Bp Magazine columnist, Melody Moezzi, talks about the power of pets in recovery.
Hello, this is Melody Moezzi with bp Magazine’s bphope vlog. Today I am talking about the positive power of pets, and to do so, I’m joined by Keshmesh and Nazanin, who seems like she’s dead, but she’s not I promise. As you can see, Naz has this patch of bald right here. We recently had to take her to get an ultrasound. We thought she was very sick, but thankfully, she’s now on the mend; she’s doing better. But that cost us a lot of money, took time out of our days, so pets are a big responsibility in a lot of cases, so just keep that in mind. But that said, they can also really enrich our lives, and that has been my experience, and I think the benefits far outweigh the costs.
There is some evidence to show that people who have pets may live longer, be happier and less lonely. Just petting a cat or a dog can actually lower your blood pressure and your cortisol levels, thereby reducing stress and anxiety. And I don’t think you need a lot of scientific evidence to show that if you’re around animals that can be this relaxed and calm, it’ll calm you down and relax you as well. They also force you to get out of bed when you’re feeling depressed by meowing in your face or barking or licking your face. And with dogs, it’s great because they force you to get out and walk and get out into the world, which when I’m depressed is very hard for me to do, so there’s that. But for me, dogs are a little too much of a responsibility, so you’ve got to figure out what you’re willing to deal with and what you’re able to commit to when you’re thinking about getting a pet. But I highly encourage it. It has really enriched my life, and I encourage y’all to go to your local SPCAs [and] Humane Societies and check out what’s there. So let us know if you have pets, how they enrich your lives, leave comments in the section below, and until we meet again, take care!
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Melody Moezzi
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