Even after thousands of years’ worth of evolution, human beings and animals seem to retain a symbiotic relationship. Back before you could order food through a magical device that lets you speak to people miles away, humans and animals came together and forged an agreement.

The deal was that we had to feed them, shelter them, and, occasionally, throw a stick around for them to chase down. In return, the animals would help us hunt, alert us in case other animals came to eat us, and provide reliable nighttime security services at no extra charge.

Over the millennia, humans got better at hunting on their own and learned how to build secure walls around their homes. Curiously, we still kept our end of the bargain, allowing these animals into our homes even though we didn’t need them for food or security.

What we hadn’t realized before is that these animals made us happy. They loved us unconditionally and were fiercely loyal. As time went by, they too evolved to become irresistibly cute, because there was no longer a need for ferocity and hunting prowess.

These animals found a new way to score free food and shelter from us without having to chase down prey. They traded their aggression for playfulness and started to use their keen senses to sense distress in humans.

As we became an established civilization, we stopped worrying about getting eaten alive by wild animals, and instead, began stressing about our jobs, relationships, and money. Our furry companions went from “hey, let’s keep this human safe from bears,” to “hey, let’s keep this human safe from himself/herself.”

Over time, humans and animals developed strong emotional bonds. It has grown to be so strong that, today, one of the best defenses against daily stressors comes in the form of a purring ball of fur or a wagging tail.  Pets can have a significant impact on your mental health. Even just looking at your furry friend is enough to set off a chemical reaction in your brain that makes you happier and more relaxed.

Rather than bore you with statistics and scientific jargon, we will explore 11 mental health benefits of owning a pet through the stories of 11 people who found relief from their mental health issues in the most unexpected places.

BENEFIT#1: A Pet May Help You Overcome Aviophobia

Ever since she was a little girl, Brittany was terrified by the thought of flying. Something about the concept of soaring thousands of miles above the ground in a metal tube drove her stomach to her knees. Even after spending hours researching plane crash statistics, she was not convinced of the overall safety of air travel.

What Brittany suffered from is known as aviophobia. It is an acute, deep-rooted fear of flying that affects a portion of people regardless of their history with airplanes. Brittany had never set foot on a plane, yet she harbored a very intense fear for air travel. As she got older, she discovered that her condition could be cured, or at least managed, using therapy and pharmaceutical medicine.

By the time she was 28 years old, Brittany still hadn’t made any progress overcoming her aviophobia. After spending thousands of dollars on therapy and drugs, she was getting to the point of desperation. Opportunities for work and overseas travel came and went as she struggled to find a way to get on a plane. Nothing seemed to work. She was beginning to lose hope that she would ever fly when, finally, a solution came in the form of a furry encounter.

After a therapy session, Brittany was on her way home. As usual, her mind dwelled on thoughts of plummeting to the earth in a burning metal tube with wings. As she turned onto her street, she nearly walked into a dog, which was sitting on the pavement as if patiently waiting for someone.

Their eyes made contact, and in seconds, the dog burst out a charming smile that caught Brittany off-guard. She didn’t know it at the time, but the dog was an Aussie, a breed known for its friendly charm and easy-going demeanor. Brittany found herself petting the dog, asking if she was a good boy (she wasn’t a boy, but she wagged happily anyway). It was five minutes before a man came around and patted Ellie on the head, playfully scorning her for ‘bothering’ the nice lady.

But Brittany wasn’t bothered—she’d just had a revelation. Within minutes of getting home, she was on the phone with her therapist, discussing her encounter with the friendly dog. An hour later, Brittany was waiting for her Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letter, which she applied for online. She couldn’t believe that the answer to her fear of flying could be so simple.

A month later, Brittany was standing at a terminal gate, waiting to board a flight. By her side, a Labrador Retriever sat, occasionally throwing glances at her as if to make sure she was okay. She was extremely anxious, but every time it started to get overwhelming, Collins, her ESA, would whine softly and snuggle close to her until she felt better.

The flight was full of turbulence, but Brittany hardly paid attention to it. Collins nuzzled at her affectionately, invited her to play, and dished out lots of kisses to calm her down whenever she got anxious or started to panic. Four hours later, Brittany stood outside the airport with a newfound sense of freedom. Finally, she could fly.

It took Brittany close to three decades to discover the benefits of flying with an ESA. All it takes is a few minutes to apply for an ESA letter from a reputable online source. The letter allows you to board flights or otherwise travel with your pet for emotional support. If you have acute aviophobia, consider going with an emotional support animal.

You can get your ESA letter from licensed therapists at EzCare Clinic.

BENEFIT#2: Pets Can Send Your Depression Packing

At 37, Mitchel was the poster-child for hard-earned success. He ran a flourishing accounting firm, lived in a beautiful bungalow in the suburbs, and led an eventful social life. Most of his peers envied him, and many of his younger colleagues looked up to him for inspiration. On the surface, Mitchell was everything a middle-aged man would want to be. However, unbeknownst to anyone but himself, Mitchel battled with depression.

Depression is a genuine and scary mental illness. It saps one of the will to do anything other than brood and spend days in the same clothes, feeling empty and hopeless. Before he turned 37, the depression came in waves that would last a few days to a week, then disappear only to return a month later. But for some reason, this time felt different.

He struggled to ignore the growing feeling of despair inside him, but within two days, he was unable to get out of bed. He spent his time staring off into space, feeling nothing but a growing weight on his entire being. The food his wife brought him often went back to the kitchen untouched. The children would wonder why daddy smelled like a pair of old shoes, and soon enough, they started asking questions.

Worried about his deteriorating condition, his wife took him to therapy, where Mitchel started taking anti-depressants. The drugs only offered a temporary release from the grip of depression. He joined a support group to find comfort in people like him, but his condition grew worse by the day. The side-effects of his medication were starting to pile on to his problems. Mitchel was quickly losing the battle against depression.

One evening, Mitchel was strolling through New York’s Central Park as part of the self-therapy his doctor recommended. He walked forlornly with his hands in his pockets and watched as children ran around frothing with joy. One of them caught his attention. Instead of running around with her peers, she seemed lost in an intense conversation with a dog.

She sat on her haunches, and the dog did too. Mitchel watched as the child spoke to the dog, which, in turn, seemed to listen intently. The exchange between the two was almost telepathic. The dog, which was a large German Shepherd, was perfectly content to have his ears pulled as the girl’s gestures grew animated. Without even realizing it, Mitchel stood staring at the odd pair for a solid fifteen minutes.

As he made his way home later, the image of the girl and her dog kept replaying in his head. For the first time in a long time, he felt a growing interest inside him. That night, while his wife slept, he took his laptop and went online in search of something. Had his wife woken up a few minutes later, she would have been shocked to find Mitchel smiling as he browsed through pictures of shelter dogs online.

Mitchel soon applied for an ESA letter online. He was eagerly awaiting dawn so that he could start his search for a new furry friend. He couldn’t believe that he was feeling excited—giddy, almost—at the thought of getting a dog.

Two days later, Mitchel adopted a 2-year-old Dalmatian that he named Sheriff. The Sheriff was a playful and keen dog that loved going on walks, playing catch, and snuggling close to Mitchel as he watched re-runs of The Office during rainy afternoons. The two became inseparable, and soon, Mitchel was allowed to stop taking his anti-depressants. His condition continued to improve steadily, even without therapy.

The effect that the Sheriff had on Mitchel is a prevalent benefit of pet ownership. Studies upon studies have taken place to establish the relationship between pets and happiness. It boils down to a hormone in our brain called serotonin. Serotonin is known in the upper echelons of the medical world by the complicated name of “the happy hormone.”

In other words, serotonin is the chemical equivalent of joy. Long ago, scientists discovered that our brains produce a lot of serotonin when we interact with animals. This effect may be responsible for the anti-depressant effect owning a dog has on some people.

Like Mitchel, people with depression can benefit from having an emotional support animal by their side. All it takes is a letter that you can apply online to serve as a permit for your ESA. The license is necessary because it lets you keep your furry friend by your side regardless of restrictions and regulations banning the admission of pets.

You can get your ESA letter from licensed therapists at EzCare Clinic.

BENEFIT#3: A Pet Can Remedy Your Social Anxiety

If you feel uncomfortable in the presence of large groups of people, or find it difficult to talk to strangers, this story might resonate with you. It is about a 27-year-old software engineer by the name Nitesh. Nitesh had a normal childhood. He was a confident young lad that had no trouble making friends. His social life was that of a healthy young boy in his pre-teen years. Everything changed when, as a teenager, Nitesh lost his father in a horrible car crash.

Slowly, the once playful soul began to withdraw into himself. He became quieter and spent less time hanging out with his friends. He didn’t participate as much as he used to in class, either. While, previously, he had been one of the top performers in his grade, Nitesh was now finding it difficult to concentrate in class. Every time he was called upon to answer a question, his mind went blank, and his whole body started trembling. It is as if he had lost every iota of confidence he had overnight.

It wasn’t long before his grades started to dip. Nitesh’s A’s soon turned into B’s. His teachers were instantly aware that something was off. It wasn’t often that a top-tier student suddenly began getting weak B’s. At first, his family couldn’t understand that the problem went beyond indiscipline and laziness. As his grades continued to plummet, his mother decided to try a different approach.

Nitesh went to a therapist, and sometime later, he was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The condition affects a person’s ability to socialize with people, whether in large groups or secluded environments. It completely eroded the young boy’s ability to interact with his friends, ask his teachers questions, or even participate in group study sessions.

Nitesh was placed on anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) medication. For months, they became a lifeline that stopped the teenager from crumbling into himself. Still, there was no sign that he was getting better. Without the medication, Nitesh’s condition seemed to worsen. Eventually, the side effects of the powerful drugs he was taking started to rear their ugly heads. His mother was at a loss.

These drugs were harming his beloved son, but alternative therapies like support groups, herbal remedies, and relaxation techniques never seemed to work. She prayed desperately for her son to get better, and one day, her prayers were answered.

While attending a dinner party at her neighbors’, she noticed that Nitesh was fixated on their cat, Mr. Buttons. He seemed at ease for the first time in months. The cat was affectionate towards him, and soon, Nitesh was on the floor, tossing around a ball of yarn for Mr. Buttons to catch. Nitesh’s mother had never seen her son so relaxed. She almost choked on her brisket when Nitesh casually started talking to their neighbors’ two children as he played with the cat. He seemed to have wholly forgotten his anxiety.

Later that evening, Nitesh’s mother looked for ways to adopt an emotional support animal. After applying for an ESA letter online, she was all set to change her son’s life. The following week, Nitesh came home to find an adorable kitten named Beans waiting for him. They clicked instantly, and over the coming months, the young boy slowly became his former self.

His confidence seemed to have returned, and he had fewer problems talking to people on the bus, in school, and at the park, if Beans was with him. His grades returned to normal, too, allowing him to pursue his interests and eventually become a successful software engineer.

Pets like Beans play a massive role in the lives of people with a social anxiety disorder. If you or your loved ones suffer from SAD, one of the options to consider is getting an ESA to give them the confidence to overcome their day-to-day anxieties.

You can get your ESA letter from licensed therapists at EzCare Clinic.

BENEFIT#4: Say Goodbye to Insomnia

29-year-old David worked as a stockbroker on Wall Street. He drove a fancy car, lived in an expensive home, and spent most of his days earning his money. David didn’t indulge in alcohol or drugs. He wasn’t the athletic type, either. You wouldn’t find him running an eight-minute mile every morning.

The time he didn’t spend working, he spent it tossing and turning, trying to catch some shuteye. You see, David had an affliction. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t sleep.

Every night, David would spend hours going through every trick in the book to try and fall asleep. He would stare at the ceiling, count sheep, drink warm milk, shower, and read books before bed just to trick his mind into dozing off. Nothing seemed to work. As the sleepless nights rolled by, David got more and more exhausted.

His performance at work started to lose its edge, and soon, he was beginning to attract looks from his co-workers, who were confident that a zombie had eaten the real David and stolen his job.

Feeling that the problem was about to get out of control, David called his doctor for advice. “Exercise, eat healthily, and try to avoid bright screens before bed,” was the advice he got. And although he tried hard to follow his doctor’s advice, David’s busy schedule rarely let up enough for him to have some time to himself.

Two more weeks of fitful nights passed, and David was getting desperate. The last thing he wanted was to start popping sleeping pills, so on one sleepless night, the stock market guru brewed some coffee and sat at his desk. He scoured the internet for possible solutions to his sleeping problem.

The answer he got wasn’t what he was expecting. As he browsed through the comments of people who finally beat their insomnia, he came across a person talking about how sleeping with his dogs changed his life.

David had never owned any pets before, but he knew he wasn’t a dog person. He searched for ways pets can help people sleep, and was inadvertently directed to a page about emotional support animals. Two hours later, David was ready to try this new remedy, so he applied for his ESA letter online and made arrangements to adopt a furball of his own.

Two days later, David was the proud father of an exquisite Bengali named Jasmine. She was a beautiful cat that loved his attention and spent every minute as close to him as possible. Jasmine immediately took to David and was soon sleeping at the foot of his bed. At night, David would focus on the sounds of her purrs and stroke her soft fur. Within a week, he was sleeping for hours each night. By the end of the month, David needed an alarm to get up.

This remarkable transformation happened because of the chemical reaction that takes place in our brains when we hang out with cute, cuddly animals. Regardless of our physical appearances, our minds speak the same language, so whenever David heard Jasmine’s purr, his brain would produce melatonin, the “sleep hormone.” Apart from governing our sleep pattern, melatonin regulates blood pressure, and induces relaxation.

David eventually found his sleeping aid, albeit in the unexpected form of a magnificent housecat. Pets have an incredible ability to soothe us even when we’re not aware we’re tense. With an ESA letter, you, too, can adopt your furry sleeping aid and say goodbye to sleepless nights.

 Get a  letter for your ESA from licensed therapists.

BENEFIT#5: Pets; the Answer to Chronic Grumpiness

If someone had told 55-year-old Trevor that the answer to his chronic pain problem would come bounding down the street one afternoon, he would have given them his grumpiest look and walked away, muttering under his breath. The man had been a financial advisor for over a decade.

His clients loved his efficiency and work ethic but were terrified of his grumpy demeanor. Trevor hadn’t realized just how unapproachable he was getting until his clients began to insist on having their meetings over the phone.

Trevor had arthritis. It made even the slightest movements painful and kept a permanent scowl on the man’s face. His perpetual grumpiness was a response to the pain, even though it was commonly directed at the first person to cross him on his way to work (the local barista was the unlucky fellow; he always got his order wrong).

Trevor was on a whole list of medications to keep the pain and swelling at bay. But, for some reason, the side effects started getting worse. He could manage the pain well enough using the powerful drugs his doctors prescribed. However, he had to contend with gut pain, headaches, the shakes, and more than a few “bathroom accidents” on account of his loosened bowels.

The financial advisor went through his days as best as he could. Although you couldn’t tell just by looking at him, he was happy with his job. However, happiness was the last thing he ever expressed. He was in constant pain and discomfort. You can imagine how terrible it is to suffer from an illness that’s never going away.

As usual, he was in no mood for banter as he walked home from the grocery store one afternoon. As he walked past a café, a commotion caught his attention. A terrier was in the process of completing a daring escape from its owner, who had it tied to a table leg. It wiggled out of its leash and dashed towards a baffled Trevor, who stood to marvel at the sheer willfulness of the tiny dog.

Trevor sank to one knee to greet the terrier as it ran laps around his feet. The dog was very excited to meet him for some reason, and Trevor couldn’t help but smile at its enthusiasm. The owner of the bouncy ball of fur came up to them, apologizing profusely to Trevor and reprimanding his cute pet. But the financial advisor was a different person. His usual grumpiness had left him, and to his amazement, he was smiling and talking cheerily to the pet owner about his dog.

Trevor went home, contemplating about getting a jumpy little dog for himself. The thought of hanging around such joy and excitement thrilled him so much that he almost forgot to take his medication that day. He went online to find out how he could adopt a friend and ended up getting an ESA letter online. The next day, he adopted Sergeant Mittens, an energetic Beagle that always seemed to be smiling coyly.

Trevor’s mood eventually changed because Sergeant Mittens caused his brain to produce more oxytocin. Oxytocin is a bonding hormone that helps with social bonding. It also makes us more maternal and caring about everyone and everything around us. His grumpiness was all gone.

An ESA can be a life-changing pet for someone who spends a lot of time alone. Like Trevor, it can give them a whole new lease of life, make them less grumpy, and more grateful, which leads to a more exciting life.

Get your ESA letter from licensed therapists at EzCare Clinic.

BENEFIT#6: A Pet is the Best Company

41-year-old Natalia never thought she’d be spending her nights eating TV-dinners while grading papers on her laptop. Yet, this is the situation she routinely found herself in on most nights. After 15 years of marriage, Natalia was reluctant to bring another man home after she found out that her ex-husband Jeff had been sleeping with his assistant for the better part of their union. Now, she felt content to drift through her days buried in papers, schoolwork, and YouTube videos as her only form of entertainment.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, Natalia was lonely. Her ex-husband’s infidelity had put her off dating. She was reluctant to make friends at work because they all knew her as Mrs. Jones, and the divorce was finalized years ago. Since they hadn’t been blessed with kids, all she had was herself and her work, which she hid behind as often as she could.

Birthdays were extremely hard for her. She would sit on the recliner with a glass of scotch and wonder whether her death would go unnoticed by the world. When school was out, she would spend her days gardening and her nights trying to read. The silence in her house was deafening. It was as if she was alone in the deepest part of the sea. Her life was missing something, and though Natalia couldn’t quite put a finger on it, she needed company.

One night, an ad for pet food caught her eye. In the ad, a mischievous tomcat kept waking up its owners because he was hungry, and in her mind, Natalia wished it was her. Suddenly, it struck her: “I can adopt a pet; why didn’t I think of that before?” She went online to look up emotional support animals, and, to her surprise, found out that she could get an approval letter right there.

A week later, an observer would have seen Natalia running around her house at night, chasing after a very playful tomcat called Hazel. Hazel was orange and brown and kept finding ways to make Natalia run around the house. Although she was still burying herself in her work, Natalia was no longer lonely. An ESA letter and a bubbly little cat took care of that problem for good.

You can get your ESA letter from licensed therapists at EzCare Clinic.

BENEFIT#7: Life with Pets is a Purposeful Life

Jamal never wanted to study medicine. The 24-year-old had always been passionate about astronomy, particularly the physics behind it all. So, when his parents arm-twisted him into going to medical school, he wasn’t particularly thrilled.

He powered through the first couple of years of med school without any problems. However, in his third year, Jamal started feeling seriously unmotivated. He couldn’t gather himself to attend his classes. Heck, he couldn’t even get out of bed anymore. He felt like he was living someone else’s life, doing things that didn’t matter to him, and wasting away his life.

Jamal’s reluctance to pursue a medical degree soon became apparent in his performances. After failing two consecutive semesters, his parents bore down on him, doubling the pressure to do well in school. Stressed and with nowhere left to turn, Jamal sought the advice of his friend, who majored in clinical psychology.

His friend was grateful for the practice. He sat down with Jamal and discussed his school life, personal life, and how his studies were going. Jamal opened up about his real ambitions, the pressure he got from his parents, and his dipping motivation levels. After some thought, his friend recommended something that Jamal would not have expected in a million years: a pet.

He explained that taking care of a pet could be very fulfilling for someone in Jamal’s predicament. Although skeptical at first, Jamal decided to take the advice. He first went online and got an ESA letter through the website of the appropriate organization. Then, a few days later, Jamal adopted a pair of tabby cats and named them Yin and Yang. He spent the next week making his room their home, learning how to feed them, and playing with them.

When he went back to school the following week, Jamal had a renewed sense of purpose. His classes slipped by quickly, and afterward, he could be seen walking back to his apartment with a huge smile on his face. Jamal had finally found purpose in his life, and it was doing wonders for his mental health.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, sometimes taking care of something or someone else can give you a new appreciation for yourself. The purpose of life is not happiness; it’s usefulness. Feeling like your life has no meaning is very detrimental to your mental health. Adopting an emotional support animal can give you a new lease on life.

Get your ESA letter from licensed therapists at EzCare Clinic.

BENEFIT#8: Pets Teach You How to Let Go of Negative Energy

Nick was a 35-year-old gym instructor who believed he had a severe anger problem. He would get worked up over the smallest inconveniences, and often carried his feelings with him to bed. A lot of us have been inside Nick’s shoes. It could be something your annoying co-worker says, a reckless driver on the road, or a confrontation with a stranger over ham at the grocery store.

Without knowing it, we carry these feelings back home. We stew in them during dinner, think of better comebacks in the shower, and eventually, take them to bed with us. Your blood pressure stays high, and your mind remains on high alert, which causes hormones like cortisol (a.k.a. the stress hormone) to flood your system, making it impossible to relax.

Nick spent most of his time at the gym, so it’s not like he didn’t have any outlet for his anger. He just didn’t realize he was carrying all these negative emotions with him every day. Nick had lost his previous job as a boxing coach’s assistant when his fist and the boxer’s jaw decided to embrace in a brief, coma-inducing manner.

He only escaped an assault charge because the boxing team wasn’t too happy to see their prospect downed by subordinate staff. They preferred to terminate him instead (probably on the condition that he would never speak of it again) and ruin his chances of working in the industry.

Nick was terrified by the encounter. His anger had nearly landed him in jail. He decided to do something about it, so he started seeing someone on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The sessions began as anger management therapy, but soon, his psychiatrist noticed a pattern. Nick’s anger stemmed from his tendency to stew in negative feelings. He asked him about how he’d been spending his evenings, and it became clear that Nick was destroying his peace by thinking about bad things all day.

What followed was a rather unorthodox question, in Nick’s opinion: “Are you a cat person or a dog person?” Over the next few minutes, Nick’s psychiatrist talked about emotional support animals and how a pet can help relieve some of the mental stress he was putting on himself. Nick agreed to look into it, and later that night, he decided to get an ESA letter from a licensed therapist.

Nick adopted a 4-month old cat called Pinocchio and started spending his evening’s petting, feeding, playing with, and cuddling with the cat. Suddenly, he realized that he was feeling happier because his mind wasn’t continually replaying negative memories. For the first time, he didn’t feel angry, sad, or disappointed. He just felt happiness at the sight of Pinocchio curled up on his lap.

Get the help of an ESA today and do not forget your ESA letter from a licensed therapist.

BENEFIT#9: Pets Give You an Excuse to Get Out of the House

Mrs. Kelly Smith was in a dilemma. The 39-year-old had given up her job at the bank after giving birth to her twins. Now, she was a full-time stay-at-home mom with little else to do but change diapers and watch Devious Maids all day. The problem with her new lifestyle is that it made her pack on the weight. Soon, her arms had wings, and her waist had handles. Her belly wasn’t looking too flat, either. Was she wrong to give up her active lifestyle? She often wondered.

When her husband proposed to get a dog for the twins, she went along with it. Soon, a gorgeous Labrador puppy called Felix came into their lives. Felix was playful and loved going out. Soon enough, Mrs. Smith was spending her mornings running on the beach with Felix while the twins rolled around in the sand. Soon, the pair could be seen jogging through the park on weekends while the twins terrorized Mr. Smith with their water guns.

Mrs. Smith got her active lifestyle back without giving up time with her twins. She enjoyed every bit of her mornings with Felix as they went on daily jogs, trips to the park, and occasionally chased squirrels up trees (mostly Felix). A pet can be the inspiration you need to become physically active again. You can adopt a furry friend exclusively for this reason if you apply for an ESA letter from a licensed therapist.

BENEFIT#10: Pets are the Ultimate Stress Reliever

Every day, we are faced with situations that put us under a great deal of stress. Most of us have, by now, figured out a coping mechanism. Some of them are healthy, some of them are powerful, and some coping mechanisms, like Rebecca’s, are downright genius.

Faced with her finals, an unprepared 21-year-old Rebecca was so stressed that she was thinking about abandoning the exam. She was topics behind on her syllabus and was sure that no amount of reading could help with that. One evening, she arrived home to find her parents cooing over a cute kitten on the kitchen counter. Her name was Buttercup, and she was the most beautiful thing Rebecca had ever seen.

Rebecca started spending all her spare time with Buttercup. When she wasn’t feeding her, she was playing with her, cleaning her, or reading a book while Buttercup dozed in her arms. Without noticing it, she was starting to think less about her finals. Her stress levels plummeted, and soon she found herself studying whenever she got the chance. With her worries behind her, Rebecca aced her finals.

When we spend time with pets, we produce more serotonin, oxytocin, and melatonin. These three hormones can’t co-exist with cortisol, the stress hormone, so when there’s more of them, cortisol levels dip. Rebecca’s stress gradually diminished the more she spent time with Buttercup. Science says that an ESA (emotional support animal) can drastically decrease your stress levels as it provides a constant source of happiness.

BENEFIT#11: Pets Can Reduce Your Allergies

If you are deathly allergic to anything, then you must understand the hilarity of it. An allergic reaction happens when your body is convinced something is trying to kill it, so it shuts down first. Interestingly, children who get exposed to animals at a younger age rarely get severe pet allergies when they become adults.

Mrs. Jordan was worried that her newborn child would develop the same allergies as her older brother, who was already sniffling his way around the house. She feared that the allergy would be more pronounced in her youngest child.

She stumbled upon an article about pets and how they helped people overcome anxiety as they grew older. Wanting the best for her kids, she adopted an adorable munchkin cat called Minnie, turning her duo into a playful trio.

A month later, she noticed that her son no longer had a chronic case of the sniffles. Her younger child seemed to be doing great too. They both loved spending time with their Minnie, who thoroughly enjoyed their attention.

The research is still ongoing on this, but there is a link between pet ownership and reduced allergies in adults who grew up with pets. Introducing your children to pets early on, whether as an addition to the family or a special ESA, could improve their chances of avoiding allergic reactions as they grow older.

Get Your ESA Letter Today and Adopt Some Joy Into Your Life

EZCare Clinic is home to licensed therapists with decades of experience dealing with mental illness. An emotional support animal may seem like a weird remedy for some of the conditions that plague us. Still, we promise you, adopting a furry bundle of joy into your life can drastically improve your mental health.

Get your ESA letter today from a licensed therapist, whether online or by scheduling an appointment with one.