psychiatric service dogs

[tinamarie]

on april 23d i will be recieving my own psyke puppie and i want to tell u how much they can help, below are some tasks they can do if any questions or comments feel free to askApathy
Tactile Stimulation
Hypersomnia
Wake-up handler
Feelings of isolation
Cuddle and Kiss
Sadness
Tearfulness
Deep Pressure Stimulation
Lick Tears
Bring Tissues
Initiate Play
Insomnia
Suicidal ideation
Stay with and focus on handler
Psychomotor retardation
Walk on a leash
Memory loss
Remind to take medication
Help to find keys or telephone
Disorganization
Assist with daily routines in the home

Bipolar (Manic phase)

Thoughts racing
Distractibility
Tactile Stimulation
Hyper focus
Irritability
Hyper locomotion
Olfactory cue?
Alert to incipient manic episode
Aggressive driving
Alert to aggressive driving
Insomnia
Alert to insomnia
Memory loss
Remind to take medication
Help to find keys or telephone
Disorganization
Assist with daily routines in the home

Panic

Derealization
Depersonalization
Tactile Stimulation
Olfactory cue?
Alert to incipient anxiety or panic attack
Fear
Fight or Flight response
Lead handler to a safe place
Pounding heart
Trembling
Nausea
Sweating
Staying with and focusing on handler
Dizziness
Brace or lean against the handler
Chills
Lay across handler’s body
Memory loss
Remind to take medication
Help to find keys or telephone

Anxiety

Restlessness
Distractibility
Tactile Stimulation
Sleep disturbance
Staying with and focusing on handler
Anxiety
Assist handler to leave situation
Muscle tension
Walk on leash
Memory loss
Remind to take medication

Agoraphobia

Anxiety
Fear of what could happen
Tactile Stimulation
Anxiety
Fear of being vulnerable
Staying with and focusing on handler
Fear of leaving home
Assist handler to leave the house

Social Phobia

Anxiety
Tactile Stimulation
Nervousness around others
Facilitate social interactions
Distress
Staying with and focusing on handler
Feeling overwhelmed
Assist handler in leaving a social situation

Post Traumatic Stress

Distractibility
Anxiety
Intrusive imagery
Dissociation
Flashbacks
Tactile Stimulation
Hallucinations
Hallucination Discernment
Feelings of isolation
Cuddle and Kiss
Hypervigilance
Alert to presence of other people
Fear
Startle response
Environmental Assessment
Fear
Anxiety
Turn on lights and safety check a room
Rumination
Avoidance behaviors
Staying with and focusing on handler
Nightmares
Interrupt by Waking-up handler
Turn on lights for calming & reorienting
Turn off lights for resuming sleep
Feelings of being threatened
Create safe personal space

Obsessive Compulsive

Distractibility
Intrusive thoughts or images
Anxiety
Tactile Stimulation
Repetitive or compulsive behavior
Interrupt
Memory loss
Remind to take medication
Help to find keys or telephone

Dissociative Identity

Distress
Flashbacks
Tactile Stimulation
Startle response
Threat Assessment
Olfactory or behavioral cue?
Alert to incipient dissociative episode
Dissociation
Self-mutilation
Interrupt
Hallucinations
Hallucination Discernment
Nightmares
Wake-up handler
Forgotten personal identity
Carry handler identification documents
Anxiety
Staying with and focusing on handler
Dissociative fugue
Help handler to cross streets safely

Schizophrenia

Flat affect
Tactile Stimulation
Hallucinations
Hallucination Discernment
Catatonic behavior
Disorganized speech or behavior
Psychosis
Delusions
Staying with and focusing on handler
Forgotten personal identity
Carry handler identification documents
Confusion or disorientation
Take handler home
Social withdrawal
Facilitate social interactions
Feeling overwhelmed
Buffer handler in crowded situations
Memory loss
Remind to take medication
Help to find keys or telephone

[Greyscale]

Yes, for more info/full task lists and training info and suggested standards, check out: http://psychdog.org/

I have a PSD in training, by the way =]

Are you getting a program trained PSD or are you owner-training?

[Fry]

A free dog?

That rocks!

[tinamarie]

she will get basic trained by me and at age 6 months we will send her to be program trained

[MissAnonymous]

Sounds wonderful :)

[cakey]

i think if you are that in need that you can't function for yourself, how are you supposed to be well enough to look after another life? just my opinion.

[Pomegranate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cakey

i think if you are that in need that you can't function for yourself, how are you supposed to be well enough to look after another life? just my opinion.

Agreed plus if you are that unable to look after yourself then how are you supposed to work to fund the training/costs that an animal requires. I have mental health issues and have had to consider giving up my cat because I can't offer him financially or emotionally the support he deserves. One of those dogs would require far more of both. If it was a free service with support from a worker then I could maybe see the benefits. I am not convinced with how it seems to work now.

[Greyscale]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cakey

i think if you are that in need that you can't function for yourself, how are you supposed to be well enough to look after another life? just my opinion.

Honestly, would you be saying that to a person who was blind and had a guide dog? Or someone who was deaf and had a hearing dog? Someone with epilepsy with a seizure alert dog? Someone with mobility challenges and a mobility dog? The list goes on. These people depend on their service dogs even when they have problems functioning by themselves and sometimes even with human people looking after them.

Being disabled is being disabled, and service dogs do change lives, no matter the disability. If you can't look after a dog, you aren't going to get your doctor's support to get one. I don't see why it is so different to people.

ETA - For many people, having a pet alone to look after in itself gives them the push they need. The dog needs care, even if you don't want to care for yourself. The dog needs to go out, even if you're agoraphobic. The dog needs food, grooming, etc, so you have to do that. With a service dog, you can either train the dog, or have a program do it. The dog alerts to things, can respond to things, perform tasks, etc that make it easier for someone to function in day to day life. This can help people get and hold down a job, go back to school, and just live life in general.

[cakey]

There is big difference between a blind/deaf/epilectic service dog, on whom a small but significant part of daily life is required of it. What you are talking about is a dog that basically runs your life for you. A dog requires alot of care, and if you are looking at someone who needs this degree of support, what happens when functioning is so low that they can't get out of bed. which i know from my own symptoms happens. who feeds and cares for the dog? Plus if a dog is giving this round the clock support, when does the dog get to have time off, to just be a dog? What happens if the person is ill enough to need hospital repeatedly? What happens to the dog then?
So no, i wouldn't say it to a blind/deaf/epileptic person...but i think that is a completely different kettle of fish to a mentally ill person.

and you say it gives 'many' the push. thats not all is it? i'm lucky, i have friends who will come in and make sure my cat has everything she needs. not everyone has that luxury...

[Greyscale]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cakey

There is big difference between a blind/deaf/epilectic service dog, on whom a small but significant part of daily life is required of it. What you are talking about is a dog that basically runs your life for you. A dog requires alot of care, and if you are looking at someone who needs this degree of support, what happens when functioning is so low that they can't get out of bed. which i know from my own symptoms happens. who feeds and cares for the dog? Plus if a dog is giving this round the clock support, when does the dog get to have time off, to just be a dog? What happens if the person is ill enough to need hospital repeatedly? What happens to the dog then?
So no, i wouldn't say it to a blind/deaf/epileptic person...but i think that is a completely different kettle of fish to a mentally ill person.

The dog does not run your life for you. That is simply impossible. You train tasks that allow the dog to help you run your own. You do not train every task on the list of possibles. I'm not quite sure what 'this degree of support' is, as every person is different.

For example, my dog alerts to oncoming panic attacks, which allows me to respond and take the necessary action to calm down before it gets too bad, and will be trained to do about 3 tasks.

A dog is off-duty whenever they are not in public. Sure a dog can do tasks while off-duty, but the vast majority of the time, the dog is being a dog, playing with toys, sleeping, etc. Same with guide dogs, hearing dogs, and mobility dogs.

If you cannot function enough to care for a dog regularly, you either need a person who is willing to do that in the event that you can't or you are not a good candidate for a service dog.

As for hospitalizations, service dogs of all sorts are required access by law, at least in the US, in addition to the fact that psych hospitalizations are often very short.

You say it is very different, but think of people who literally cannot move on their own from the neck down and are nonverbal. They can have service dogs which help them immensely. In fact, the dogs for the blind or otherwise severely physically disabled need more rigorous and constant training than a psych dog, and often can get less time off as that person's life literally depends on the dog performing perfectly, especially if that person lives alone.

And again, you need to have a doctor's support to get one, so if someone is so non-functional that they cannot take care of an animal at all or have the resources to have a family member, carer, or friend help out, they would not be able to legally have a service dog. A service dog is not and should not be thought of as a cure-all, it is a part of a treatment plan.

ETA- in response to your addition, of course it doesn't help all people! Neither does medication, DBT, inpatient programs, CBT, talk therapy, etc. Again, a service dog is not for everyone, and will not work for everyone, and is a part of a treatment plan. If you can find something that works for literally everyone, please do let me know. I have yet to hear of anything that does.

[not_so_insig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pomegranate

Agreed plus if you are that unable to look after yourself then how are you supposed to work to fund the training/costs that an animal requires. I have mental health issues and have had to consider giving up my cat because I can't offer him financially or emotionally the support he deserves. One of those dogs would require far more of both. If it was a free service with support from a worker then I could maybe see the benefits. I am not convinced with how it seems to work now.

I have two cats and mh issues. When I lived on my own and had no cats, I was so desperately lonely and sad. If I didnt have the cats waking me up and basically forcing me to get up (i.e. to feed them) I probably wouldnt do much and neglect myself. I know if I didnt have a cat, I would be worse.

I have seen animals come in not so great condition from people who had mental health issues. But for some people they are motivators as they are not judgmental. When I had my cat put to sleep nearly 3 years ago the fact I had another one helped me immensely. Otherwise I would have probably committed suicide.

Just because you cannot cope with looking after a pet, does not mean that the OP (or anyone else with an mh problem) cannot. For me, I know I cant have outdoor going cats (both of mine live indoors 24/7) because I know I would be paranoid that someone would poison them, run them over, them go missing etc. Then I would be in a bad state and because of my paranoia refuse to let them out, which would be unfair on them. So for me getting indoors cats means they both get a loving home, and for my own sanity, I have two cats who are there all the time. They were rescues either, and according to vet they are both "very good looking for their age".

If this service was available over here, and they were allowed equal rights (such as being allowed into shops) like guide dogs, epilepsy dogs and hearing dogs for the deaf are allowed, then yes. Not straight away as one of my cats isnt too keen on dogs.

[Kitkat :)]

I'd say my cat helps me a lot. Probably more than I realise.

Granted, I live with my Mum and my Grandad so they feed him but he's more attached to me than he is to either of them.

He helps me feel less lonely, which is a huge problem for me, so that's one plus. I can actually tell when he's pleased to see me, unlike most of my friends. He makes me laugh when he does crazy things. I can tell that he loves me, even though he's a cat and often likes to wander off and do his own thing.

Most of these qualities the people I know don't have. I have a greater bond with him than even my best friend.

There may be some people who are mentally ill that could not be able to look after a dog - but those that can shouldn't be denied the access of having one.

I think the biggest factor is that most people, if not all, with mental health problems feel incredibly lonely - having some kind of animal would surely prevent this.

[MissAnonymous]

Dogs, with the right person can be a motivator. Consider that. They don't run a persons life, that's a ridiculous idea.

[not_so_insig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissAnonymous

Dogs, with the right person can be a motivator. Consider that. They don't run a persons life, that's a ridiculous idea.

I have been looking at the guide dogs for the blind website, and even their dogs are not trained to do everything. For example they are trained to guide blind people to, and stop at, a kerb, but ultimately it is the blind person (or even partially sighted: guide dogs for the blind are for people who have some degree of sight), who makes the decision when to cross the road.

[MissAnonymous]

Dogs need direction, it is the owner who trains the dog as much as the dog working for the person; guide dogs have to be carefully matched to an owner who can carry on this partnership. I am sure that a guide dog, with all the effort that has been put into their training so far would not be wasted on a person who was not able to keep up that training with practice and rewards. They sense what a blind person cannot and then signal to their owner who then makes the decision of what to do next.

[Fry]

It probably depends on the individual as to whether they can look after the dog and I doubt they will be given to people who aren't deemed mentally fit enough to look after the animal's basic needs.

I think it's a really good idea, well thought out the box :)

[Laura2.0]

I think it is a great idea to give trained dogs to mentally ill people.
I know that my horse is helping me a lot and it surely takes a lot more to take care of a horse than to take care of a dog.
would have killed myself a long time ago if it wasn't for my horse.

[Katiee]

My dog helps me a lot, I wanted him to become a PSD, but in the UK this isn't recognized.

[xXMessedUpXx]

I think they sound like a great idea :) I'd love one. Only reason i don't have a pet now is because i live in a flat and pets aren't allowed (though as i understand it if it was a companion/health/disability dog they can't stop you from having one?)

[startingagain]

We don't have them in England, but we do have PAT for therapy animals.