Many emotional feelings after losing a pet are very similar to those of a depressed person.
Text | Yingxintang Psychology
Pets have been regarded as family members in more and more people. But their emotional significance to humans has not received the attention it deserves.
For example, many pets are actually under the psychological projection or emotional pressure of some family members for a long time, which can be said to become part of the "family motivation", but I have not heard of pets officially included in family therapy colleagues in the field of work.
Today we're going to talk about the pain that almost all pet owners go through: The death of a pet.
The life expectancy of pets is much shorter than that of humans, and the death of pets who live together all the year round will bring depression and psychological problems.
- Case 1
The opening caption of a web video - "My beloved cat Sophie on December 8, 2011 , this is the memory of his life", the video comes from the cat Sophie's owner Michael McAleese.This true story took place in the UK. The cat Sophie died unexpectedly. The sad owner posted the video on the 5th day after the cat died. He also ended his life on the 8th day and left this world with Sophie.
- Case 2
An elderly couple in India, unable to bear the grief of the loss of their pet dog, committed suicide by hanging themselves on the way to a farewell ceremony for it.
- Case 3
In the United States, 36-year-old Epp was unhappy when he learned that his dog had died unexpectedly. The family was worried about Epp's psychological condition and took Epp to seek help from a psychological agency, but they were all turned away. Epp left the world the next day.
What is "pet loss syndrome"?
Pet Loss Syndrome, also known as "Losing Pet Syndrome", is a mental illness or psychological condition resulting from the loss of a pet that has lived together for a long time.
Many people experience mental health problems from "lose pets". Losing a family member can be a very difficult time in life. If you've been living with your pet as a family member for a long time, you may think pets can't die, just as you don't think your family can.
Many people know on a mental level that "all life dies", but they cannot imagine this happening to themselves and their families. For those who love pets,Saying goodbye to them after they die can be as painful as losing a family member, and anxiety, insomnia, depression and even mental illness are not uncommon.
Dogs and cats are common pets, but rabbits, hamsters, birds, goldfish, reptiles and insects are also popular pets. No matter what your pet is, the more you love it, the harder it will be to lose it.
Unlike family members, pets are emotionally linked to their owners through will. Sometimes we treat them as companions, and sometimes we treat them like children. They can also be a source of emotional support, a symbol of healing. They can be a friend to whom we confide in uncomfortable things, or a comrade in arms who helps us through difficult times. They could be your reason for living, your dream or your life hope.
In other words, they may have become more than a family member, so the emptiness of losing a pet can be enormous. Many people love their pets more than their own family.
Domestic and foreign studies have shown that nearly 60% of pet owners will experience obvious physical and mental symptoms after losing their pets, and most of them will recover by themselves. Let it go, even years can't let go, and even worse, it will lead to severe depression .
The symptoms of pet loss syndrome are generally divided into four dimensions: emotional manifestations, behavioral manifestations, physical manifestations, and psychological manifestations.
- Emotional expression
Pet owners feel emotionally sad, hopeless, guilty, angry, lonely,And refused to admit the truth of the pet's death. Sometimes there will even be extreme emotions such as mistrust, depression, mania, fear that the pet is too lonely, and want to go to heaven to accompany the pet on the road.
- Behavioural performance
Behaviourally they will suddenly and repeatedly collapse crying, insomnia, drowsiness alternately, anorexia, binge eating, addicted to pets playing resting places or indulging location, repeatedly calling out the pet’s name, constantly sorting out the relics, holding the pet’s previous toys or blankets from time to time, and even some people even make pet corpses into specimens, put them at home, and watch them forever.
- Physiological performance
Many pet owners have been in such an atmosphere of sadness and anxiety, they are prone to headaches, chest tightness, heart tingling , breathing difficulties Wait for the physiological response. And difficulty speaking, restlessness, hearing or tactile sensitivity, gastrointestinal discomfort, and muscle aches similar to colds.
- Psychological performance
Every day, confusion, confusion, inability to concentrate,Thinking about the deceased pet, causing auditory hallucinations , visual hallucinations, autism , world-weariness and other situations that do not want to be in contact with people.
relationship between pet loss syndrome and depression
pet loss syndrome The longer the pet loss syndrome persists, the more likely it is to cause depression. Many emotional feelings after losing a pet are very similar to those of depressed people, such as:
*feeling very depressed
*loneliness
*lack of interest in everything and participation
*Lack of enthusiasm for work or hobbies
*Difficulty falling asleep due to overthinking
*No appetite, not wanting to eat at all 1 _span ＊I feel very guilty about losing my pet
＊I can't help crying thinking about my lost pet
If you lose your pet,The following symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, which means you may need to seek help:
*feeling depressed
*doing nothing to be happy
*feeling life is very difficult emptiness
* start thinking about the worst
* start thinking about death
* difficulty sleeping or not sleeping at all _p
* Lack of appetite, weight loss
* Have severe headache or stiff shoulders
* Persistent constipation or diarrhea _span27span Causes of Pet Loss Syndrome Exacerbation When pet loss syndrome occurs, there are four main emotions that exacerbate symptoms: Denial, anger, guilt and depression .These are “emotions that are particularly difficult to admit and understand, and therefore to overcome, in the mood swings that accompany pet death” (Moira-Anderson, The Psychology of Disapproval Syndrome), and if misguided deterioration. If you feel guilty for not noticing a change in your pet's condition causing it to get worse, and then start to slack off about your pet's condition, you "think you're not good enough and don't pay attention" When the pet’s condition changes” and fall into self-blame, it will become more serious. The inconsistency with the values of the people around them can aggravate the symptoms. For example, if you are deeply saddened by the loss of your pet and your family and friends don't understand you well, they may think it's shameful that you are upset about your pet's death, and you may be holding back from crying or feeling depressed. In this case, there may be a temporary relief from the grief, but the underlying grief is not resolved and the pain may persist in the trauma. If a pet dies suddenly, for example due to illness or accident, out-of-favor syndrome can easily get worse. Because you are not prepared for the death of your pet. is to treat your pets with love and care,Probably still regret and wish I had done more for it. If the death of a pet coincides with a stressful period at home or at work, prolonged pet loss syndrome and even depression may occur.
How to recover from pet loss
There are five stages of the grieving process, and although it varies from person to person, going through it will gradually help life get back on track.
- don't believe, don't accept
Maybe your pet has passed away and people around you think it's dead, but you just can't accept it. This can lead to a feeling of isolation.
- pain and anger
A person who has passed away a pet may have unreasonable anger toward the family, such as, "If I had taken it to the hospital sooner, it would have "If he had been treated earlier, he would have survived," the vet said. They may also blame themselves, thinking "I wish I had known earlier".
- "bargain"
hopes to use some supernatural power to bring pets back to life.
- Accept reality and depression
When you accept that no matter how hard you try,Neither miracle will happen, and the fact that your pet will never come back can be a very depressing feeling. Some will become desperate and even want to die.
- Grieve and accept the feeling
Over time, you will get used to living without pets. Then you will be able to resume your normal life.
What can people around you do?
If someone around you is suffering from pet loss syndrome, it is important to empathize with their grief and distress.
It's easy to say things like "forget your pet" or "get a new pet". But the best thing you can do for someone who is suffering is to listen to them. Some people repress their emotions, but it's best to vent your sadness.
If the person still has symptoms such as depression, insomnia, irritability, etc. after losing the pet for a few months, it is recommended to seek psychological counseling help.
At the same time, we must also reject any form of verbal questioning and attack, such as "don't you just die a pet?" and other negative words. hopes that this society can respect every pure feeling, respect the sadness of the "disapproved", and let them have the right to prepare long enough to say goodbye freely.
The correct way to open people around should be: Empathy, empathic listening and careful companionship. Listen patiently to the pet owner's complaints, comfort and observe the emotional and physical health of the unloved at any time.
References:
https://www.shinjuku-stress.com/column/psychosomatic/pet/
https://www.homemate-research-pet-shop.com/useful/13527_petsh_018/
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