program, puppies can provide many benefits to those dealing with mental health disorders such as Bipolar II.

The therapeutic benefits of pets have been well documented.  The AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy) began their organization in 1919 when then Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane suggested the use of therapeutic dogs with patients at the St. Elizabeth psychiatric hospital in Washington D.C.  By 1942, the United States military instituted the use of animal therapy at the Pawling Army Air Force Convalescent Hospital in New York.  Twenty years later, the first documented use of therapy dogs with child patients was recorded by Boris Levinson.  Levinson discovered that children who were withdrawn and non communicative would become more interactive when his dog, Jingles, attended therapy sessions.  Levinson documented his findings in the publication Mental Hygiene in an article titled, “The Dog as Co-Therapist.”  Levinsons’s work was expanded upon by Sam and Elizabeth Corson, two psychiatrists with the Ohio State University Psychiatric Hospital.  The Corsons brought therapy animals into the hospital for research purposes and documented their findings.  Eventually, the use of pet therapy was instituted in nursing homes where it was shown to have dramatic results in the lives of patients.

In 1976, Elaine Smith founded Therapy Dogs International (TDI).  The results were astonishing as through therapy sessions, a woman who hadn’t spoken for years began speaking again.  Today, TDI has become widely accepted and medicine recognizes the value of therapy dogs.  Today, TDI serves patients in all fifty states and has expanded to other countries.

The benefits of a pet are vast.  Those who are dealing with mental health issues may find that bringing a puppy into the household is a therapeutic, healthy choice. A “therapeutic pet” doesn’t necessarily require any specific training, except the basic house training available at http://HowToTrainPuppy.net

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