For individuals who have experienced trauma during their addiction and are unable to be verbal about their emotions, working intimately with animals can prove to be helpful for them. It provides a source of confidentiality and confidence. The suboxone treatment doctors say that people with an affinity for animals can easily manage even nerve-wracking experiences.
Such is the might of an animal, and there isn’t a single speck of doubt about it!
Exploring unique animal-assisted therapies can open novel ways of assisting individuals dealing with mental health disorders in substance addiction. It can lead to more positive outcomes and long-term recovery.
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Animal-Assisted Therapy
Interacting with animals during the treatment for suboxone addiction Taunton can be beneficial in:
- Reducing feelings of aggression
- Reducing depression
- Reducing anxiety
- Minimizing stress
- Dealing with trauma and stress due to substance abuse
- Avoiding triggers and managing cravings
Besides these, animal-assisted therapy offers a sense of security and unconditional acceptance that comfort patients and puts them at ease. It can also draw non-communicative and withdrawn patients into conversation and benefit in their therapeutic process.
If this wasn’t enough, the cost involved in such therapy might even be lesser than the sublocade cost!
Kinds Of Animal-Assisted Therapy
The involvement of animals in treating patients with substance use disorder can happen in the following ways:
- The volunteers participate in the treatment programs and take their highly trained pets to various settings, like clinics, schools, or hospitals, to cheer the patients involved in addiction treatment.
The benefit of simple joy achieved by petting an animal cannot be underestimated!
The suboxone doctor Taunton says that it can relieve you from the overpowering stress and release neurotransmitters and hormones that aid in emotional and physical stability.
- Social workers or counselors specifically involve a wide range of animals in treatment therapy. However, the most commonly known therapies involving animals are canine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted therapy.
Canine-Assisted Therapy
A dog is a man’s best friend, and there is not a single speck of doubt about it! Intelligent, friendly, and easy to train are among the other traits that make dogs an incontestable choice for treating people with substance use disorder.
The experts at sublocade near me mention the benefits of canine-assisted therapy as follows:
- Petting and interacting with a dog can cause your brain to release serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, all of which are responsible for making you feel content and happy.
- Being around a dog makes people open up about their feelings. The flow of communication becomes smooth, and the patients can share their experiences more effectively with their therapists when a canine friend is around.
- Caring for a canine friend instills feelings of responsibility and purpose in patients.
- Dogs offer the best companionship to patients and help in reducing their loneliness.
The substance addiction therapy experience becomes pleasant for everyone involved, including the staff, because dogs are known to uplift mood. Everyone can bask in and benefit from the unconditional love that dogs offer.
Equine-Assisted Therapy
Equine-assisted therapy is a practice that involves horses in the treatment of people with substance use disorder.
The experts at treatment for suboxone addiction say that various types of equine-assisted therapy can be distinguished based on their goals and practices, such as:
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
It usually involves family members as it primarily focuses on the emotional needs of patients and their families. It teaches patients and family member’s emotional management, impulse control, and how to set boundaries.
Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL)
It focuses on educating patients about the ways to manage their emotional and behavioral responses by understanding the horse’s reactions. The horse is known to possess the ability to read and mirror human emotions. So, this practice helps the patients to reflect on their behavior and feelings.
The goal of EAL is to improve social and self-awareness and practice self-management.
In equine-assisted therapy, patients may be asked to take care of the horse’s grooming, cleaning, and feeding. It gives the patients a sense of caring for another living being. Bonding with a horse helps patients build trust and work on a smooth flow of communication.
In The End
Some facilities allow patients to bring their pets into recovery, while others bring in shelter animals. No matter the condition, animal-assisted therapy has shown efficacy significantly, and multiple studies provide the data.
The suboxone doctors near me say that animal-assisted therapy has a positive outcome and long-term benefits. If you or your loved one is experiencing the hardships of a substance use disorder, it is better to seek animal-assisted therapy.
