When you are in a turmoil state of mind and no one can help you, its okay to have something less human to help you. The bond between human and animal can be as strong as the bond between humans. Animals provide a unique perspective due to their instincts being stronger than ours.

Their senses are stronger than ours so they can detect when one is about to have a seizure. They can calm us when we are flying off the handle. There are too many stigmas surrounding mental health. People tend to think those who have an emotional support animal to be weaker and more fragile than the rest of society. We need to fight the stigmas surrounding mental health because those affected tend to be stronger than you know.

I am in the process of signing my sweet little Jasmine up to become my emotional support cat. She and her brother come together to help me with their purring and their constant need for love. They both sense when my depression or my anxiety gets bad when I'm at home and they calm me down. Animals are amazing for their instincts when they bond with their human. She is sensitive to those around her. She's also the calmest cat I've ever had.

The stigmas surrounding mental health can be so damaging to an individual that it can cause problems later in life. We can inflict our own pain on ourselves as well. We are our own worst critics. It has been shown that 46% of kids are stigmatized by those close to them when they have a mental disability Earlier in our history, mental problems were connected to being possessed by demons or evil spirits.

Treatments were more brutal than nowadays. Stigmas cause a lot more societal problems that can lead towards more school shootings or shootings in general. It's not a matter of "walking up" to a person to see if they're okay because sometimes that creates more of a problem if not handled correctly. Emotional support animals reduce mental disability related stress. Studies have shown that the risk of heart attack is reduced by 40% when one owns a cat.

I've known people to have the strength of an elephant and have an emotional disability. They are more likely to lash out because they are tired of being stigmatized by society than those who have encouraged them to seek help. Having an animal helps put up more of a fight against mental demons.

I know from experience that when a cat is on my lap I'm less likely to be depressed and filled with anxiety, especially when it has been one of "those" days. I've seen a story about an autistic girl that has a cat that is her emotional support animal and her life has turned around for the better. She has become calmer and throws fewer tantrums. Here's the video on YouTube about her story :

Iris shows that emotional support animals or service animals, in general, have a great impact on those who need them. Personally, I've seen a bigger change in me since I began relying on Jasmine for comfort. She has the greatest purr and has that comfortable weight on your lap that makes you love her.

The stigmas surrounding those who have emotional support animals needs to be reduced and understood. Those who don't understand the process need to research it. It truly is sad when one has to deal with negativity surrounding their source of medicine. It's better than taking all the pills. This is why it's okay to have an emotional support animal. Be proud of your furry best friend and yourself.