How Pets Can Play An Important Role In Addiction Recovery

Dogs are known to be ‘man’s best friend.’ With their playfulness, loyalty and unequivocal love, canine companions have been celebrated for centuries. But, it is not only dogs that offer these benefits to their human counterparts. Pets, in general, can provide especially profound connections. In 2023, the vet charity PDSA found that over half (53%) of all adults in the UK own a pet. Pets can provide solace, love, excitement and structure to millions of people. However, the benefits associated with animal companions can be particularly powerful in specific situations, such as during addiction rehab.

So, how can pets be so helpful in the context of addiction? What is so special about human-animal relationships, and how can this be utilised to make positive changes during addiction treatment?

Humans and their pets: A special bond

Many people admit to being more comfortable with their pets than with other people. This in itself is a testament to the specific power of animal companions. Having a pet is more than just living with an animal. Having a pet means significant shifts in our lifestyles and, for most people, subsequent changes in wellbeing, mood and even general outlook. Whilst most of the time, people tend to think about cats and dogs, there are many other types of common pets, including:

Rodents and small mammals
Reptiles
Fish
Birds
Insects

The American Veterinary Medical Association explains that ‘the human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals.’ The human-animal bond leads to improvement of the mental, physical and social health of both humans and pets. This can lead to an alleviation of stress and emotional discomfort for the owner, whilst also providing them with a sense of responsibility and care. This pairing can be very useful in developing resilience, routine and all-round contentment.

Some of the key benefits of interacting with pets include:

Unconditional love
Non-Judgemental companionship
Alleviating loneliness
Improved mood
Short-term calming
Longer-term stress reduction
Providing structure

All of these benefits can have an immeasurable impact on an individual dealing with addiction, offering an additional, holistic method of healing outside of the type of treatment available in rehabilitation centres. But what might these benefits actually look like?

Unconditional love

A lot of people are of the belief that the only way to attain unconditional love is through a pet. That is because of the concern that, as human beings, we inherently make snap judgements, read into situations, hold grudges and are impacted by various stereotypes. This suggests that, as people, we are never able to offer unconditional love truly. A recent study identified that the unconditional love of pets ‘helps people with mental health problems’ and can help individuals move towards more straightforward relationships in the absence of judgement, stigma and fear of rejection.

Non-judgemental companionship

Animals do not hold preconceptions or stereotypes about addiction. They do not judge us for feeling low, for relapsing, for behaving in a way that another person may take issue with. They cannot say things that may hurt us and are largely unable to behave in ways that might appear standoffish or hurtful. For that reason, the love of an animal can appear to be nonjudgmental as well as unconditional. Our pets do not love us any less if we have a mental health problem or if we have experienced a relapse. The beauty in animals is that, as long as they are treated with love and respect, they will continue to see us as the same person, regardless of our current struggles.

Alleviating loneliness and isolation

For a lot of pet owners, knowing that we will be returning home to our animal friends is very soothing. This can be particularly true for people who live alone. It can be difficult to battle loneliness, but animals do provide a particular salve for isolation. Knowing that someone is happy to see us can be very powerful. It can give us a reason to return home – and, therefore, to avoid dangerous or tempting situations such as late-night visits to bars, pubs or clubs. It can also provide us with someone to talk to. Among clinical samples, ‘owning a pet was associated with lower levels of social isolation.’ Having a pet can also open up new social opportunities. It is not uncommon for owners to get chatting on a dog walk at a vet or a pet shop. You may be surprised at the amount of conversations your pet may catalyse – and how these conversations may open up new avenues for connection and friendship.

Improving mood

A high proportion of individuals dealing with addiction also deal with a mood disorder. This suggests that for active recovery to be maintained, continued steps towards improving mood need to be made. One key way of consistently improving mood is by spending time with a pet. One study identified that those with a pet felt their moods improve due to a sense of purpose and meaning, reducing loneliness and increasing socialisation.’ They conclude, therefore, that pet ownership can be a very powerful tool ‘against mental health disorders.’

Short-term calming benefits

When we cuddle, pet or play with a pet, we experience a surge in oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone linked to positive emotional states. We may note a surge in this hormone when we have physical contact with a loved one. However, research suggests that cuddling with animals can also trigger a peak in this hormone for both the owner and their pet. This has been noted especially with dogs and their owners. Oxytocin levels are also associated with a decrease in anxiety and agitation, meaning cuddling and playing with our animals can help us manage difficult emotional states in the short term.

Longer-term stress reduction

A key part of addiction recovery is building our distress tolerance and emotional management skills. This means that learning how to handle our difficult thoughts, feelings, urges, and cravings in the moment can help us become more emotionally resilient in the long term. By alleviating our mood, reducing feelings of isolation and mitigating high intensity emotions, spending time with our animal-companions can tangibly improve our quality of life by enabling longer-term stress reduction. This can reduce our risk of relapse and powerfully improve our quality of life.

Providing structure and routine

Whilst the love we have for our animals is very special, pets need a lot more than just affection. They also need exercise, nourishment, enrichment and shelter. This means that looking after an animal requires that we develop – or adapt – our routines to account for the needs of our pets. This may mean the incorporation of walks and meal times into our days and the need to mark weeks and months with vet check-ups and grooming appointments. Having an animal means that we need to hold ourselves accountable and ultimately care for another being. This routine can also provide us with the motivation to continue, to keep going, to get out of bed and tackle each day head-on. Looking out for another being can be a great way of integrating the lessons learnt in addiction counselling. But it can also be a crucial step in relearning how to take care of ourselves.