Thoughts on ESA Animals for Anxiety/OCD?

I have a dog registered as an ESA, having him registered has allowed me to keep him in my apartment w no pet rent and he helps a lot with my mental health especially while he was more in his prime. But I kind of accidentally got him so he was free and coincidentally already trained and planning to get one and training it can be a lot of effort and money. Mine was abandoned by my mother's ex and bonded to me, he seemed to already know how to do deep pressure and other comfort stuff and would do so frequently while I was having anxiety attacks and meltdowns, he even on many occasions would alert to my mother's blood sugar dropping and to a few of my seizures. He seems to have at one point had the training for in public but is mostly out of practice and struggles heavily with trying to get other people to pet him, although he can reliably ignore other dogs and frequently uses the bathroom on command, and he's also ancient w medical conditions so he can't be used as a service dog but he makes for a decent ESA.

I 100% agree with the comments above, they can be a lot of work/money. However, (as mentioned above) that they 100% rely on you to take care of them I have stopped myself from self harm multiple times because I know they need me to take care of them. I have two parrots and they need me to wake them up every morning (uncover their cage) and this is one of the only things that actually gets me to get out of bed. So yes, a lot of work but they keep me going and keep me here.

hi! i have a wonderful cat that i rescued. i love him but ESAs in general are a very big choice, I'll list some pros and cons below. potential pros: - pets are cute and boost mood - don't feel as alone + good mental stabilizer (for me personally at least) - i have a cat and i love him potential cons: - they are messy - they will be little shifts sometimes (this includes fucking up ur stuff) - they depend on you 100% and mental health isn't an excuse to neglect them. have trouble walking ur dog? gotta pay someone to do it x2 per day. hard to scoop the cat litter box? need to buy an automatic one. - vet bills can be expensive - can affect your living situation if you live in a dorm (have to worry about roommates more) - need to pet-proof your living area major warnings: - do *not*, and I repeat do *not* get a pet if you don't have a job and/or can't save money to put aside for them in the case of emergency, can't afford monthly pet health insurance bills, etc - don't expect them to be perfectly attuned little wonders that will know your every mood. sometimes they will cheer you up and sometimes they will destroy your shit and be kinda annoying. they are their own little beings, not a toy to play with! - if you don't see them as being as important as a child i wouldn't reccomend getting one. having one can definitely influence things you can do (going out of town, travelling for long periods, etc) or what you have to do to do them (hire sitters, etc) and that's just part of being a responsible pet owner

Yes! I turned my cat into an ESA when I moved into my first apartment because it was the only way I could have him with me and he's such a calming influence for me. He also provides me company so I'm not alone after losing my mom.