As we’re recovering from addiction, there are many life changes we can implement to help ourselves stay sober. One of these life changes that can support our sobriety and bring us immeasurable joy is having a pet once we are stable enough in our recovery to care for it safely.
Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress in studies examining people with mental health issues. Reducing stress can help regulate our nervous systems and improve our overall health. Those of us in recovery know from experience that addiction and stress are often interconnected. The more stress we feel, the more vulnerable we can be to our addictive patterns.
Having a pet, therefore, can support our chances for a successful recovery. When we experience improvements in our mental health, we become stronger and better equipped to maintain our sobriety.
Having a Pet Can Reduce Addictive Cravings
One study found that “dog assisted therapy sessions significantly… reduc[ed] craving, anxiety and depression symptoms” in people recovering from addiction. In addition to improving our mood, pets can actually reduce the addictive cravings we feel to use drugs and alcohol. Our beloved animals can make us happier and stronger in our sobriety.
Safety Precautions Around Having a Pet
It is important to note that, like with any major life decision, we’ll want to wait to have a pet until we know we can safely and responsibly care for it. In recovery communities, many of us commit to not making any major life decisions until we’ve been sober for at least a year. This commitment also serves as an incredibly important safety precaution when it comes to having a pet. We would never want to do anything that might endanger an innocent animal. Making sure we are strong in our sobriety and, therefore, able to be safe pet owners is of the utmost importance.
Putting safety measures in place in order to responsibly care for a pet can also support us in our recovery. We can enlist a loved one, a neighbor, or a sponsor to do routine wellness checks. They can regularly check on our pets and, thereby, on us. These checks not only serve as a safety precaution but can also reinforce accountability. We can update this accountability partner on our sobriety and seek out help for any challenges we might be experiencing. In order to be good pet parents, we must develop accountability, which is also important for a successful recovery.
Having a Pet Can Teach Us Responsibility
When we have a pet, we are now responsible to someone outside of ourselves, often for the first time. Many of us have not yet been able to be responsible for a pet because of how all-consuming our addictions have been. In our recovery, we are stable enough to be responsible for a pet. This newfound stability is something to be celebrated! We deserve to be proud of ourselves for how many obstacles we’ve overcome in order to stay sober. Treatment programs like those at Athens Area Commencement Center can help us solidify our commitment to our sobriety.
Having a pet can be a daily reminder that we are succeeding in doing what is best for ourselves and in taking care of ourselves. Our pets can be a symbol of the joy and gratitude we feel for being in recovery. After all, without our recovery, we would not be able to experience the profound joy that our pet has brought us.
Having a Pet Can Help Us Stay Committed to Sobriety
Being a pet parent can also encourage us to stay committed to our long-term sobriety. For many of us in recovery, the addictive urges that were once a part of our daily lives disappear once we have a pet. Simply looking into the eyes of our beloved pet reminds us why we will never allow ourselves to return to that way of life. We know we would never want to disappoint or endanger our pet, and this knowing bolsters our commitment to our sobriety.
A powerful relapse prevention tool is reminding ourselves of the things we’re grateful for and the things we’re responsible for. These responsibilities, even though challenging at times, are, in fact, blessings. Some of us like to call these things “responsiblessings.” Making lists of the things we’re grateful for and lists of our blessings and responsibilities is one way to help ourselves stay sober and prevent relapse. Our pets are often at the top of these lists.
Having a Pet Can Teach Us to Ask for Help
The challenges that come with caring for a pet can help us to build important life skills. We can apply these skills to caring for our pets and the rest of our lives, especially our recoveries. One such life skill is the skill of being able to ask for help. We can create support systems for ourselves that help us better care for our pets and help us stay sober. Regular check-ins with this support system can strengthen our recovery through support group meetings, therapy sessions, and aftercare programs like those at Athens Area Commencement Center.
Having a Pet Can Teach Us Patience
Another life skill we learn as pet parents is patience. Any time they test our patience by misbehaving, for example, we are given the opportunity to show them and ourselves how much patience we’ve learned. The patience we learn with our pets reminds us to be patient with ourselves. Our recovery is an exercise in patience: being patient and compassionate with ourselves whenever we’re having a hard time.
There are so many parallels to be found between being a pet owner and being committed to our recovery. The lessons we can apply to one can help with the other, and vice versa.
As we’re doing the work to recover, having a pet can greatly improve our mental health and strengthen our commitment to our sobriety. We learn important life skills in recovery that we can apply to being a pet parent and vice versa, such as responsibility, accountability, and patience. The treatment programs at Athens Area Commencement Center can empower you to be steadfast in your recovery. Once it is safe to do so, once we’re stable enough in our recovery, having a pet can make us happier and reduce our stress, helping us achieve our goal of long-term sobriety. Call us today at (706) 546-7355 to learn how we can help.