What My Dog Taught Me About Living with Depression: 4 Life Lessons That Help Me Heal

                   A year ago, my life changed in a couple ways. First, my mom became sick. Once we got her stabilized and into assisted living the pressure changed to what it is now. Difficult, but my brother and I are managing it. The major change for me came out of mom’s illness. She had a dog that needed a new home. I had never had a dog as an adult. I had never been responsible for a living being. I couldn’t keep a plant alive, but my brother told me I had to take in my mom’s little dog because he had two large dogs. I remember being terrified. Not me? I couldn’t care for this dog. Despite my fear, I took in little Panda, a senior dog who was 12 years old.

                  When Panda came to me depression and anxiety told me I would not be able to take care of her. I did not know anything about dogs. It turned out I would learn as I went. Panda would help me. She instantly found her way into my heart. It was as if she knew she needed a new home. Together we have figured out a lot of things over the last year. Now, we are inseparable. It is hard to imagine my life without Panda.

                  Panda has played a role in helping me heal from depression and anxiety. Whether it is holding her, having her lie at my feet while I write, or walking together, Panda has made me feel less depressed and less anxious,

                  I would like to share the lessons I have learned from Panda that help me as a person living with depression and anxiety. 

·      Slow down and notice – When we walk Panda stops and sniffs when something catches her attention. I have learned to stop and notice things on our walks and notice things like a rose or the colors of the sunset. Stopping and noticing helps with depression and anxiety because it requires me to interrupt thoughts. It also requires me to give myself time to notice the good in my life. Those good things do not have to be big. Examples include seeing the greens on a hill as I drive to work, listening to the laughter of a friend, or paying attention to the lyrics of a song. Sometimes we are in so much of a hurry to get things done that we forget to appreciate the little things that make us happy. Having a dog has helped me learn that I need to slow down, notice, and with that noticing appreciate what I experience.

o   Just an example: I had a rough couple of days. I think Panda knew. We took our usual late afternoon/early evening walk. Panda slowed it down. Same route, but longer to finish it. She lingered in the park as if encouraging me to notice how green the grass was. She stopped in other spots, just sniffing and focusing on whatever scent caught her attention. This left me to either watch her enjoying her stops or notice all that was going on around us. Panda “forced” me to slow down and notice. It what I needed How does Panda know? 

·      When we see a friend or loved one show that we are excited to see them/Remember we are not alone. – When I come home Panda is excited to see me. She no longer hears me come through the door. As a senior dog, her hearing may be failing. Still, the minute she sees me, her tail starts wagging. Her face lights up. Then she rolls around in this adorable way. She lets me know she is excited to see me with kisses and cuddles. Now, I am not saying you need to roll around and kiss your friends and loved ones. I think for me this is more of an understanding that we need to appreciate the people in our lives. This might mean sending a card to someone to let them know we appreciate them. It could also be as simple as spending time with others. That can be hard when we live with depression. Having Panda has taught me that I am not alone. Panda is always there for me. As I have grown more comfortable not being entirely alone, I have been more willing to spend time with others. I think this is one of the benefits of having Panda in my life. I am more willing to engage with others, something depression can prevent. In this way Panda is my little four-legged antidepressant.

·      If we are excited about something, enjoy it: This goes hand-in-hand with slow down and notice. When Panda enjoys her food, she gobbles it down. She enjoys every bite. If Panda has a treat her tail wags and she eagerly asks for one. When she sees her friend, Sammy, on one of our walks, she runs to Sammy. He runs to her. Their running shows their excitement. As someone with depression, I acknowledge that being excited is something that can be difficult. The lesson from Panda is to allow ourselves to be excited. We can search for what we enjoy. Maybe it is a new hobby or an old activity. We need to engage and allow ourselves to be excited. Panda finds excitement in the little things. We can do the same. Maybe finding excitement in the little things can lead to bigger activities when we are ready.

·      Treats are okay (Actually, treats are great!): Panda loves her treats. You should see how excited she gets. Panda knows that treats are good for her. She expects them when she finishes eating, before she goes to bed, and just when she thinks she needs one. That last one is what we need to remember. We deserve to treat ourselves when we feel like it. What the treat is will be different for each one of us, but we need to remember that treats are okay. In fact, treats are good for us. They remind us that we are worthy of good things. If we treat ourselves, we might feel a little better about ourselves, and that can lead to improving how depression impacts us.

 

I have learned that I am more than the depression that impacts me. In a way I have

known this for a while, but still struggled. When Panda entered my life things started changing. Being responsible for her gave me purpose. It gave me a reason to live life. I have learned the lessons I have outlined here. Am I perfect at carrying out all that Panda has taught me? No. I wish I was, but I am learning. Panda has helped me in so many ways. I am grateful for her. 

                  If you have a dog, or other pet, maybe you can try to notice if that pet is teaching you anything. I cannot say for sure that Panda is the reason I feel better. I have therapy, treatment (TMS and esketamine), and medication to support me. I do know that Panda has made a difference. I have learned from her. If we “listen”, pets can teach us a lot about life. Pets can help us with things like depression, even if just a little.

                  If you would like to read more about how Panda and other pets help with mental health, check out these links: Can Pets Help Our Mental Health? and How Dogs Help Depression: What Walks with My Dog taught Me About Mental Health

                                                   Panda on her 13th birthday last week