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Before attempting to get an “emotional support” animal, read this:

By Eric Forrest on July 17, 2018

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The unlimited love and loyalty a dog provides can be therapeutic for some people. For years, mental health professionals have prescribed emotional support animals to people suffering from a host of conditions.

Are you attempting to get an ESA letter from your doctor? If so, there are a number of things you need to know before proceeding.

There are a number of misconceptions about emotional support animals and their intended purpose. Some people think that they can only have one ESA, but this is not the case. The Americans with Disabilities Act maintains that individuals may need two or more animals to provide them with support in order to function on a daily basis.

Here is some of the most vital information you need to know before trying to get an emotional support animal.

The Disorders That Qualify For an Emotional Support Animal

The first thing you need to find out before trying to get an ESA letter is what conditions qualify you for this treatment. Typically, a person with a learning disability will be able to get an ESA. Most doctors will want to know whether or not a person’s learning disabilities prohibit them from attaining knowledge or skills. Generally, the more severe the learning disability, the faster a person will be approved for an ESA.

People who suffer from anxiety disorders are usually approved for an ESA. You will need to let your doctor know just how severe this disorder is when trying to get your support animal. Depression is also another condition that has been treated successfully with the help of an ESA.

Other conditions like motor skill disorders and intellectual disabilities are also conditions that qualify a person for an emotional support animal. The best way to find out whether or not you can take advantage of this treatment is by consulting with a mental health professional.

Getting a Letter From a Licensed Professional

Before you can get an ESA letter, you will need to find a licensed professional to schedule an appointment. Generally, licensed psychologist, therapists and even psychiatrist prescribe these types of treatments to their patients. Before booking an appointment with a mental health professional, you will need to do a bit of research.

There are some in the medical community that do not believe in the effectiveness of emotional support animals. The last thing you want is to book an appointment with a doctor that will not be able to help you in your pursuit of an emotional support animal.

The Benefits of Getting an Emotional Support Animal

For people who are unfamiliar with emotional support animals, understanding how they can be beneficial is a bit difficult. There are a number of benefits that come along with having an emotional support animal like:

Having an ESA letter allows you to rent apartments even if they have a no-pet policy in place.

An ESA letter also allows you to get any pet deposits an apartment building may require.

Emotional support animals also get to fly free of charge on all domestic flights.

Rather than suffering in silence with conditions like depression or anxiety, you need to consider the benefits of using an emotional support dog. These animals require no type of additional training and will provide you with hours of love and loyalty.

When going in to consult with mental health professionals, you need to let them know why you think an ESA would benefit you. Doing a bit of research before going in for these appointments will allow you to convey your need for an ESA with ease.

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