Otherwise, animal therapy is called pet therapy, or animal therapy. These unifying terms contain up to ten different names that characterize individual groups of animals.
The direction of the treatment of mental disorders and various disorders of a physical and personal nature by "communication" of a person with a specially trained animal was developed back in the 18th century.
Origin of the method
Animal therapy began with the use of ordinary tamed dogs as the first healers. Unexpected helpers appeared for the first time in 1796 in a philanthropic clinic for the mentally ill, organized by the efforts of the British humanist William Tuke.
This method of treatment did not resonate with generally accepted scientific standards and met with violent resistance from the public. However, the study of the mental state of the patients of the clinic, a short time after the introduction of four-legged assistants into the staff, significantly reduced the aggressive attacks of opponents from among the conservatives.
It was proved that by communicating with animals at a primitive tactile level and having the opportunity to provide minimal care for dogs (walking them, combing them, participating in feeding), patients began to react more calmly to surrounding stimuli. There were even cases of the return of former patients of the clinic to a full-fledged social life.
But the influence of the conservatism of that time was too strong, and the method was not allowed to develop into an official direction of medicine.
It happened only in the middle of the 20th century. American psychiatrist Boris Levinson, who conducted therapy sessions at his home, was amazed to see the reaction of one of his young patients, a nine-year-old autistic, to the doctor's dog, which was usually kept locked up, suddenly entered the office. Without contact with anyone, the child began to play with the big dog and let him touch him, which already meant an unprecedented breakthrough in treatment.
From that moment on, Jingle began to participate in most of the doctor's meetings with patients and the state of mind of many of them improved markedly.
Lewingston's colleagues, who met the new method of animal therapy with ridicule, had to appease criticism when it became known that Freud himself used his dog Yofi as the main assistant during psychiatric sessions.
The essence of animal therapy
The main direction of animal therapy is working with children and adolescents who have communication difficulties or impaired motor-motor functions. The last one, which became veryimportant, the use of the method is an adaptive therapy for children with Down syndrome. Animals, as if taking over the capabilities of a sick child and always moving one step ahead, together with him overcome important steps in the socialization of the individual and physical development.
The psychological aspect of the method accounts for 90% of the positive results of animal therapy. A child who is tired of serious treatment perceives communication sessions with a four-legged friend as an encouragement, a joyful event, a game that allows him to try on new roles.
The animal is not able to respond, but it is sensitive to any sounds and touches, so the patient does not experience stress from feelings of misunderstanding, does not worry about meeting aggression or ridicule. He reveals himself most fully and initiates the impulse to action - to start a dialogue with people or to take the first independent steps.
It is not uncommon for a series of 10-15 animal therapy sessions to be comparable in value to a full course of strong antidepressants or nootropics, but devoid of a huge number of side effects and contraindications.
The next 10% of success depends on stimulation at the physiological level. For example, in the process of dolphin therapy, the child's body is immersed in water and at the reflex level begins to interact with the elements, performing the simplest movements. A nearby specially trained dolphin enhances this interaction, forcing the patient to exercise increased motor skills for the convenience of mutual play.
Approximately the same effect, but with slightnuances, observed when communicating with other animals - all-round stimulation is used everywhere.
Forms of Animal Therapy
Animal therapy is not always intentional. This situation is possible if you have your own pet at home, communication with which brings pleasure to family members. Exotic animals can also play this role, but most often you can hear about the healing effect of a cat or dog on a person. This form of unintentional treatment is called “non-targeted pet therapy.”
Another form - directed therapy - involves the involvement of a trained four-legged healer in the process. Animals, before being admitted to people in need of treatment, undergo repeated tests for stress resistance, patience, and lack of aggression. Specialists are constantly working with them, and the animals themselves are kept in conditions of increased comfort.
Main functions of the method
Animal therapy (hippotherapy, ichthyotherapy, etc.) has the main goals that must be achieved during one or more courses of treatment. Conventionally, the overall effect of animal therapy can be divided into a number of narrowly focused functions, however, it should be understood that even if only one direction is chosen, the patient somehow receives the entire “range of services”, since the animal will “go all out” completely.
- Interaction at the psychophysiological level. It is formed on the basis of tactile contact with a pet, in games, in the process of caring for a pet.
- Psychological impact. Consists ofdifferent situations, but most often used to develop a sense of responsibility in the patient, to distract from serious problems, to increase self-esteem and a sense of self-worth.
- For the purpose of rehabilitation after injuries or for the partial elimination of congenital physical and mental pathologies.
- Expanding the comfort zone for people with phobias and serious complexes that interfere with social adaptation.
Treating a pet as a family member has been proven to help people cope with depression and feelings of loneliness. For many patients suffering from anthropophobia (fear of people), a silent interlocutor even became a pass to an active full life in society.
Indications
Animal therapy can be recommended to everyone without exception, but since there are not so many centers involved in raising special animals and realizing their capabilities for medicinal purposes, you can get treatment only if indicated:
- diagnoses of cerebral palsy, autism;
- mental disorders, neuroses;
- violation of the organs of speech, hearing and vision;
- underdevelopment of motor, mental, mental functions;
- Down syndrome;
- congenital or acquired malformations of the heart and blood vessels;
- birth and other injuries.
Separately refer children with disorders of the musculoskeletal system to dolphin and hippotherapy.
Types of therapeutic effects of animals
What is the name of animal therapy indicatingspecific type of individual? On the territory of the Russian Federation, the following types of treatment with the help of animals are officially used:
- Ichthyotherapy - communication with dolphins in their native aquatic environment.
- Canistherapy - work with dogs of various breeds.
- Hippotherapy - communication with a horse and riding.
- Felinotherapy - interaction with cats. Most commonly used as non-targeted treatment.
Canistherapy is considered the most universal and widespread, however, in the process of long-term treatment of children with congenital malformations of various etiologies, they try to use all types of therapy with animals. Realistic images of animals and recordings of their friendly sounds (such as dolphin songs) can also be used with children who are unable to move around.
Canistherapy
For each individual case, the canistherapist selects a special dog in accordance with the nature of the patient and the doctor's prescription. For a teenager or an adult who has problems with socialization, large individuals of calm, phlegmatic breeds are selected. The same dog will be recommended to parents of inactive children - it will be possible to lie on it, stroke it and feel it for a long time.
Cheerful, active dogs, used for group and individual lessons with mobile, energetic children. One hour of such a game will help the child throw out the accumulated energy, fill him with positive emotions, remove aggression, tearfulness, the threat of hysterical seizures.
Often, dogs are used to relieve early fears associated with unpleasant experiences with other animals. Subconsciously, it is the image of a dog that a person associates with fidelity, selfless devotion, reliable friendship, therefore, even the depth of a childhood phobia, as a rule, cannot withstand several sessions of such therapy.
Dolphin therapy
Not only people with disappointing diagnoses are referred for ichthyotherapy, but also pregnant women, and even those who fail to conceive a child. It's all about the ultrasounds that dolphins emit in the form of jerky, screaming cries or drawn out, clicking songs - the force of their influence is so great that sensitive equipment can fail in a dolphinarium with several talking animals! Dolphin conversations have only a positive effect on the human body, and children feel this especially subtly.
Dolphin therapy involves short, no more than 25 minutes, sessions of communication with animals. And this time, multiplied by 8-10 meetings, is enough for a long-term positive emotional reserve. Tactile therapy with animals only enhances the effect, and children willingly stroke the sides and fins of these unusual healers.
Hippotherapy
In addition to the unique impact on the pelvic muscles from a leisurely ride in a specially equipped horse saddle, communication with this amazing animal is filled with positive and calm peace.
For children andfor adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders, the sensation of movement associated with the close proximity of a mighty animal is a lesson in boundless trust and the discovery of new possibilities. Gradually, self-confidence and a sense of security in the process of communicating with a horse develops into an invaluable experience of communication in society.
Felinotherapy
Everyone knows about the energy potential of homemade Murka. As well as about the incredible ability of a cat to recognize the weak points of the human body. The cat captures the psycho-emotional background of the person in contact with it, when receiving alarming impulses, with its caresses, it forces the owner to a tactile response in the form of stroking. At these moments, the human body uncontrollably sends a response - an increased synthesis of oxytocin, which, when released into the blood, causes a psycho-emotional feeling of tenderness, love, and a desire to do good.
People with a history of heart and vascular disease notice that after communicating with a cat, blood pressure indicators often return to normal, tachycardia stops, and heart pain disappears. Insulin-dependent diabetics feel less need for sugar-lowering drugs, as the main cause of high glucose levels - stress - is suppressed in the presence of a pet.
In a house where there are small children and a cat at the same time, they are less likely to experience pediatric and ENT diseases, allergies, stomach disorders.
Contraindications for the method
Contraindications to zootherapyThere are both general and local factors. Common are:
- acute infectious diseases in humans;
- knowingly negative attitude towards such treatment;
- severe mental disorders.
Local contraindications include individual intolerance to wool, saliva, animal dander, as well as a negative reaction of a particular individual, which is supposed to be treated. In the latter case, the specialist will have to replace the animal, since it is impossible to achieve a good result with a negative attitude of the patient towards the animal.
