Collated Responses #10

My weekly roundup of responses I have posted to other people’s posts here on Medium, for those who don’t feel like scrolling through the Responses tab on my profile.

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June 15, 2018

My Secret Weapon? Pet Therapy.:

My tears were rolling down my face almost following a rhythm coming from my heart rate which sat at a strong 100 bpm. But by my side was Archie, a knight in golden furred armour.

This year saw for me the first time I’d ever felt mental and emotional stress so heavy that I cracked. I called them “emotional breakdowns”, my psychotherapist called them “depressive episodes”. The first time I had one at home (although it was the second one of the day), it was on the floor of the doorway between hallway and bedroom, sobbing uncontrollaby, eyes clamped shut. Then I felt a nearby presence. I opened my eyes and my cat Meru’s face was right up in mine, wide-eyed and for all the world looking like she was beseeching me to be okay. It hardly stopped the episode, but I could feel the tension loosening as I cried out the rest of the cry. There’s no question, absolutely no question, that it made a difference. Our pets are our first responders.