Most insurance plans will cover either all or a portion of the treatment.
- Content Reviewed By:
- Andrew McKenna - JD
- SUD's treatment executive, national news contributor & keynote speaker.
Navigation:
- Overview
- Pets and Mental Health: What’s the Connection?
- Find A Drug and Alcohol Rehab That Allows Pets
- Additional Resources
Overview
If you’re struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, everything in your life gets turned upside-down sooner or later, including your health, your relationships, your career, your financial stability, and your overall quality of life. It may get to a point where your pet or companion animal is the one constant in your life, providing you unconditional love and support while keeping you tethered to some measure of accountability and routine. Your pet won’t judge you, they won’t make you feel bad about yourself, and they won’t leave you because you’ve made mistakes. They will, however, give you something to look forward to and to care for even during the most turbulent times in your life. More and more rehab centers are allowing you to bring your pet to treatment, so you have the peace of mind of having your furry friend with you as you overcome addiction.
Pets and Mental Health: What’s the Connection?
We already know that being around our pets and others’ pets can give us the “warm and fuzzies,” but we may not be entirely sure why. When we interact with our dogs or cats, it release oxytocin, a hormone that has been linked to positive emotional states, specifically from “bonding” the same emotions we feel with a parent, child, significant other or even your four-legged best friend.
Pet ownership has multiple other mental health benefits, including but not limited to:
- Anxiety Relief
- Depression Relief
- Trauma Healing
In one study reported from Human Animal Bond Research Institute, 74% of respondents reported mental health improvement from pet ownership. That same percentage also said a friend’s or family member’s mental health has improved because of the pets in their lives.
Find A Drug and Alcohol Rehab That Allows Pets
You shouldn’t have to worry about who is going to care for your pet when you make the courageous and admirable decision to get treatment for addiction. Use our directory to connect with a drug and alcohol rehab facility that allows pets.
