A Therapist and Her Dog - Erica Komisar WSJ [View all]

When my 17-year-old goldendoodle, Griffey, died recently, the grief was hard to bear. But the loss got me thinking about a dog’s purpose. I love my husband and three adult children, but there was something especially intense about my relationship with Griffey. He was completely dependent on me and always there. He slept by my side and followed me wherever I went. When I left the house, he waited patiently at the front door until I returned. I cooked him homemade food, bathed him weekly, and showered him with affection.

My family loved Griffey—they called him “home.” But in the end he was my dog. He gave me unconditional love. He knew when I was sad, worried or upset. He snuggled at my feet to regulate my mood. They say that dogs have a superpower: They can see a person’s emotional aura. It is commonly known that dogs are protective of their humans, but only recently have we begun to understand their role in our emotional attunement.

As a therapist, I regularly prescribe a pet to regulate the emotions of patients suffering from depression, loneliness and anxiety. Affection toward a dog can raise levels of oxytocin, the “love hormone,” and reduce cortisol, the “stress hormone.” So the more you love your pup, the less stressed and happier you feel. For children, in a world full of stress, pressure and distraction, a dog provides them with unconditional love and attention parents often can’t provide.

If we want to address the mental-health crisis, let’s stop talking about using artificial intelligence and robots, inanimate objects that can only pretend to care for us. Better to love a dog, who can love you back. Those suffering from depression and anxiety can fill the holes in their souls left by trauma, abuse and neglect with the elegant affection of a furry companion.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-therapist-and-her-dog-death-love-lifestyle-grief-pet-mental-health-a1872b01?st=3ik843&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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Ms. Komisar is a psychoanalyst and author of “Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters.”



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