Title For my personal topic of interest for this assignment, I have chosen to look at my interest area of animal assisted therapies and the military in more detail. Animal assisted therapies can be discussed using a variety of different names. To simplify this for our current discussion I will be narrowing this topic. For this discussion we will be looking at CAM techniques (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) as our overarching umbrella, under that topic we will narrow to animal-assisted therapies. State of Science Animal Assisted therapy is the intentional use of animals as part of the therapeutic process in treating an individual (Nimer & Lundahl, 2007). Animal assisted therapies have shown promise for a variety of clinical applications …show more content…
The use of animals in the treatment of mental health has been slower than other fields of health in identifying the potential benefits of animals to mental health conditions. As this field has taken longer to recognize the potential benefits of animal assisted therapies its potential applications are less researched at this point in time (Walsh, 2009). Animal assisted therapies and their uses for military population include medical conditions and mental health applications. The uses of animals in the military throughout history have included a variety of different applications, including but not limited to, “cavalry horses, sentry dogs, carrier pigeons, and unit mascots, or unofficially as a soldier’s battle companion” (Chumley, 2012). The use of animals in animal-assisted therapy within the United States’ Military is still in its early stages. It was only in December of 2007 when The Acting Surgeon General approved a request of the 85th Medical Detachment (COSC) to send 2 dogs to Iraq (Ritchie & Amaker, 2012). The use of these animals in this particular application is new to the military community. As veterans are returning to home with a variety of different health issues, …show more content…
These studies show that after a positive interaction with these animals the participants show an increase of oxytocin in both their blood and urine levels (Yount, Olmert, & Lee, 2012). A study looking at the connectedness of oxytocin and the human stress response shows promise that this type of natural oxytocin production, caused by the interactions of these participants and animals can lead to better control of PTSD symptoms and mild TBI complications (Strathearn, Fonagy, Amico, & Montague, 2009). Although there are many statements by military members on the effectiveness of their animals in treating seizures and PTSD episodes, it is “not usable as a basis for designing protocols or justifying the commitment of resources” (Ritchie & Amaker, 2012). In order to be able to use this research with veterans, “there is a need for scientific data to more fully understand how the human-animal bond can continue to help our service members” (Ritchie & Amaker, 2012). Other studies have attempted to measure the differences between groups of veterans who receive interventions with therapeutic animals but have had too small of a sample size to be of broad practical significance (Beck, Gonzales, Sells, Jones, Reer, and Zhu,
Throughout the history of the world’s conflict, soldiers have suffered in a multitude of ways. On the battlefields of the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate soldiers witnessed gruesome wounds. In the trenches of World War I, chemical warfare was a constant threat, and a very dangerous one, at that. Most recently, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, warriors and civilians alike fell victim to a kind of guerilla warfare never before seen; suicide bombings. This was in conjunction with the use of weapons such as landmines that terrorized cities for years after conflict ended.
Army veterinary technicians provide a wide range of services to animals. They take the animal’s vitals and give them medication to perform diagnostic tests and assist with surgery under the supervision of a veterinarian. In addition to caring for military working dogs, Army veterinary technicians care for research animals
Counseling is good for veterans with PTSD so they can discuss what has caused their disorder and what triggers their symptoms or reactions to things. Veterans can look to doctors to prescribe them medications to help them with certain symptoms to handle them. These centers are used to help veterans deal with the disorder and also help them in the civilian world. Dogs and other animals can help veterans with their symptoms and daily life. “While the dogs paired with veterans with PTSD are commonly trained to wake them up from nightmares and to block the space between their owner and another person, advocates also laud their ability to soothe a panicking veteran and provide companionship and tail-wagging reason to get out of the house- if only for walks,” (Brulliard
USA Today reported a suicide rate of 19.9 per 100,000 for civilian men compared to rates of 31.8 per 100,000 for male soldiers and 34.2 per 100,000 for men in the National Guard. The system for how we distribute the claims made by veterans in the U.S. is not performing as it should. Soldiers cannot refuse to take medications that the government has deemed “mandatory” without the threat of a court martial. Veterans are not always easily acclimated back into civilian life and sometimes they need extra help financially after they come back, but many cannot get that kind of assistance and are simply living with very little. America’s veterans are not being treated unfairly for the sacrifices they made for this country, because the system meant to help them is currently ill equip to handle the situation.
Social Work With Veterans In the United States there are currently more than 2.7 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Each year these military members return home from war only to face obstacles such as unemployment, medical and mental health issues, and homelessness. Social workers are dedicated to the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and the VA employs more social workers than any other U.S. agency (Malai, 2015). Social workers are continuously working with social service programs whose goal is eliminate homelessness in the veteran community, combat unemployment in the post-deployed, and provide outstanding medical and mental health care through VA programs.
These vets are issued and prescribed not only antidepressants, but they are issued and prescribed anti-anxiety drugs, antipsychotics,mood stabilizers, and sleep aids. These contributors along with the everyday strains of life ,would drive anyone to their
Another future equine therapy may have would be with psychotherapy. Horses have been known throughout the ages for their gentleness. For individuals recovering from mental illnesses, this gentle calm has a soothing effect (Frewin & Gardiner, 2005, p. 7). Equine therapy may be especially helpful to individuals with intellectual disabilities in the future. Many individuals with intellectual disabilities struggle with motor function; because of the stimulation provided by equine therapy, many experts in the field believe that equine therapy will be a popular method for helping individuals with intellectual disabilities meet their motor goals (Giagazoglou., Arabatzi, Dipla.,
Animal experimentation has been used in biomedical, behavioral, and cosmetic experimentation and research for a few centuries; experiments using animals were used in Greece more than 2,000 years ago and since then there have been numerous advances in solutions, medicines, and in the comprehension of how the functions of creatures have been the immediate aftereffect of creature experimentation. Just like experimentation and research using animals is not new, the worry over the welfare of research facility creatures is likewise not new, as reflected in the exercises of different creature welfare and antivivisectionist groups dating back to the nineteenth century, the concern over the wellbeing of these animals has even prompted laws and controls
Oddly enough, this category does not necessarily have to be a dog at all. A cat, horse, rabbit, guinea pig, or any other type of trainable animal can qualify in this class of support animals. To qualify for an emotional support animal certification, you must have a prescription written by a licensed therapist. You will need to prove that you require this animal be in your presence in situations where you have to cope with everyday stress. Common conditions that warrant the use of a full-time support dog are; depression, bipolar disorder, hallucinations, anxiety, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, or behavioral personality disorder.
Get An Emotional Support Animal Prescription From Experienced Therapist People those who are all has a mental disability and they recommended to carry an emotional support animal everywhere. It is one of the best and important parts of a treatment program to certain people with emotional disabilities and psychological conditions. These animals give a comfort to the patients those who have emotional disability problems. The mental health professionals like licensed therapist, psychiatrist and psychologist are authorized to prescribe the animal support according to the air carrier access act and fair housing act. Apart from that, there are many ways are available to treat emotional conditions and disabilities.
There is much controversy over whether or not animals should be used to test new procedures and medications. I personally believe that animal testing is crucial to scientific development. Every life lost is a tragedy but as seen in the story, Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keys, it will help us determine what will happen to a human test subjects without human losses. In this essay I will support my belief that animal research is important to human survival and is worth the risk. Animal research has played a vital part in nearly every medical breakthrough over the last decade.
While many pet owners claim that their pets actually do make them feel better, there are still some skeptics. However, research studies show that pets do have a very positive impact on various aspects of our health. In fact, according to “In Their Innocence and Wisdom” by Lilly Calandrello, studies have correlated pet ownership with the following health benefits: lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, better psychological health, lower heart attack rates, higher survival rates following coronary heart disease, enhanced self-esteem and social interaction. So as people take care of their companion animals, the animals are in turn taking care of their
Animal testing in the United States provides minimal benefits for the amount of pain and distress animals must endure. Animals are given artificially induced conditions, that they would not receive naturally, and experimented on. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that ninety-four percent of drugs that are shown to be safe and effective in animal tests fail in human trials. The experimentation of animals is not only ineffective, but cruel and inefficient for the United States. With such negative affects alternate ways have been produced to combat the mistreatment of animals.
Animal testing is a phrase that most people have heard but are perhaps still unsure of exactly what it involve. Whether it is called animal testing, experimentation or research, it should be defined as all testing methods on animals including, medical exploration, cosmetics, toxicology trialing, and psychological examination involving animal subjects. It is used to assess the safety and effectiveness of medications and beauty products as well as understanding how the human physiology works. While supporters believe it is necessary practice, those against animal testing believe that it involves torture and suffering to animals. Medical research is the hardest case of proposition in the debate whether animal testing should be banned or not, since it has previously yielded substantial benefits for humanity.
Therapeutic horseback riding, a type of equine-assisted psychotherapy, is a form of social, physical, and emotional therapy. In Ancient Greece, horseback riding was a well-known treatment for people who wished to rid themselves of physical or mental ailments. However, it wasn 't until 1900 that therapeutic horseback riding began to be used in Canada and the United States. Today in America, there are many practicing therapists that help promote emotional growth through the use of equine therapy which can be located via the American Hippotherapy Association. Equine therapy is suitable for many different participants and is commonly used to develop and enrich physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.