Pet Therapy Program | The Discovery House | Take Your Life Back

Pet Therapy Program

Pet Therapy Program

Did you know that The Discovery House treatment centers offer pet-friendly drug rehab programs? We are proud to offer pet therapy as part of our inpatient drug rehab. Awesome, right? Well, besides being awesome there are actually some pretty amazing benefits to bringing your pet to treatment with you.

A Pet-Friendly Drug Rehab Can Have Profound Effects on Your Emotional State

Addiction is an isolating disease and one of the most difficult things about recovery is the struggle to rebuild relationships or to start fresh ones. Having a pet with you during treatment provides you with much needed judgment-free unconditional love. Everyone needs a snuggle after a hard day and you’ve got some hard days ahead of you.

Ready for rehab? Verify your insurance benefits here.

When you first arrive at any rehab center, you might feel a bit uncomfortable. It’s a new place with new people. You’re going through a lot physically, mentally, and emotionally. Having your pet with you can give you a sense of comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable situation.

Being in a new place while in such a vulnerable state is enough to make anyone homesick. When something is new to you it can take a while to feel right. Even though going home sounds like a good idea, leaving mid-treatment is counterproductive. Having your pet by your side allows you to have that little piece of home to set your mind and soul at ease.

Physical Benefits of a Pet Therapy Program

We love animals (dogs especially) but we aren’t blinded by our love. Turns out, there are tons of well-documented studies on animal-assisted therapy (AAT). And it doesn’t even have to be your pet. Simply being around any animal is proven to decrease blood pressure and lower your heart rate. And since we’re pet-friendly, there will always be a dog or cat around.

In addition, pet therapy programs has been shown to:

  • Reduce blood pressure
  • Reduce heart rate
  • Decrease reported anxiety
  • Elevate mood
  • Increase beta-endorphin levels
  • Decrease reported feelings of tension or stress
  • Stabilize mood
  • Improve anger management
  • Raise self-esteem
  • Improve frustration tolerance

Having a pet around encourages you to be more active and keeps you accountable to your recovery and overall well-being.

You Can Be Nurturing

Before you get to rehab, the only person you’ve really been taking care of is you. And even that is debatable. You will learn so much during your first few weeks in rehab and one of the biggest things is that you can be a nurturing person. Having a pet around will prove that not only can you take care of yourself but you can keep another being alive and happy as well. This is a huge learning opportunity and a chance to prove that you can take care of someone other than yourself.

Our Pet Policy

We are so proud to offer a pet-friendly rehab program and we believe it contributes profoundly to the mental wellness and overall well-being of our clients. However, it is our policy to ensure the safety and comfort of all of our clients. Therefore, we accept pets on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions about our pet policy, please call us at 818.452.1676.

Book an Appointment Now

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Privacy Policy & Terms of Service