Question: My wife has GAD and moderate depression. She is on Xanax and St. John’s Wort. I am considering buying a dog for the family. I am not buying it specifically to help with my wife’s depression but I am hoping that a puppy in the house and the touching/petting and human contact that happens with a new dog will be uplifting for her. I am planning on doing all of the caretaking for the new dog so it should not prove overwhelming for her. This is something I try to do so she can use her limited energy on things that are most beneficial to her. But what I want to know is if there is any research that says that it is helpful for depressed/anxious people to have pets. Is it beneficial, neutral or detrimental. I cannot seem to get a clear answer on this subject. Thank you. John, P in Chicago.

Jody Hansen Says...:

John, There are many studies reporting that pet ownership is beneficial to both depression and anxiety.  As far as anxiety symptoms, pets can be calming by way of petting the animal and enjoying the companionship.  Heart rate and breathing can both be reduced. Depressive symptoms can also be reduced through many means of pet ownership.  Walking a dog is good exercise which is proven to elevate the mood. Unconditional love that a dog can show is also uplifting. Also, stepping outside of one's depression and focusing on something else is proven to be useful as a tool for depression. You might consider a dog that is even tempered, potty-trained and,perhaps, does not shed thereby eliminating more work.  I also think that I would not surprise your wife. She might not like that someone is "taking charge" of "fixing her". Perhaps discussing the benefits of pet ownership might make sense to her. Preface the idea with the fact that you love her so much, you hate to see her struggling and that you would be caring for the dog. She also might like the idea of you both taking walks together and enjoying couple time.  Good luck and enjoy the new member of the family.

Question: My son is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and he is medicated and stabilized and doing well away at living at home while attending community college. He had previously attended university and lived in the dorms and it was the meltdown there, that I think was precipitated by a lot of drug and alcohol use, which led to his dropping out of school and to his diagnosis and treatment. His doctor has instructed him very clearly to avoid alcohol and drugs as they can reduce the effectiveness of his medications and can even lead to manic or depressive episodes. But last night I surprised my son in his room and found him smoking marijuana. He was using a pretty impressive bong contraption to smoke it, so it is pretty clear to me that because he has this machine to smoke with he is smoking marijuana fairly often. He says that he has tried drinking and smoking pot on his meds and that alcohol does make him feel worse but that marijuana just relaxes him and doesn’t seem to affect the effectiveness of his meds. I am not sure. He is doing pretty well on his own and I don’t want to treat him like a baby but on the other hand things were pretty bad for a while and I really don’t want to see him so depressed like he was before. How concerned should I be by his using marijuana?

Jody Hansen Says...:

You should be concerned about his smoking marijuana. His use of marijuana is another way of "self medicating". What he really needs are to learn other skills to cope with life. Marijuana use can also lead to amotivational syndrome, where one loses motivation regarding life skills and goals. Also, there is a concern that he is "testing" other drugs and alcohol to see what he can use along with his medication. Often times people with bipolar disorder can have problems with judgment, especially when in a manic cycle. He may not be able to judge the limits of his use. What he needs, aside from medication for his bipolar disorder is ongoing counseling as an adjunct to his treatment. I would find a licensed counselor who has knowledge of bipolar disorder and the frequent use of substances that make this dual diagnosis difficult but "do-able" to treat. Good luck with your son.