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Pets for Depression and Health
Traffic was unbearable, the workday was long, and the boss unreasonable. But minutes later, as your pet dog wags his tail and yips his welcome, your symptoms of depression lift.
It's not a coincidence, according to psychologists, veterinarians, and researchers, who concur that pets can be good for our mental and physical health. A pet can't cure symptoms of depression, of course, nor is a pet a substitute for medication or talk therapy. But a pet can help to improve mild or moderate depression in many people, experts agree, as well as provide other benefits, such as better sleep and overall health.
Understand the symptoms of depression, from sadness to hopelessness to headache.
Pets and Depression: What Therapists Say
Pets offer psychological and physical comfort, says Teri Wright, PhD, a psychologist in Santa Ana, Calif., who keeps a parakeet and two hamsters in her office to break the ice with children she treats -- but finds that adults like them, too.
Pets, she says, "just feel good to hold on to." Psychologically, she says, "they make you feel important, like you matter." How, for instance, could you not feel better when your dog wags his tail and pants upon your return, even if you've just returned from a half-hour errand?
Wright has two guinea pigs, Dex (for Dexadrin, the ADHD drug) and Zac (short for Prozac), and feels pretty important when they squeal upon her return home. "No one else gives them parsley," she says of their favorite snack.
The Power of Pets for Improving Your Mood and Health
The power of pets in improving mood can be summed up in two words, says Alan Entin, PhD, a psychologist in Richmond, Va.: "Unconditional love."
Dogs, in particular, are always glad to see you, he notes. "When you are feeling down and out, the puppy just starts licking you, being with you, saying with his eyes, 'You are the greatest.' When an animal is giving you that kind of attention, you can't help but respond by improving your mood and playing with it."
Besides unconditional loves, a pet relieves loneliness, Entin points out. Depression and loneliness can go together as people withdraw. "For many people pets are the only relatives they have. It relieves their loneliness. People with animals tend to relate to them and they feel better."
Having a pet takes the focus off the owner's problems, Entin says, since having a pet is a commitment--you need to feed and care for the pet. "When people have a pet in the house, it forces them to take care of another life," Entin says. With the focus outward, he says, the pet owner may not dwell on their depressed mood as much.
The pet doesn't have to be a dog or a cat. British psychiatrist Camilla Haw, in fact, recommends pet parrots as ideal pets for some patients with symptoms of depression. "I have kept pet parrots for 20 years and can recommend them for the house bound, the lonely and patients with depression, especially middle-aged women suffering from the 'empty nest syndrome,'" she writes in Psychiatric Bulletin. The birds can be loyal, loving, and provide good companionship, she says.
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Important Safety Information About Cymbalta
Antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Suicide is a known risk of depression and some other psychiatric disorders. Call your doctor right away if you have new or worsening depression symptoms, unusual changes in behavior, or thoughts of suicide. Be especially observant within the first few months of treatment or after a change in dose. Approved only for adults 18 and over.
What should I talk about with my healthcare provider?
Patients on antidepressants and their families or caregivers should watch for new or worsening depression symptoms, unusual changes in behavior, thoughts of suicide, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, restlessness, or extreme hyperactivity. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have thoughts of suicide or if any of these symptoms are severe or occur suddenly. Be especially observant within the first few months of antidepressant treatment or whenever there is a change in dose.
Who should NOT take Cymbalta?
You should not take Cymbalta if:
- You have recently taken a type of antidepressant called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)
- You have uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma (increased eye pressure)
- You are taking Mellaril® (thioridazine)
What other important information should I discuss with my healthcare provider?
Before starting Cymbalta, talk with your healthcare provider:
- about all of your medical conditions, including kidney or liver problems, glaucoma, diabetes, seizures, or if you have bipolar disorder. Cymbalta may worsen a type of glaucoma or the control of blood sugar in some patients with diabetes
- about your alcohol use
- if you are taking nonprescription or prescription medicines, including those for migraine, to address a possible life-threatening condition
- if you are taking NSAID pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners. Use with Cymbalta may increase bleeding risk
- if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant during therapy, or are breastfeeding an infant
While taking Cymbalta, talk with your healthcare provider:
- if you have itching, right upper belly pain, dark urine, yellow skin/eyes, or unexplained flu-like symptoms, which may be signs of liver problems. Severe liver problems, sometimes fatal, have been reported
- if you have high fever, confusion, and stiff muscles to address a possible life-threatening condition
- before stopping Cymbalta or changing your dose
- if you experience dizziness or fainting upon standing, especially when first starting Cymbalta or when increasing the dose.
- about your blood pressure. Cymbalta can increase your blood pressure. Your healthcare provider should check your blood pressure prior to and while taking Cymbalta
- if you experience headache, weakness, confusion, problems concentrating, memory problems, or feel unsteady while taking Cymbalta which may be signs of low sodium levels
- if you develop problems with urine flow
If you have any questions, talk to your healthcare provider before taking Cymbalta.
What are the possible side effects of Cymbalta?
In clinical studies of depression, the most common side effect of Cymbalta was nausea. Other common side effects included dry mouth, constipation, decreased appetite, fatigue, sleepiness, and increased sweating. This is not a complete list of side effects.
Other safety information about Cymbalta:
Cymbalta may cause sleepiness and dizziness. Until you know how Cymbalta affects you, you should not drive a car or operate hazardous machinery.
See Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information, including Boxed Warning.
Depression Glossary
- Antidepressant: Drugs to be used to treat depression...
- Dysphoria: An emotional state marked by anxiety, depression, and restlessness ...
- Dysthymia: Chronic depression that is less severe than major depression ...
- Major Depression: Depression that lasts for at least two weeks and interferes with daily life ...
- Psychotherapy: Treatment by talking about emotional problems ...
- View All Terms
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