Kody Green began experiencing auditory hallucinations, hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions during his freshman year of college. His symptoms led him to drug abuse and eventually landed him in prison. At age 21, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a brain disease that affects the way people think, feel, and behave.
Medications and other treatments brought some of Green’s symptoms under control, but the hallucinations remained. Four years later, a different kind of help has given him the confidence he needs to live the successful, fully functional life he knew he and other people with schizophrenia deserved. Little did he know he would give it to me. This time, four legs and his one aid were provided. tail.
Luna, a Jack Russell Terrier mix, helps Green identify the visions. If Luna doesn’t respond when he says “hello,” he knows what he’s looking at isn’t there. She also prevents Green from harming himself during his hallucinations. Luna jumps onto his lap and places her head on his, preventing Green from punching him in the face and bringing him back to the present moment.
“My wife and I gave Luna a chance. There’s no guarantee that a dog can learn some of these tasks, but she’s been great,” Green, 29, told USA TODAY. “People with schizophrenia, we lose a lot of freedom because of our illness. But Luna has given me confidence and comfort in my daily life.”
Psychiatric service dogs could be a game-changer for schizophrenia patients
dogs helped people of all ages with different disabilities For centuries, it has increased independence, a sense of safety, security, and confidence. Research shows that service dogsespecially the psychiatric variety, can help in a variety of ways, including reducing suicide attempts and improving the ability of their owners to seek medical attention.
Dr. Xiaoduo FanA psychiatrist and professor at the Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine who studies schizophrenia said dogs can generally provide the social interaction that people with the disease need but lack. This concept is based on “.biophilia hypothesis” states that humans are inherently drawn to other living things for a sense of safety and connection.
“People with schizophrenia have difficulty interacting with others, and this affects their social relationships,” Huang says. “Humans are social animals who seek love, friendship, and recognition, and schizophrenic patients are no exception. When animals are around, they can meet those needs with nonverbal communication.”
Marlene Karsnes Tisedal, a psychiatrist at the University of Bergen in Norway, said interacting with dogs can be less stressful than interacting with other people. Dogs help adults with schizophrenia.
While service dogs may be beneficial, some people with schizophrenia may not be able to “meet the animal’s physical, cognitive and emotional needs,” Tysedal said. .
This could include the possibility of harming the dog, Huang said, and given that people with schizophrenia are less violent than the general population, this is a “possible possibility.” “But this is a very rare scenario.” “This is the most common misconception from society,” Huang says.
Lack of access to psychiatric service dogs
Green didn’t intend to train Luna to better manage her symptoms, but understood her as well as her social media presence. schizophrenia advocate That led him to connect with several certified dog trainers who taught Green via FaceTime how to train Luna as a psychiatric service dog.
Training Luna herself was an easier option than purchasing an already trained dog or having a professional train Luna directly. Alternative treatments are too expensive, and Green lives in rural Wisconsin, where there aren’t many service dog trainers. This is a reality that many people with disabilities face when seeking help to supplement other treatments.
“We couldn’t afford anything else, so it was great to have that kind of help for training,” Green said. “It was just very lucky. None of it would have been possible without social media.”
Psychiatric service dogs can be trained Cost is between $20,000 and $30,000 on average. Medicare and Medicaid do not cover service dogs, nor do most private insurances. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army provides financial assistance only to trained dogs. International Assistance Dog Association or International Guide Dog Federation Certified Facilities – Psychiatric dogs excluded.
Fortunately, Service dogs do not require certification According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, people have the right to train their service animals, so they can also complete a specialized training program. Companies are also not allowed to request documentation that the dog is registered, licensed or certified as a service animal, although some airlines may require owners to fill out documentation.
Either way, training your own dog is more of a bonding experience, says Julie Morrissette, a training consultant with Service Dog Training School International, which offers online courses for owners for about $300.
However, finding opportunities to train your own service dog can be confusing. There is no mandatory process in the US Unlike other countries that regulate the service dog industry, this is important when it comes to selecting, training and placing service dogs, according to a 2017 study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine.
That’s where Mr. Green wants to intervene. His goal is to work with service dog trainers to help people become more familiar with service dogs.
“People with mental illness are the people who have the hardest time getting help, the people who live in poverty, the people who have a hard time getting doctor’s appointments,” Green said. “I always say I’m the luckiest schizophrenic patient because I had a lot of resources and access to insurance and medication. But other advocates and I , just trying to make the resources that we all had more available to others.”
One way to do that is to remove the stigma associated with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, Green said.
Even though Greene was caring for her mother, schizoaffective disorder It’s a chronic mental illness that causes symptoms similar to schizophrenia, but he didn’t realize anything was wrong when he fell into psychosis. When Green went to see a doctor three years later, he said his diagnosis “felt like a death sentence” because depictions of schizophrenia are often negative.
Research shows that people who feel their emotions Schizophrenia is stigmatized Depression, social anxiety, and quality of life may worsen, as well as self-esteem, social functioning, and support from loved ones. Prejudice can also lead to social exclusion, reduced educational and employment opportunities, and poor housing conditions.
“I just want to be the voice that I needed when I was first diagnosed,” Green said. “I want to approach this disease in a way that the next time I hear the word schizophrenia, I think of real people, not a corny show or tragic news story. And maybe They will realize that with the right help, this diagnosis can be helpful. it’s not It’s a death sentence. ”
