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Flashy

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I've noticed a lot of people on here seem to have mental/emotional issues, and I just wondered who else has found therapy through their buns (or other animals).

Mine keep me alive and are my reason to fight. They calm me down if I'm stressed, they make me laugh, they snuggle with me when I'm bawling my eyes out, they sit with my if I'm losing it.

My rabbits have done a better job of giving me therapy than any of the stupid professionals who have written me off as too broken to fix, and I just wondered who else has rabbits who have helped them heal or help/helped them through tough times.

Never underestimate the power of a rabbit!
 
Yeah, I have had depression and severe pms issues. When I have needed a hug and not had a person to help - I've had Bo and now Tony who are awesome!

There's nothing like the soft fur and sweet cuddles of bunnies to make you feel better - even if it's just a blue day.
 
I think all of us find comfort in our rabbits....I certainly do. I really hate going outside my house. Most people are just plain rude out in public so I prefer to avoid that particular thing. And animals have long been used in therapy for seniors at assisted living facilities and especially for children with autism. It seems the kids with autism seem to have a huge "connection" with animals and from what I have learned about that condition, kids with autism can focus in on one particular thing anddo amazing things. If anyone on the forum has a child with autism, I would love to learn more about this. We have had some inquiries on using our rabbits for something like this....and it is something I would like to consider and execute if it we can.

Randy
 
I have MANY days that I'd rather spend out in my barn with my bunnies, than be in the house or out in public with people. The bunnies lift my spirits and make me feel better, no matter what! I joke about it to my kids, but the bunniesnever ask me for money, to borrow the car, to stay out late, to be driven to or picked up from and with friends... no worries with the bunnies!

I find great comfort just holding them, trimming nails, brushing, cleaning cages, etc. I'd rather shovel poop than hang out with people... how bad am I? I'd rather clean the barn than clean myhouse (OK... and my house looks it... but my barn is very clean!):vacuum:
 
That's great they help so many people :)

When I was in hospital for a bit they let my parents bring my buns in and it was the only time I felt calm there.

Pets are such great healers, it's incredible. I'm so glad they help others too.
 
You know..if I ever get hitting rockbottom and I'm about to just give up and quit life...I start thinking about what will happen to my animals if I'm gone and who will take care of them and no one could possibly take care of them as well as I can. Then about that time I'm so worried about my animals sake I kinda end up forgetting about me. I tell Errik all the time, you don't have to worry about me as long as I have my animals...most importantly Dahmer. I'm not going nowhere with them around.
 
aww these stories are all so nice! I remember on holloween when i was handing out candy how al the children just gravitated towards volverine (my little sidekick). they way they got all excited and gave him love and kisses was so sweet!




 
Funny this topic should appear. I'm actually starting an article which I will be figuring into my eventual website for my future farm ("Hare of the Dog"--like the name??!!) about the rabbit and it's place in the spiritual world, which in my opinion is vastly misunderstood. Whenever I'm looking for meanings of rabbits in magic, I'm always pointed inthe direction of rabbits being fearful and symbolising running away from something, of having to overcome fear. Anyone who knows anything about rabbits I would think knows that they can fight if they have toand inflict powerful and painful wounds. Rabbits have an amazing resourcefulness as they exist on every continent except Antartica and THRIVE there. I would think that the rabbit would be more along the line of a symbol of survival and resourcefulness rather than fear. Time we take the rabbit out of it's long standing misnomer.

Oh, and anyone who read the Redwall books, the rabbits are the berserker warriors! Yeah!!!!
 
lol you mean the "Rabbit out of a hat" Trick??? lol they use rabbits because there the only animal you can shove into a bag hanging from the back of a table!!!! lol without making any noise! lol then they pull the rabbit out of the bag through a hole in the hat and wola!
 
Maukin wrote:

Oh, and anyone who read the Redwall books, the rabbits are the berserker warriors! Yeah!!!!



Wot wot, an all that! :biggrin2:
 
In 2002, my life dramatically changed within a matter of weeks. In June Eric left home to work for the summer and knew he'd probably be heading off to college in the fall - which meant we wouldn't see him for 6 months. In August we dropped Robin off at college in the middle of our cross-country move to Oklahoma (from Andrews AFB, MD). With that short period of time, I went from being a homeschooling mom who merchandised part-time in the DC area (and had a 3 bedroom townhouse) to a full-time administrative assistant living w/ Art in a 2 bedroom apartment. I cried every night at supper time as that was when I was used to having the kids around to talk to.

For almost 2 years, I "held it together" because I had to work to help us survive. Then Art finished his training and got back into flight simulators and I was able to go back to being a full-time homemaker again...and I lost it.

With the kids being gone and all that had happened, I felt like I'd lost my identity. I tried going back to college but my heart wasn't in it....and I became more and more non-functional. I would make meals and maybe get the dishwasher loaded and then sleep for about 18 hours per day.

I started going for counseling and I got on Paxil and that helped...but my life still felt empty. Then one day on his way to work, Art came back in the house and said, "There's a white rabbit sitting out in the road...you might want to come see it...".

It turned out to be a tame rabbit (once we finally caught it) and we brought it inside with us. It lived with us for several days and I thought we'd be keeping it ... and then the owners heard about the ad I'd placed in the paper and called for it.

I was heartbroken...totally devastated. The rabbit played with Robin's beach ball and danced around the room with it. He/she boxed Art when Art would try to get it to go to the bathroom for the night (that's right - the rabbit would rear up and box back at Art). The first morning Art let the rabbit out of the bathroom and it binkied in and jumped on the bed and woke me up - I laughed and laughed and laughed....and Art said he hadn't heard that sound in years.

Looking back now, I'm pretty sure that the rabbit was a New Zealand rabbit...but I'm not sure. All I know is - instead of sleeping 18 hours per day - I was sleeping 10-12 hours. I was laughing and playing and getting out of bed and getting things done.

To this day - even when I start sinking into depression...my rabbits help to pull me out. If nothing else - I know they need food and water...and I love the chance to play with them.

I no longer go for counseling (although I have considered it) and my downs are far less frequent than they were. I'm not functioning at the level I WANT to function at - BUT - I'm doing far far better than I was then.

That rabbit gave me back my life...and showed me I could live again. Tiny and all the others help me to keep going now.

Peg
 
The last few years of my life have been quite difficult - people very close to me have had critical illnesses, and there have been very real losses.

In early 2006, I started to think that it might be really nice to have an animal pal here in the house. After doing a lot of research, I decided that a house bun would be the right choice - and I adopted Nibbles in early June 2006. (Partly as a birthday gift to myself - and her.)

She has changed my life. She's never failed to bring smiles to my face, even on the darkest days: who can resist a binkying bunny?! Not me.

One of my brothers died a few months ago. Nibbles has been here to cuddle with me when I cry, and has seemed to be very aware of - and sensitive to - my emotions.

She is an imp, a scalawag, and (I think) believes she's a tiny lion. And she is very affectionate.

I'm not sure how I got along so many years without her, or one of her kind, really.

I find a great deal of peace in lounging with her on the floor, and contagious joy in playing with her. (I don't have kids of my own, and essentially, I can be a big kid with her!)

One of the things that wins me over, every day: her sense of wonder and joy in exploring. She's generally in the same few rooms, yet she seems to be bursting with a need to re-check every single thing, and not in an anxious way. it's as if it's all new to her in some way, even though she knows the "terrain" intimately.

I love her.

And, like millions of others have found over time, she's a wonderful "therapist." (Check the biography of English 18th-c. poet/hymn writer William Cowper, who had 3 tame hares and who wrote some beautiful poems about them....)

there have been studies done on human stress and depression and what happens when we humans interact with animals. Here is a good article about it: http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/mindandbody/a/pups504.htm

Nibbles is my stress-buster in bunny ears. She makes me laugh at her antics, at myself, and at life. What a gift she is! :D





 
I was starting to get depressed right before i got my bun and i was trying to figure out what i could do to make myself happy and then i remembered that i was happiest when i had my bun as a kid. So, i knew i had to get one... and i have been happier since.

My neighbor has major emotional issues and she comes over every other day and loves that rabbit like no other... she always says to me "being with this rabbit is so theraputic for me" it makes me happy to see her THAT happy.
 
Daisy, my bun, as well as Zumi the chinchilla, Ashley the hamster, and Helena and Hermia the rats (not so much the hermit crabs, but I still care for them) all keep me sane when things get rough. I suffer from more mental illnesses than I can keep track of anymore (depression, anxiety, ADD, agoraphobia...) and these critters really do help to keep me calm and give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I love them dearly and I can never thank them enough for being the cute, fuzzy critters that they are. I can remember a few times I'd picked up Zumi and just bawled. Chinchillas don't like being held/cuddled much, but I hugged her anyway because I was so depressed and after a bit I let her go and gave her a raisin for her cooperation. It helped so much during those times when I didn't have a human around to hug or cuddle with.

So yes... Animals are great therapy. 'tis a fact of life. Gotta love 'em!
 
Daisy, my bun, as well as Zumi the chinchilla, Ashley the hamster, and Helena and Hermia the rats (not so much the hermit crabs, but I still care for them) all keep me sane when things get rough. I suffer from more mental illnesses than I can keep track of anymore (depression, anxiety, ADD, agoraphobia...) and these critters really do help to keep me calm and give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I love them dearly and I can never thank them enough for being the cute, fuzzy critters that they are. I can remember a few times I'd picked up Zumi and just bawled. Chinchillas don't like being held/cuddled much, but I hugged her anyway because I was so depressed and after a bit I let her go and gave her a raisin for her cooperation. It helped so much during those times when I didn't have a human around to hug or cuddle with.

So yes... Animals are great therapy. 'tis a fact of life. Gotta love 'em!
 
I'm definitely going through a time of depression and anxiety at the moment...ok, for a little while, but I've been able to handle it. Though my boys keep me strong I find that caring for my two buns have added yet another level of happiness which helps me cope.

They are truly wonderful...and since they have been here, I've been cleaning more so my house is A LOT cleaner! :pYup, I know it has nothing to do with the subject but I was just thinking about how much I sweep and mop now! :biggrin2:They are all around positive in my life and I hope that somehow I have been to them too.
 
I was knocked off my perfectly planned fast track 8 years ago at 20 years old. I had moved out of my parent's home at 18 and slicked into high paying job. I had money, status, blah blah blah. I was very "me" oriented and certainly believed that nothing could stop me.

But, 3 months after my Ma (grandma) died and 4 months before my wedding, my brain decided to announce it's presence and problems with a titanic splash.

I got my "official" diagnosis 6 days before my wedding, but at least my nuptials were able to go on with the assistance of some heavy duty meds. After that I was unable to hold onto my job, and most days I couldn't get out of bed. My family became terrified of me (because they didn't understand what was happening) but my new husband stood by me through all of it.

After about a year of slogging through life, we went to a pet store and I saw a little gray floppy eared bunny in an aquarium. I had never touched a rabbit in my life and actually had always assumed that they would bite or something. But the girl at the store handed him to me and he snuggled so sweetly beneath my chin. Buddy was a very big part of my recovery. I finally had some purpose again because he needed me. And boy, did I ever need to be needed.

So, even though I still cannot hold down a job or function in some of life's circumstances, I really and truly believe that my bunnies have played a major role in me regaining some self worth and the ability to be productive in other ways.

My feeling is that God has tested me, and I have learned so many things in this test. For that I am thankful. He also has provided many little helpers along the way. Three of whom were named Buddy, Carmel, and Charlie. :)
 
I have chronic anxiety and depression. My bunnies have saved me over and over again.
 
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