Psychological wellbeing at vet school

[anotherbusybee]

Hi everyone. This is a little painful for me to write about because it's a really personal topic, but..

I recently started seeing a psychologist for the anxiety, paranoia, and sleep deprivation that has controlled my life since I was a kid. It started flaring up pretty badly recently, and I just had a bit of a breakdown recently when I realized I might have to leave behind everyone and everything. The psychologist has scheduled me in for regular visits and has agreed that my dog has probably become one of my few emotional 'safety blankets'. I'm familiar with a bit of psychology, so I could tell from the way she spoke that she thinks I have an insecure attachment (a la attachment theory). It certainly makes a lot of sense! I know none of you can answer these deeply personal questions for me, but I was wondering: How is your psychological well-being at vet school and are the resources there sufficient to keep you emotionally okay? My anxiety has never been this bad before, and I feel myself sinking into depression. I want to feel excited, but I can't.

And I don't know if anyone can answer this but, have you ever had to ask your psychologist about recommending an assistance animal? I understand that there is an enormous gray area dealing with "service animals", and I don't believe in fudging the system to allow you to bring a pet w/ you to school. But my psychologist and I believe that her presence has become more than a pet but rather something deeper that I've become attached to. I have a feeling she wants me to "work through it" and be comfortable with leaving my dog behind, but the idea of that makes me feel even more vulnerable and paranoid and anxious... Thoughts/experiences/opinions are appreciated.

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[felinelvr44]

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[anotherbusybee]

I don't think I'd be able to take care of a large dog during my first year in an entirely new place in a very challenging academic setting. If I can't consistently come home to let her out to pee, I'd feel terrible for her and ashamed of myself. Plus, it's a large dog of a less-than-cuddly breed, so I don't know if apartments would be open to renting out to me. If there are HOAs, her breed is definitely on the list of commonly banned breeds by HOAs.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Vet school is likely to be more challenging psychologically than what you are currently dealing with, so be prepared.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking to have a dog as an assistance animal. You will have to discuss this with the school, and you probably will need to get your dog certified, maybe as a therapy dog for them to accept it, but if you need that dog with you at all times to get through the day, then they should be able to make that happen to some degree.

But what are you going to do when you have to have surgery or be in areas where your dog can't accompany you?

Make sure you are prepared to think it through.

 

[EngrSC]

I don't think I'd be able to take care of a large dog during my first year in an entirely new place in a very challenging academic setting. If I can't consistently come home to let her out to pee, I'd feel terrible for her and ashamed of myself. Plus, it's a large dog of a less-than-cuddly breed, so I don't know if apartments would be open to renting out to me. If there are HOAs, her breed is definitely on the list of commonly banned breeds by HOAs.

If you get your dog therapy dog or canine good citizen certified you should have an easier time finding a place that will allow you to rent. My cousin goes to WSU and she has 2 dogs, a chinchilla, and a bird and has had no problems finding housing. Apparently in that area landlords tend to be more open to pets because of the vet school I presume.

 

[hopefulinva]

There are no shortage of emotional breakdowns in veterinary school.

It's tough, man. It just is.

Luckily the schools know this and do everything in their power to help their students retain their mental, psychological, emotional, and physical well-being; VMR has a satellite office for the main campus psychologists in the building, 'cus who has time to leave the Dungeon.

Plus - it's helpful to remember that everyone around you is in exactly the same boat; same classes, same professors, same price. Personal lives are different and coping mechanisms are different - but your classmates will understand what you're going through better than anyone else there. That lack of shortage of emotional breakdowns I was talking about? Matched in every way by the support your classmates will give you.

As for your dog - it seems to me that there's at least one apartment complex that caters to veterinary students nearby to the vet schools. And you may even be able to find room/board with existing vet students who would certainly understand a doggie tenant.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Hi everyone. This is a little painful for me to write about because it's a really personal topic, but..

I recently started seeing a psychologist for the anxiety, paranoia, and sleep deprivation that has controlled my life since I was a kid. It started flaring up pretty badly recently, and I just had a bit of a breakdown recently when I realized I might have to leave behind everyone and everything. The psychologist has scheduled me in for regular visits and has agreed that my dog has probably become one of my few emotional 'safety blankets'. I'm familiar with a bit of psychology, so I could tell from the way she spoke that she thinks I have an insecure attachment (a la attachment theory). It certainly makes a lot of sense! I know none of you can answer these deeply personal questions for me, but I was wondering: How is your psychological well-being at vet school and are the resources there sufficient to keep you emotionally okay? My anxiety has never been this bad before, and I feel myself sinking into depression. I want to feel excited, but I can't.

And I don't know if anyone can answer this but, have you ever had to ask your psychologist about recommending an assistance animal? I understand that there is an enormous gray area dealing with "service animals", and I don't believe in fudging the system to allow you to bring a pet w/ you to school. But my psychologist and I believe that her presence has become more than a pet but rather something deeper that I've become attached to. I have a feeling she wants me to "work through it" and be comfortable with leaving my dog behind, but the idea of that makes me feel even more vulnerable and paranoid and anxious... Thoughts/experiences/opinions are appreciated.

I don't know about assistance animals...but I felt compelled to reply to let you know that you are not alone, AT ALL.

What you describe is essentially me. I'm pathologically attached to my dog. When my depression was extremely bad, my therapist was actually concerned that I would have a complete emotional breakdown (read: have to go to inpatient) if anything serious were to happen to her.

Now after many years things have smoothed out much more, she's still essentially a service animal to me. The downside is, I'm also OCD, and most of my tendencies are with regards to her: When I go on trips and have to leave her, I'm always incredibly anxious (even if it is with my fiance). I obsessively check the lock on my door because I am afraid somehow she'll get out and run away and get hit by a car or something horrible, check the stove because what if the burner comes on and the house burns down with her in it, I always worry if I am walking her enough, feeding her enough, etc.

When I am away from her, I have to deal with all my anxiety. When I'm home, everything is at peace. Is it a pathologic form of love? Probably. But in a way, she acts as a much-needed security blanket, much better than any medication (as much as I love my Xanax).

With regards to the leaving everything...I had to do that for residency, and it was incredibly hard on me mentally. I had to leave the state I loved and had lived in my entire life and move 1200 miles away - leave my friends, leave my boyfriend (the man I thought I would marry who ended up dumping me over the distance even though he said he was going to move down shortly), my parents (right after my father's cancer diagnosis)....everything. I was ALONE, in a completely new state, no friends, no family, nothing, starting a very rigorous program. Except for my dog. If I didn't have her, I would have likely broken down emotionally.

I think you should do everything you can to bring her with you.
It will help the transition a LOT, even if you think you won't have as much time.
If you can get roomies to help you, even better. And there are usually lots of petsitter type people who will come let the pup out for a pee break - I had to use one in fourth year when I was working 16 hours days. My first year I was usually in class 8-5, so I would let her out in the morning, at lunch, after school, and evening. I studied at home rather than the library, etc. It's doable. Vet school is hard, but you CAN have a normal life while in it.

 

[bunnity]

You can totally take the dog with you to your new city, if you decide that's best. I had a brand new foster (later adopted) dog with major medical issues when I started vet school... we worked it out. If you are concerned about the long days, what about a dog walker, dog daycare, or a roommate with an easier schedule?

Now I will be honest with you. Vet school is hell if you are at all anxious to start with. Most people I know at school are on either anxiety meds or ADD meds (some prescribed and used appropriately, some not). And this:

"Luckily the schools know this and do everything in their power to help their students retain their mental, psychological, emotional, and physical well-being"

is really really not true at my school. The university counseling center usually denies vet students because of our schedule. There is no one out there advocating for the students or caring much about our mental health. I didn't realize until I started my externship at an outside clinic how much vet school trashes your self esteem and how different everything is in a supportive environment.

My advice is to bring your dog with you, get any meds properly titrated before you start school, notify your school's disability center before you even get there about your anxiety so you can get 'reasonable accomodations' (I think that's what it's called), and make sure you are set up with a psychologist in your new city so that you have a good transition. And if you haven't applied to schools yet, do some research into how well they support their students

 

[anotherbusybee]

I obsessively check the lock on my door because I am afraid somehow she'll get out and run away and get hit by a car or something horrible, check the stove because what if the burner comes on and the house burns down with her in it, I always worry if I am walking her enough, feeding her enough, etc.

These are the EXACT same behaviors I described to my psychologist. Except it isn't in regards to the safety of my dog; it's my own safety that I obsess over. Ick. I never realized how deeply I internalized all this cr@p until the possibility of leaving everyone/thing behind suddenly dawned on me.

I'll see if I can work out housing, and, if there are breed/weight restrictions at all the prospective places, I'll see what the psych. thinks about pursuing qualifying the dog as a service animal. Good idea about talking to the school, too! I had never thought of that before, so I will get in touch with someone there and see what they recommend. I have not told a soul about this before, so I'm glad to hear from some kindred spirits here. Thanks everyone.

 

[katryn]

Every school is different, but at UT we have a Veterinary Socialworker and her grad student in the building with us. Also, one of my classmates brings her certified assistance dog in on a pretty regular basis. I'm guessing there is some paper work involved, but it is possible.

 

[OH Bunny Girl]

Again, every school is different. At OSU we have a licensed social worker/PhD specific to the vet school (She is AMAZING!), and they are also starting a program where students can "vent" anonymously to a counselor a few days a week. There are also students who need accommodations when taking exams and I don't think they've had any problems with arranging anything with the proper notifications. Profs and administration are very understanding AND, I believe you get 10 free counseling sessions on main campus as well.

 

[juliyav]

You are definitely not alone. Vet school will be the first time I am away from home for more than 2 weeks and it scary. If you can get the dog certified as a therapy dog, I think there is some kind of rule that forces the dog to be allowed everywhere. I know my neighbors have their dog certified and they bring it to hotels, restaurants, school, etc. with no issues. You just would have to have proper documentation.

 

[sunshinevet]

You are definitely not alone. Vet school will be the first time I am away from home for more than 2 weeks and it scary. If you can get the dog certified as a therapy dog, I think there is some kind of rule that forces the dog to be allowed everywhere. I know my neighbors have their dog certified and they bring it to hotels, restaurants, school, etc. with no issues. You just would have to have proper documentation.

The school can most likely accomodate you having the dog on campus - whether or not they can accomodate the dog actually being with you is a different matter. You would probably not be able to take it into most practical labs, and while you may be able to take it into the hospital while you are on rotations, it would almost definately be sitting in a cage somewhere while you are elsewhere - it is not practical for your therapy dog to accompany you in consultations etc.

My other question would be (and this might sound a bit morbid but bare with me), is i feel you and your therapist need to work towards you becoming more independant of your dog. the only reason I say this is because I too, am extremely attached to my animals, however I have very recently gone through the extreme pain and anguish of losing my dog. It has been an absolutely horrific few weeks. As much as we want them to, animals don't live forever, and so in many ways, getting your dog certified as a therapy dog and taking her everywhere is actually a bit of a bandaid approach, because like it or not one day she can't be there. I'm not saying don't take her or leave her outside or anything - but I think you still need to try and give yourself better tools to cope without her in general. Otherwise one day the inevitable will happen and i can only imagine how bad things might end up for you.

Sorry to make this thread turn a little dark, but I think a long term view of this issue is also required.

Just re-read your OP. I would definatley bring your dog with you, but definately work on your attachment too.

 

[devyn]

I do not have any of the issues you describe, so I cannot comment on making those easier as I do not have experience.

I can say that your psychologist can definitely prescribe you an emotional support animal (dog) which means that they can write you a letter which will allow you to have the dog whereever you live. Even in housing that does not allow animals. Now obviously it is still best to try to find housing that allows animals, but by law even places that do not allow animals would have to let you live there with your ESA. I know it can be extremely difficult to try to find housing with certain breeds of dogs (I own 2 of them) and it has always been harder for me - but I always make it work. And they have come with me to vet school in Ireland - I would never leave them behind. Since you obviously are being treated by a psychologist and the psychologist agrees the dog is beneficial to you then I do not see any reason why you could not get your dog classified as an ESA.

 

[Maschka1]

Its always harder when you have a hidden disability, and anxiety certainly can be a disability. You are not alone, before I understood that I had Narcolepsy I went through a stage in my life where I was incredibly agoraphobic and was terrified to leave my home because I didnt want to have symptoms in public (especially alone). I tried going to a psychiatrist, taking meds, and the whole shebang, but it was actually my pets that helped me get over my fear and leave my house. Slowly, but surely, I conquered my fear with the help of my dog and parrot. I get it!

As far as a service dog goes, emotional support dogs are certainly a grey area. The best way to get around this is to teach your dog 3-5 basic behaviors that will assist you in your day and help you cope. Here is a definition of a service dog:

"Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."

The other thing is, you DO NOT have to get any sort of certification or licensing for your dog to work as a service dog (although it isnt a bad idea). You can buy a vest online, pretty easily. You dont need to have one, but people tend to ask less questions and bug you less.

as far as Fair housing goes, a lot of landlords dont have an issue (especially realtors who could lose their license for denying your service dog access). If you can get a script from your doctor prescribing a dog, that is great because it will back you up legally if you need it. Also, you are never obligated to describe your disability to anyone, all they can ask is if you have one.

"The Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA) has a three-part definition of disability. Under ADA, an individual with a disability is a person who: (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; OR (2) has a record of such an impairment; OR (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.

A physical impairment is defined by ADA as "any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin, and endocrine."

Neither ADA nor the regulations that implement it list all the diseases or conditions that are covered, because it would be impossible to provide a comprehensive list, given the variety of possible impairments."

I would say you likely qualify as having a disability.

Also, I recently consulted a lawyer regarding a service dog who is also a banned breed and housing issues. I was looking at a house that had a banned breed list and also a maximum capacity. He told me that, especially since they already allowed pets, there wouldn't be much of a legal leg for them to stand on if they tried to prevent me from having my dogs.

I would like to add a disclaimer that I am certainly not a lawyer, so please take all of that with a grain of salt, but I have done a lot of research and this is how I understand it.

Good luck, hang in there, and use your relationship with your dog for all that it can offer you. I think something else that helped me was making some good friends at school/work. I gained confidence from those relationships and was eventually able to leave my pup at home. Obviously everyone is different, but have faith that you can conquer this!

 

[LetItSnow]

How is your psychological well-being at vet school and are the resources there sufficient to keep you emotionally okay? My anxiety has never been this bad before, and I feel myself sinking into depression. I want to feel excited, but I can't.

I imagine (hope?) other people have given you great answers, but I know this: I have (had?) a life-long fingernail biting habit. It's disgusting, and it annoys me. I made many attempts to quit, and failed. About two years before vet school, I finally just said no flippin' more. And somehow successfully quit. For two years.

Vet school started and within the first two months my fingernails were gone. And I gained 15 pounds. (I'm not equating my minor expressions of anxiety with a more debilitating clinical situation!!! I hope nobody reads it that way.)

I don't "feel" any more anxious than before vet school, but it sure seems like the signs of stress and anxiety are present. So I think you should assume that whatever pressures drive your anxiety they are likely to increase in school.

Bunnity's comment was disheartening; that school needs a kick in the pants in that particular area, it sounds like. I know here they make a huge deal out of making first-year students aware of all the resources, and you hear things like "we know vet students are busy, we're willing to schedule you in last-minute, or do it over our lunch breaks," etc., all the time.

It sounds like you're on the right path to managing your situation, though - getting professional help, thinking ahead about how to deal with it in school ... all great stuff. Good luck!!

 

[bunnity]

I imagine (hope?) other people have given you great answers, but I know this: I have (had?) a life-long fingernail biting habit. It's disgusting, and it annoys me. I made many attempts to quit, and failed. About two years before vet school, I finally just said no flippin' more. And somehow successfully quit. For two years.

Vet school started and within the first two months my fingernails were gone. And I gained 15 pounds. (I'm not equating my minor expressions of anxiety with a more debilitating clinical situation!!! I hope nobody reads it that way.)

I don't "feel" any more anxious than before vet school, but it sure seems like the signs of stress and anxiety are present. So I think you should assume that whatever pressures drive your anxiety they are likely to increase in school.

Bunnity's comment was disheartening; that school needs a kick in the pants in that particular area, it sounds like. I know here they make a huge deal out of making first-year students aware of all the resources, and you hear things like "we know vet students are busy, we're willing to schedule you in last-minute, or do it over our lunch breaks," etc., all the time.

It sounds like you're on the right path to managing your situation, though - getting professional help, thinking ahead about how to deal with it in school ... all great stuff. Good luck!!

I'm really glad that other schools are making a big effort to support psychological health in their students. Definitely something to think about in choosing a school, if you suspect you may need those resources.

 

[anotherbusybee]

My advice is to bring your dog with you, get any meds properly titrated before you start school, notify your school's disability center before you even get there about your anxiety so you can get 'reasonable accomodations' (I think that's what it's called), and make sure you are set up with a psychologist in your new city so that you have a good transition.

I like these ideas. More than likely, my dog's breed is banned in many apartments, so I'm going to check with the psych. if she can write me a letter recommending a service animal. I actually trained my dog to do service behaviors, like opening/closing doors and turning on lights, so it wouldn't be a difficult transition for us both to actually have a "title". She also recommended contacting the future school's counseling center, too.
And I certainly don't intend on using the dog as an emotional crutch, like something I'd need to bring with me 24/7. We are working on cognitive-behavioral-therapy (or whatever the heck that stuff is called), but I figure I'd rather take a dose of "dog" than a dose of medication to help me be less anxious/sleep better. Thank you for the game-plans everyone. I appreciate it! And I'm soooo grateful to hear from people in similar situations. It's very comforting!!

 

[hopefulinva]

Just wanted to pop in again to wish you good luck with everything. Also, it may be helpful to realize, there's a difference between a service dog and a therapy dog - less licensure required for the latter, and if my understanding is accurate then your pup's prescription as a therapy dog will at least get her to a pet restrictive apartment.

Service animals require more certification, so that may be more hoops than you really ned to jump through.

VMR has a therapy dog on staff specifically for their students, so she's allowed in parts of the sungeons where pets aren't. <3

(Sorry for the horrid typos... on my phone and it won't let me backtrack without deleting my whole post x.x)

 

[jmo1012]

Just wanted to pop in again to wish you good luck with everything. Also, it may be helpful to realize, there's a difference between a service dog and a therapy dog - less licensure required for the latter, and if my understanding is accurate then your pup's prescription as a therapy dog will at least get her to a pet restrictive apartment.

Service animals require more certification, so that may be more hoops than you really ned to jump through.

VMR has a therapy dog on staff specifically for their students, so she's allowed in parts of the sungeons where pets aren't. <3

(Sorry for the horrid typos... on my phone and it won't let me backtrack without deleting my whole post x.x)

a therapy dog is actually defined as a dog that supports "other" people (i.e. not you) whereas a service dog, psychiatric dog, or ESA is specifically for the handler's disability.

also, for what its worth, medication can be life changing (for the better). it certainly doesn't work for everyone, but i have a psychology background and have known people who were super resistant to medication that then finally started taking it and couldn't believe what a difference it made in their lives. dogs are fantastic (all pets are), but don't forget that they themselves can be an added source of anxiety when it comes to their care (even when their companionship outweighs it).

i think my best recommendation is to get your anxiety/paranoia/sleep issues under control as best you can. learn techniques to help manage them such as breathing exercises, self preservation, etc. because vet school is likely going to work really hard at stealing your sanity. the more coping mechanisms you have in place (including pets and medication) the better equipped you will be to handle school

 

[Kansas Girl]

More than likely, my dog's breed is banned in many apartments, so I'm going to check with the psych. if she can write me a letter recommending a service animal.

Additionally, I've heard that many landlords are more receptive to dogs that don't meet limits or even when pets are listed as not being allowed when they find out that it's a veterinary student, so I would definitely plug that angle. You're not an irresponsible undergrad who has rushed out and bought a cute puppy and won't be cleaning up its poo or letting it destroy the place (not to knock on all undergrads with pets, but I presume that's how many college apartment complexes -often rightly- see the situation).

 

[jmo1012]

Additionally, I've heard that many landlords are more receptive to dogs that don't meet limits or even when pets are listed as not being allowed when they find out that it's a veterinary student, so I would definitely plug that angle. You're not an irresponsible undergrad who has rushed out and bought a cute puppy and won't be cleaning up its poo or letting it destroy the place (not to knock on all undergrads with pets, but I presume that's how many college apartment complexes -often rightly- see the situation).

i wish vet student = wonderful animal caretaker, but the longer I am in school, the more i realize just how terrible we are at turning our pets into example creatures of society. not everyone has unruley animals, but it is way more common than i would have ever believed if i hadn't witnessed it so many times in the last couple of years!

that being said, the general public doesn't notice this trend typically, so vet student = saint when it comes to pet care usually (or so has been my experience )