Service dog For Theresa
Donation protected
Hi My name is Theresa, I'm 18 years old andAnxiety had taken my life from me. My brain no longer seems to do what I want it to, despite force of will and healthy habits. I am left sobbing on my bed feeling alone (despite having A pretty understanding Family) some nights. I also had to leave High school because it was all too overwhelming for me.
I've already been diagnosed with Depression and anxiety. It has always left me wondering Would I ever be me again? I've been in therapy for years now. Medication has been prescribed,it helped some, but it never got rid of my problems entirely. But I know the answer is out there...and I've found it, now it's just a matter of being able to afford it...I'm talking about a Service dog. Both myself and my Therapist agree it would be a great idea...
Those of us who own dogs know that their unconditional love and intuition is innately healing. When you have a mental illness that significantly affects your life each day, a dog can be a literal lifesaver. Your dog can actually be prescribed to be by your side by a psychiatrist – a side-effect free “drug” known as a service dog (SD).
You may know some things about a service dog. A professionally raised and trained service dog is extremely expensive!!! and it can take years on a waiting list to get one from a non profit Place but after looking at 100s and I mean 100s of places their have been none that trained a PSD (Psychiatric Service Dog) or if they did they didn't serve the area Where I live...I've found a place where I live that will train a Dog for me but it is going to cost a lot of money...But I really need to raise this money because I need a service dog by my side. They're so many things I want to do in life but that's hard to do when you really hate going out of the house...I don't want my anxiety and depression to control my life any longer I want to be able to focus on my goals and start working on my acting career...Acting has become my passion in life and I'm not going to let anxiety, depression or anyone take that away from me...If I had a service dog it would be so much easier to focus on what I love instead of worrying about my panic attacks.
With that in mind, I decided to write a list of why A service dog would really benefit me
1. They can recognize signs of a panic attack before you do2. They won’t take no for an answerA service dog will not hesitate to bother you until you take action when a panic attack is on the horizon.3. They aren’t afraid to tell you when something is wrongA friend might be worried about making you sit down in the middle of an aisle in a grocery store and giving you a hug, but your service dog will always prioritize your well-being over anything else.4. Their presence is automatically relaxing5. Focus is shifted from you to your dogOne nice thing about being out in public with a service dog is that you don’t have to worry that people are focusing on you. All that they are interested in is your dog. 6. They bring more opportunities for easy conversation7. They can remind you to take medication8. They can give deep pressure therapy for calming
9. They can ground you to the present
During an anxiety attack, you begin to lose sense of the here and now – which is part of the panic that grips you. Part of a service dog’s training can be to lick your face or hand or poke at you to help you keep a hold of your senses during an attack.10. They can lead you out of a building
This is one of the more impressive tasks a service dog can do. Service dogs can be trained to find the exit from a store or building for you. This is absolutely fantastic if you begin to feel claustrophobic or overwhelmed and need to get outside or away from people as quickly as possible. It’s most useful, of course, if you lose your sense of direction 11. They can alert a loved one
If a panic attack comes on while you’re upstairs and your friend/roommate/family member is in the basement, how can you let them know something is wrong in time? The answer is that your dog can find them and let them know. 12.They can keep people away from youSometimes during panic attacks, well-meaning people try to come help you. Many times, however, strangers can make a panic attack worse. A service dog can act as a barrier between you and strangers.13.They can help give you back your independence.So many people with crippling anxiety have found relief through service dogs. They go from having to rely on and inconvenience a family member to being able to live, go to school, travel and work with a dog by their side. A service dog can be literally freeing.14.They bring a higher quality of life and lower depression.15.They reduce stress (cortisol) levels16.They can help you feel safe.17.You’ll always have a friend (without imposing on anyone)Studies show that people feel less lonely when they have a service dog. So if you need to move somewhere where you’re by yourself, you don’t need to feel like you’re alone.18.They’ll help you want to go out moreIf there’s anything that makes you want to stay home all the time, it’s anxiety. Nothing is more embarrassing than meltdowns around other people. The unfortunate thing is, if you don’t go out, things just get worse.
I hope you can now see why A service dog would be Extremely Beneficial to me and I hope you can help me out...Thanks you for taking your time to read this and hopefully understand why A service dog would be a life saver for me.
I've already been diagnosed with Depression and anxiety. It has always left me wondering Would I ever be me again? I've been in therapy for years now. Medication has been prescribed,it helped some, but it never got rid of my problems entirely. But I know the answer is out there...and I've found it, now it's just a matter of being able to afford it...I'm talking about a Service dog. Both myself and my Therapist agree it would be a great idea...
Those of us who own dogs know that their unconditional love and intuition is innately healing. When you have a mental illness that significantly affects your life each day, a dog can be a literal lifesaver. Your dog can actually be prescribed to be by your side by a psychiatrist – a side-effect free “drug” known as a service dog (SD).
You may know some things about a service dog. A professionally raised and trained service dog is extremely expensive!!! and it can take years on a waiting list to get one from a non profit Place but after looking at 100s and I mean 100s of places their have been none that trained a PSD (Psychiatric Service Dog) or if they did they didn't serve the area Where I live...I've found a place where I live that will train a Dog for me but it is going to cost a lot of money...But I really need to raise this money because I need a service dog by my side. They're so many things I want to do in life but that's hard to do when you really hate going out of the house...I don't want my anxiety and depression to control my life any longer I want to be able to focus on my goals and start working on my acting career...Acting has become my passion in life and I'm not going to let anxiety, depression or anyone take that away from me...If I had a service dog it would be so much easier to focus on what I love instead of worrying about my panic attacks.
With that in mind, I decided to write a list of why A service dog would really benefit me
1. They can recognize signs of a panic attack before you do2. They won’t take no for an answerA service dog will not hesitate to bother you until you take action when a panic attack is on the horizon.3. They aren’t afraid to tell you when something is wrongA friend might be worried about making you sit down in the middle of an aisle in a grocery store and giving you a hug, but your service dog will always prioritize your well-being over anything else.4. Their presence is automatically relaxing5. Focus is shifted from you to your dogOne nice thing about being out in public with a service dog is that you don’t have to worry that people are focusing on you. All that they are interested in is your dog. 6. They bring more opportunities for easy conversation7. They can remind you to take medication8. They can give deep pressure therapy for calming
9. They can ground you to the present
During an anxiety attack, you begin to lose sense of the here and now – which is part of the panic that grips you. Part of a service dog’s training can be to lick your face or hand or poke at you to help you keep a hold of your senses during an attack.10. They can lead you out of a building
This is one of the more impressive tasks a service dog can do. Service dogs can be trained to find the exit from a store or building for you. This is absolutely fantastic if you begin to feel claustrophobic or overwhelmed and need to get outside or away from people as quickly as possible. It’s most useful, of course, if you lose your sense of direction 11. They can alert a loved one
If a panic attack comes on while you’re upstairs and your friend/roommate/family member is in the basement, how can you let them know something is wrong in time? The answer is that your dog can find them and let them know. 12.They can keep people away from youSometimes during panic attacks, well-meaning people try to come help you. Many times, however, strangers can make a panic attack worse. A service dog can act as a barrier between you and strangers.13.They can help give you back your independence.So many people with crippling anxiety have found relief through service dogs. They go from having to rely on and inconvenience a family member to being able to live, go to school, travel and work with a dog by their side. A service dog can be literally freeing.14.They bring a higher quality of life and lower depression.15.They reduce stress (cortisol) levels16.They can help you feel safe.17.You’ll always have a friend (without imposing on anyone)Studies show that people feel less lonely when they have a service dog. So if you need to move somewhere where you’re by yourself, you don’t need to feel like you’re alone.18.They’ll help you want to go out moreIf there’s anything that makes you want to stay home all the time, it’s anxiety. Nothing is more embarrassing than meltdowns around other people. The unfortunate thing is, if you don’t go out, things just get worse.
I hope you can now see why A service dog would be Extremely Beneficial to me and I hope you can help me out...Thanks you for taking your time to read this and hopefully understand why A service dog would be a life saver for me.
Organizer
Theresa Boykevisch
Organizer
Hauppauge, NY