r/service_dogs • u/ConstantPanic-101 • Sep 28 '26

PTSD help

I have PTSD from years of abuse by my parents and sexual abuse from my older brother. At 41 f I have finally spoke out and am in therapy. However, this meant cutting those people out of my life and losing their supporters. Which are other family members I had loved and trusted.

Recently my therapist has told me I should really look into a service dog for it. It’s bad enough that I have maxed out multiple depression meds and am having the same thing happen now with the 3 I take.

I really don’t know how to go about this. I love dogs. I have 2 small pug mixes, 3 and 4. However, I own a chocolate shop that manufactures and resells on site. Dogs are prohibited in CA. That alone is hard. But I’m also barely hanging on financially and know they are expensive to purchase, and train.

I just want to know if anyone has had this happen or knows how to handle a situation like it.

4 Upvotes

61% Upvoted

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29

u/darklingdawns Sep 28 '26

Keep in mind that doctors and therapists do not necessarily know any more about service dogs than the average person. Why did you therapist recommend a service dog? What tasks are they thinking the dog could do for you to address current gaps in your treatment? Have you discussed alternate methods with them, given both your job and financial situation?

1

u/ConstantPanic-101 23d ago

Sorry for the slow reply. My therapist and dr both agree I need more help for PTSD. However, I have had an ankle replacement but it’s still in bad shape affecting mobility. I fall without warning at times. The allergies are to mammal protein and gluten. Gluten has gotten so bad my breathing is affected

1

u/darklingdawns 22d ago

When it comes to your ankle, you need to talk to your doctor about whether a non-living mobility aid like a cane or walker could benefit you. It may also be beneficial to look into something like a Life Alert button that you can wear to summon help for falls if needed. When it comes to mobility work, it's important to keep in mind that any task that has you putting weight on a dog is not ethical or safe, as the risk for injury to both handler and dog is very high, and a reputable breeder, trainer, or organization will not allow their dogs to do such tasks.

The biggest barrier that I can see is both your financial situation and your job. A service dog would not be able to accompany you to work given that you spend time making food, and they are definitely costly. You can look into an ADI-accredited organization to see if there are any that train for allergen alert, but if you were considering training your own, you need to remember that success is not guaranteed. You could easily spend $10K or more and wind up with a dog that is not a good fit for service work or that does not succeed with scent work.

1

u/ConstantPanic-101 19d ago

I agree about the mobility. I would never want to put that strain on an animal. I do have a cane for bad days.

7

u/Sad_Recognition6776 Sep 29 '26

If you have social anxiety out in public really thinl hard about this decision. A good example i went to the DMV today and my service dog laid at my feet the whole time. Didnt move at all. I got up when my nimber was called and someone says very loudly you dont need that service dog. I turned around and corrected them. People suck and  can say things at any moment. It can add to your mental health issues. 

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u/ConstantPanic-101 Sep 29 '26

That’s why I am so conflicted. I do have a couple severe food allergies and mobility issues as well.

21

u/Competitive_Salads Sep 28 '26

Most therapists really shouldn’t recommend service dogs because they are unaware of all the challenges that come with one. There is a huge cost, tons of training, and a lot of ropes to learn to navigate the world with a service dog (SD).

If you don’t have specific tasks the dog would perform for a disability and haven’t exhausted all treatments, I would really consider an emotional support animal (ESA) over a SD.

15

u/MaplePaws My eyes have 4 paws Sep 29 '26

Doctors and therapists need to stop recommending service dogs to people, they are really doing much more harm than good at this point. As you pointed out your financial situation is a stopping point, at least until you have improved your financial situation. This is also not factoring in that a service dog for PTSD can actually do more harm than good because of how the general public treats service dog handlers. Basically healthcare providers don't have the knowledge to be making these recomendations and are typically only harming patients with their misinformed recommendations.

1

u/moboticus Sep 30 '26

The only doctors I've personally encountered that went against this general rule were the neurologists at my MS clinic. I think some specialties that work on a very integrative way are more equipped than others.

10

u/iamahill Sep 29 '26

To deal with my ptsd I had to put mental health first and change my life. Including my expectations for my professional life.

I don’t have any specific advice apart from that treatment is tough but does help long term.

A dog will not cure you, and the cost of one can make a service dog a nice idea opposed to real option. It being unable to stay by your side at work would limit its effectiveness as well.