How Does Horse Therapy Help PTSD and TBI?
Studies have shown that animals have a calming effect on people. That is why dogs have been used for therapy for physical and mental illness for many years. They are used in schools and nursing homes to help cheer up the depressed and lonely. As PTSD is an anxiety disorder (see page on PTSD) and as it is very often accompanied by depression, animals are being more commonly used to help combat the symptoms of PTSD with good results. Depression and PTSD are also very common in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients, such that hippo therapy (another name for horse/equine therapy) can be used to address depression from PTSD and TBI.
At the same time, trust is very often nearly non-existent in those who have suffered great trauma, especially those who have suffered trauma at the hands of another, such as rape victims. However, while trust has been lost in people, animals have a special way of gaining trust and breaking through where people can't.
Then, there is the issue of confidence. For those who have been unable to save another in war, or even save themselves from great injury, confidence has been shattered. Being able to work with an animal, gain its trust, and accomplish a task given by an instructor can help the PTSD sufferer make great strides toward building his or her confidence. For those who have lost physical abilities due to TBI, confidence in their very ability to perform daily tasks may be an issue. Work with horses can improve physical strength and coordination and therefore improve the client's confidence.
For these reasons and more, horses have been looked to as another means of therapy in helping PTSD and TBI patients. We hope you will investigate the option of working with a beautiful animal and helping yourself or another deal with the symptoms of PTSD.
Studies have shown that animals have a calming effect on people. That is why dogs have been used for therapy for physical and mental illness for many years. They are used in schools and nursing homes to help cheer up the depressed and lonely. As PTSD is an anxiety disorder (see page on PTSD) and as it is very often accompanied by depression, animals are being more commonly used to help combat the symptoms of PTSD with good results. Depression and PTSD are also very common in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients, such that hippo therapy (another name for horse/equine therapy) can be used to address depression from PTSD and TBI.
At the same time, trust is very often nearly non-existent in those who have suffered great trauma, especially those who have suffered trauma at the hands of another, such as rape victims. However, while trust has been lost in people, animals have a special way of gaining trust and breaking through where people can't.
Then, there is the issue of confidence. For those who have been unable to save another in war, or even save themselves from great injury, confidence has been shattered. Being able to work with an animal, gain its trust, and accomplish a task given by an instructor can help the PTSD sufferer make great strides toward building his or her confidence. For those who have lost physical abilities due to TBI, confidence in their very ability to perform daily tasks may be an issue. Work with horses can improve physical strength and coordination and therefore improve the client's confidence.
For these reasons and more, horses have been looked to as another means of therapy in helping PTSD and TBI patients. We hope you will investigate the option of working with a beautiful animal and helping yourself or another deal with the symptoms of PTSD.