Rehabilitation is a temporary effort by people who can not do their daily life due to drug or alcohol addiction. During the rehabilitation period, the patients have to make constant efforts to overcome the psychological and physical difficulties and return to daily life. Depending on the progression, it may take a few weeks or even months to be treated, so patience of family members, friends, doctors and others is also needed.
However, in recent years, the introduction of therapeutic dogs in this rehabilitation process has reduced the burden on patients and the recovery process is accelerating. Of course, therapeutic dogs also play an important role in improving their daily lives, providing emotional stability to autistic children, people with disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder, prosthesis, or athletes.
Let's look at the benefits of a therapeutic dog to those who have lived a life of drugs and alcohol.
The role of therapeutic dogs in rehabilitation
Most drug or alcohol addicts will have difficulties in the early stages of the rehabilitation program. This is due to the rigor and stress required by the program, and the emerging therapeutic dogs help the patient to overcome difficulties and achieve ultimate goals.
In particular, recovery from poisoning usually requires prolonged maintenance and recurrence prevention treatment. For a long time we need to have a steady support and support. Therapeutic dogs can play a major role in ensuring that they are free from constant temptation. This is because it provides emotional and physical benefits while giving unconditional affection and love without judging the other person. Dogs are the only ones who do not criticize or judge addicts.
The patient may also be assisted by a therapeutic dog to remove dependence on drugs and alcohol. There is no animal that expresses all the real feelings of fear, anger, joy, relief, etc., as honest and honest as a puppy. Patients can see and learn these emotional expressions. And you should make sure your puppy can show their emotional expression candidly.
Establishing new relationships with puppies and patients is also an important factor in rehabilitation. For example, it is possible to abandon all of the existing relationships that have been made of alcohol and drugs, and to make new connections. The puppy has no hesitation in forming a rapport with people and meeting new people. It is good for emotional health if you express your feelings honestly and honest conversation by taking puppy as new friend. It is not just the relationship between the patient and the puppy, but it also allows the patient to go outdoors to perform physical activities, as well as allowing the bridge to meet other people in the process.
Exercise is an integral part of the rehabilitation program. If a dog is next to you, it is especially helpful because you have more opportunities to voluntarily do exercises or other physical activities. When you go outside and are exposed to fresh air and warm sunlight, your mood improves and your health improves, which can speed up your rehabilitation.
Experts say that overcoming loneliness is another important factor. Therapeutic dogs can also help to make the patient smile and have fun. Smiling itself is good for your health because it secretes a good hormone such as serotonin or dopamine. In conclusion, with all these physical and emotional benefits, the patient will be able to re-establish his / her values and abilities in the rehabilitation process, and take a step toward normal life.
The actual value of dogs
In fact, there are some people who are helped by the role of therapeutic dogs. This is the case in Sofia, where both of his daughters suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sophia said children who were only accustomed to medication and treatment had begun to depend on drugs and alcohol due to the increase in school, family, and recovery stress.
As a result, the addictive behavior began to be reproduced as the recovery program became less powerful. Fortunately, the therapist introduced therapeutic dogs to help her two daughters overcome difficulties and create a new environment, which enabled the recovery program to work.
There is another person who has been helped by a dog called Molly. Allan, who had four months of intensive treatment and brain injury rehabilitation, According to Alan's wife Janet, Alan said he began to reclaim reading, writing, walking, speaking and remembering with the help of therapy and Molly. Especially, I could feel emotional stability by frequent conversation with Molly. Because Molly was like an audience of conversations with Alan, he was able to get a tremendous amount of emotional support. Eventually, Alan's PTSD could be overcome with Molly's help.
