My name is Stephanie Zikmann, and I have battled with Chronic Depression and Anxiety for 16 years!
You may have seen me in local newspapers or on BBC Scotland's 'The Nine' talking about how the dogs in my life have helped me fight anxiety and depression. After 12 years of medication and counselling, feeling defeated, weak and worthless I decided to take a leap of faith and really test the healing qualities of dogs. One year post-experiment, I am medication-free and life is only getting better!
This petition started after my journey through my own mental health condition.
But it's not a petition for me... it is a petition for everyone who sufffers an extreme mental health disorder and feels that an assistance dog would help to support their every day activities.
Currently there are no rights to an assistance dog in Scotland for people with severe Mental health disorders. In England, there are Psychiatric Assistance Dog charities that require applicants to have an additional known disability to be eligible. These dogs are trained at the owners own expense and no funding is available. Why shouldn’t MHD be enough for eligibility? Why shouldn’t those with severe conditions be granted the same funding opportunities?
In Scotland, there are no Psychiatric Assistance Dog charities and having a mental health disorder is not considered to be enough to entitle a person to an assistance dog.
Many of us with such conditions know the love from our companion animals help keep us going - in an ideal world, we would be able to provide our own dogs with the mandatory training required to qualify them as our assistance dogs. Tasks like sending an anxiety attack, helping to provide social backing in social environments, offering us comfort at times of real despair, providing us with a sense of purpose.
I am campaigning for Assistance Dog UK to change the way they decide who is eligible and recognise Mental Health Disorders not just as "disorders" but as "disabilities" serious enough to be granted the same rights.
"it's not about building a great wall, it's about laying a brick, as perfect as it can possibly be laid and keep laying those bricks... and one day you have a wall" - Will Smith.
40 Comments
I totally agree without my dogs by my side I don't think I'd want to face the world outside. They give me strength every day to tackle life
'Unseen' illnesses need to be taken more seriously, and steps taken to help wherever possible! The companionship of a dog could make all the difference to somebody's quality of life!
100 percent agree, animals especially dogs should be able to be used as a helper dog for a person with anxiety and depression and should be able to be welcomed into the same places any other disability dog is. I suffer from depression and anxiety and my dog is my helper and keeps me calm.
Having a child suffer mentally and seeing how he turns to our dog for comfort is so special. Therefore this is very important to me as others could be helped in this way too.
Completely agree! Our pets keep us alive most days. They literally sense when we are sad. I was once sobbing on my kitchen, I was too focused on the bad to believe I could smile, i didnt want to! My dog was all over me, wagging her tail and would NOT stop licking my face. I kept trying to turn away but she wouldn't give up and suddenly she was making me smile and i was laughing. That's just one example of how amazing dogs are.
I think dogs do help mental health
Time for change time to address this epidemic problem
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My name is Stephanie Zikmann, and I have battled with Chronic Depression and Anxiety for 16 years!
You may have seen me in local newspapers or on BBC Scotland's 'The Nine' talking about how the dogs in my life have helped me fight anxiety and depression. After 12 years of medication and counselling, feeling defeated, weak and worthless I decided to take a leap of faith and really test the healing qualities of dogs. One year post-experiment, I am medication-free and life is only getting better!
This petition started after my journey through my own mental health condition.
But it's not a petition for me... it is a petition for everyone who sufffers an extreme mental health disorder and feels that an assistance dog would help to support their every day activities.
Currently there are no rights to an assistance dog in Scotland for people with severe Mental health disorders. In England, there are Psychiatric Assistance Dog charities that require applicants to have an additional known disability to be eligible. These dogs are trained at the owners own expense and no funding is available. Why shouldn’t MHD be enough for eligibility? Why shouldn’t those with severe conditions be granted the same funding opportunities?
In Scotland, there are no Psychiatric Assistance Dog charities and having a mental health disorder is not considered to be enough to entitle a person to an assistance dog.
Many of us with such conditions know the love from our companion animals help keep us going - in an ideal world, we would be able to provide our own dogs with the mandatory training required to qualify them as our assistance dogs. Tasks like sending an anxiety attack, helping to provide social backing in social environments, offering us comfort at times of real despair, providing us with a sense of purpose.
I am campaigning for Assistance Dog UK to change the way they decide who is eligible and recognise Mental Health Disorders not just as "disorders" but as "disabilities" serious enough to be granted the same rights.
"it's not about building a great wall, it's about laying a brick, as perfect as it can possibly be laid and keep laying those bricks... and one day you have a wall" - Will Smith.
40 Comments
I think the fear is that so many dogs for all sorts of issues could be distracting to assistance dogs. Or people may think it devalues other assistance dogs. But we do have to recognise that depression is a very serious condition and a dog can very much help with this. We all know how comforting it can be for a dog to just come and rest rher nose onto you when you are down. I can see how this could easily be just what is required to draw someone away from negative thoughts. And that alone is a very worthy thing for a dog to do.
I totally agree without my dogs by my side I don't think I'd want to face the world outside. They give me strength every day to tackle life
'Unseen' illnesses need to be taken more seriously, and steps taken to help wherever possible! The companionship of a dog could make all the difference to somebody's quality of life!
100 percent agree, animals especially dogs should be able to be used as a helper dog for a person with anxiety and depression and should be able to be welcomed into the same places any other disability dog is. I suffer from depression and anxiety and my dog is my helper and keeps me calm.
Having a child suffer mentally and seeing how he turns to our dog for comfort is so special. Therefore this is very important to me as others could be helped in this way too.
Completely agree! Our pets keep us alive most days. They literally sense when we are sad. I was once sobbing on my kitchen, I was too focused on the bad to believe I could smile, i didnt want to! My dog was all over me, wagging her tail and would NOT stop licking my face. I kept trying to turn away but she wouldn't give up and suddenly she was making me smile and i was laughing. That's just one example of how amazing dogs are.
I think dogs do help mental health
Time for change time to address this epidemic problem
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I think the fear is that so many dogs for all sorts of issues could be distracting to assistance dogs. Or people may think it devalues other assistance dogs. But we do have to recognise that depression is a very serious condition and a dog can very much help with this. We all know how comforting it can be for a dog to just come and rest rher nose onto you when you are down. I can see how this could easily be just what is required to draw someone away from negative thoughts. And that alone is a very worthy thing for a dog to do.