I have been looking into service or assistance animals for people who suffer from mental disorders for a while now. This research is for myself and others who suffer illnesses like epilepsy and other disabilities that aren't as visually obvious as seeing and hearing eye dogs.
Some benefits to having a service dog for ie: bipolar disorder is training them to do various tasks like, wake you during an emergency, dial certain phone numbers, remind you to take your medication at certain times and even get it for you as well as a glass of water, help you in public by forcing people to be a certain distance from you and if you become overwhelmed b/c of the crowd he/she can be trained to look like he/she needs to go to the washroom. A service dog will also feel your moods. If your depressed or manic, they can be trained to cuddle you for comfort or inform you of your manic state.
At first I was interested in a dog b/c I was concerned I would wake up at night if there was a fire or an intruder after I took my sleeping pill. Also I'm paranoid of all intruders.
When I lived with my parents a few yrs ago, I became close to there parrots. These to birds helped me tremendously by being there with me and feeling my moods, knowing what to say when I was depressed and playing games with me when I needed my spirit lifted.
A service or assistance dog for seeing or a mental disability has the same legalities. I have been working on increasing the awareness for the need of trainers for service dogs for people with mental disabilities for a while now. If you are interested in some thing like this please let me know, or if you want information I'll be happy to give you what I have. pandora106@hotmail.com
Thursday, December 17, 2009
What Do I Do When It Happens To You?
Over and over again I hear stories of people who have loved ones with the onset of a mental illness and they have no clue what to do. I understand both the point of view of the loved one and the one who is going through this mental turmoil.
The loved one has no idea how to help and is often scared of the others actions while the one who is going through this illness is doubting every one. When some one tries to get close to help, often this person pulls back because of paranoid distrust.
There are many triggers that either make an existing condition or ignite the creation of bipolar disorder become unmanageable. It is hard for the person who has it and other people around them. The first and biggest advise I can give to a loved one of a person suffering from a mental illness is to first understand it. Begin to understand what they are going through by research, joining groups on the web and in your community and talking to people on-line.
Only then can you recommend certain therapies to this person in your life. You will know how to bring it up, and often in the beginning you can't be obvious, understand how your words sound to a person with mental disabilities and what they mean, most importantly to continually be a supportive person on there life's path to become a healthier person.
Being supportive means not pushing them into a phase of recovery or diagram of what you see they should be in instead encouraging their growth by verbal praise while supporting them, not as a perpetual crutch but as a support. Be that person's advocate by finding government and insurance help etc. Be a person that they can feal like their not judged and can talk to about mental difficulties and changes.
Please, if you need some one to talk to about your disability or a loved one's disability, please don't hesitate to mail me. pandora106@hotmail.com
The loved one has no idea how to help and is often scared of the others actions while the one who is going through this illness is doubting every one. When some one tries to get close to help, often this person pulls back because of paranoid distrust.
There are many triggers that either make an existing condition or ignite the creation of bipolar disorder become unmanageable. It is hard for the person who has it and other people around them. The first and biggest advise I can give to a loved one of a person suffering from a mental illness is to first understand it. Begin to understand what they are going through by research, joining groups on the web and in your community and talking to people on-line.
Only then can you recommend certain therapies to this person in your life. You will know how to bring it up, and often in the beginning you can't be obvious, understand how your words sound to a person with mental disabilities and what they mean, most importantly to continually be a supportive person on there life's path to become a healthier person.
Being supportive means not pushing them into a phase of recovery or diagram of what you see they should be in instead encouraging their growth by verbal praise while supporting them, not as a perpetual crutch but as a support. Be that person's advocate by finding government and insurance help etc. Be a person that they can feal like their not judged and can talk to about mental difficulties and changes.
Please, if you need some one to talk to about your disability or a loved one's disability, please don't hesitate to mail me. pandora106@hotmail.com
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