i also just had a question a person that suffers with mental illness or that has been a victim of abuse in the past may not be a strong leader type character i wonder if that would effect anything and make some dogs want to walk over that person and be the alpha?

Depends how you see yourself. If you see yourself as a perpetual victim that others can easily walk all over all the time, then your dogs can see you that way too.

If you see yourself as a survivor who will fight tooth and nail to overcome the effects of the past, and is fully entitled to a good, normal, productive life, then your dogs will respect you and love you unconditionally.

Anxiety and depression ARE medical issues, and NOT an indicator of your core personality. Keep up the good fight, and don't think any less of yourself because of your present struggles.

There are.* They're called psychiatric service dogs. However with anxiety it can be counterproductive. I suffer from it as well, and have a mobility assistance service dog. The anxiety is very much triggered by being stared at in stores or having strangers approach me, employees question me etc. Its very different from having a dog in an area where dogs are welcome.

*also, for a service dog you have to meet requirements to be considered legally disabled, not just medically disabled.

yeah lin i understand that would make things worse for me also

was just wondering if someone could explain the strong nerve dog and anxiety relationship? a weak nerved dog may project the anxiety? Thank you.

A confident dog that is fearless in new situations is strong nerved. That confidence comes from an inner part and is genetic. This can be seen when breeders do puppy-testing at seven weeks, and the testing includes going somewhere new, being away from other dogs and littermates, and being handled by a stranger, exposed to loud noises, etc . . . and seeing how they react. Some pups aren't fazed by any of this, are just interested in playing with the new person and exploring their new surroundings, and checking out the big metal bucket that was dropped onto cement, etc . . .

The weak nerved dogs are emotionally more sensitive, generally more fearful and insecure. They will show avoidance and fear, and act shy and subdued. Such a dog will need a confident strong leader to gain confidence, and may be overwhelmed by an owner's strong emotions.

But as others have related with their personal experiences, one of the good things about owning a dog, is that we put their needs first, and it makes it easier to focus on our own ability to function for their sake.

I have Asperger's Syndrome, also came from a dysfunctional/abusive background. The combination made for some serious depression/anxiety issues. When feeling overwhelmed, I would "drift", which was my word for shutting down mentally and with-drawing within myself. I felt that I would not be able to funtion without being able to escape into that autistic world on a regular basis.

My first dog, a spaniel/retriever mix, did wonders to help me come out of myself and improve interaction with people. He did not seem affected by my bouts of depression or anxiety, or drifting, and was always happy-go-lucky. My second dog, Keeta, seemed scared and bewildered when I drifted. She sensed that somehow something different was going on. SHe would whine and seems anxious at those times. Because I didn't want to scare her, I made the effort to stay more present more often for her sake - wasn't sure how that was going to work out in the long run. It actually worked out great! The more effort I put into staying present, the easier it became, and the easier I was able to deal with overwhelming stimuli. I have found that I very rarely drift now, and feel better for it. Drifting was basically an avoidance tactic. Taught me that I don't have to go into avoidance, gave me more confidence to deal with life overall.

It is just completely amazing how much these dogs can do for us!

Lucia, I have only just read your latest post and wanted to say that there is a lot to admire about you.

There are service dogs for people like us that suffer from the “invisible” disabilities. Type service dogs for anxiety and depression into your search engine and you will find that there is quite a bit of information on it.

I'm bipolar and for me, having dogs is a huge help because I have to take care of them and can't go off the rails. Anxiety is a big part of my bipolar as well.

My partner has problems with depression and having the dogs is helpful to him as well - actually, I was just away for the weekend with my mom and the dogs and I come back and he's doing badly - not sure it's a coincidence.

Meds can be a hard thing to get right, but it's worth sticking it out, because when you do get them right, and you will eventually, things really click. Hope you and your doc find the right combo soon.

Paige could demand anyone out of depression...but anxiety...