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	<title>Better Relationships &#187; pets</title>
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	<link>https://www.better-relationships.com</link>
	<description>Marriage &#38; Couples Counseling, Psychotherapy, Premarital Counseling</description>
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		<title>Pets and Emotional Wellness</title>
		<link>https://www.better-relationships.com/pets-and-emotional-wellness/</link>
		<comments>https://www.better-relationships.com/pets-and-emotional-wellness/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:15:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Swaniger]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DEPRESSION]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GRIEF & LOSS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RELATIONSHIPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attachement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coping with grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grieving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mourning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pet loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pets and health]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[What a revolutionary breakthrough it would be if we found a way to lower blood pressure, lessen the ravages of depression, boost our immune systems, enhance our sense of emotional well being, decrease our feelings of loneliness, increase motivation, elevate our self-image, and promote our ability to trust! These are only some of the benefits of pet ownership. Under most circumstances, having a pet is a healthy and healing experience. Since ancient times pets have been part of the human experience. Early contacts between humans and dogs benefited both species. The dogs were fed scraps of food, bones and other leftovers, until they developed a dependent relationship with humans. Then, in turn, the dogs served as guards, warning humans of intruders approaching their encampments. Today an estimated 50 million households have pets. In addition to 120 million pet dogs and cats, people make pets of birds, fish, rabbits, hamsters, as well as a variety of exotic pets, including pigs and reptiles. With the decrease in attachment bonds in our society over the last several decades, we have seen increases in depression, loneliness, lack of trust, and a heightened sense of vulnerability. People don’t feel the closeness, the sense of social engagement, and the intimacy with others that they experienced in the past – when people were more likely to live in the same community throughout their lives, when communication was more personal, when travel was not as widely available. The role played by pets in our lives is likely to become more significant within this context since pets can serve as substitute sources of attachment. Pets can compensate for some of the losses we feel in an increasingly impersonal era. Emotional Attachment Pets are an important source of emotional attachment that can be as significant as, and sometimes even stronger than, the bonds formed between people. The purpose of attachment, according to developmental theory, is to form an affectionate bond and to provide a sense of safety and security. These needs, which emerge early in one’s life, are directed toward a few specific people and tend to endure throughout one’s [&#8230;]]]></description>
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