How dogs and cats help in the treatment of anorexia

Giovanna is only 17 years old and has been treated, since she was little more than a child, at the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital in Perugia for a rather serious form of anorexia. Her most significant progress is thanks to Emily, a puppy. labrador just six months old: in his company she feels reassured and, as her doctor explains, she almost finds herself "forced" to find an inner balance to take care of the puppy.

According to a U researchHarvard University 65 percent of patients treated for eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia) finally decide to seek treatment after a few pet therapy sessions. Among the things that have proven most effective are walks with a dog: keeping the dog leash patients feel more responsible and are induced to have a less pathological relationship with food.

Pet therapy sessions for anorexics are very simple. They begin with the initial contact with the dog to establish a good relationship, even a sense of complicity. Then, with the help of a therapist, the patient is introduced to caring for the dog: playing with it, petting it, grooming it, and, most importantly, feeding it. Outdoor activities, such as walking the dog on a leash, give patients a sense of responsibility and control that helps improve their self-esteem and reduce the desire for isolation.

And what are the main benefits of sessions for patients suffering from anorexia and bulimia? Pet therapy:

• Improves self-esteem
• Helps manage the anger and dissatisfaction
• It produces a relaxing effect, and contains stress and anxiety
• It helps you find an inner balance
• By caring for an animal, you learn to care for yourself.
• It helps create a routine, an order, in the day
• It reduces the desire for isolation and the trough

A further advantage of pet therapy in the Perugia hospital, where particularly docile, tolerant and sociable dogs (such as Labradors and golden retrievers) are used, is the significant reduction in the use of drugs which are replaced by the active companionship with the puppies.

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