For years, it has been suspected that there’s a positive link between pet ownership and mental health. Once the theory has been put under the microscope and studied extensively, the suspicions have been confirmed. According to experts, owning pets can help people who are suffering from depression in the following ways:

Lowers Stress Hormones

Having a pet – whether it’s a dog or a cat – can help manage the level of stress in individuals. More specifically, petting and playing with your pet can significantly decrease the level of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the hormone released when in the midst of stressful situations – which simply means that having a pet can be very relaxing. At the same time, it helps increase the production of happy hormones in the body. In fact, it has been shown that a cat’s purr has just the right frequency to encourage relaxation.

Develops Exercise and Healthy Habits

Pets are also beneficial in the adoption of healthy habits such as working out, enjoying the outdoors, waking up early, eating healthy, and other useful daily activities. Owning a pet often encourages owners to go outdoors as a way of exposing their four-legged companions to nature. Having a pet in one’s life also means establishing a routine that encompasses the needs of the pet. For example, waking up early to make sure the pet gets food. The addition of a dog helps the creation of structure to your day and makes you more accountable of your actions.

Improves Sense of Self-worth

The trust and dependence of a pet to its human helps foster a sense of self-worth in owners. This can be attributed to the sense of responsibility a person develops once they know that another living thing looks up to them for love and companionship. In a study conducted by the Miami University and Saint Louis University, it was found that pet ownership can help build self-esteem, decreases loneliness in individuals, helps them become more extroverted, and allows them to be more focused and purposeful in their surroundings.

Encourages Communication and Socialization

Pets are always great conversation starters – especially with people who have the same love for animals. Owning one functions as an excellent gateway to forge new relationships and create new friends. It can be the people you meet at the vet’s office, the people you see in the dog park, or just people you meet while taking your pet out for a walk.

Helps with Recovery from Depression and Other Mental Illnesses

A study conducted by the University of Manchester showed that pets are often regarded as one of the most important sources of support for recovering mental patients. The study, which included individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness, highlighted the help extended by their pets for their personal growth and recovery. Specifically, these pets distracted them from suicidal thoughts, hearing voices, or relapsing. More importantly – having a pet creates a sense of control in their life, allowing them to better handle episodes.

Good for Childhood Development

Children who have pets are also found to be more social and less anxious. Kids who are often shy about meeting with others gain more confidence when accompanied by a pet. The same holds true for autistic children who have pets in their home. Compared to those without, autistic children with pets laugh more, are more willing to socialize, and to compromise with their peers.

Provides Companionship

Pets are the perfect companions for people who are not yet ready to mingle with their peers but want to slowly expose themselves to social situations. Many pets are used as sounding boards as those undergoing depression treatment in an intensive outpatient program in sugarland would often talk to their pets without fear of being judged or talked about. It fosters a sense of security and having someone who will be there for you at all times.

Responsiveness

Some pets can be responsive to their owner’s needs. For example, there are pets who seem capable of detecting when their owners are undergoing depressive or panicked episodes and try to counteract the symptoms through distraction or by simply cuddling with their owners. While some dogs may be trained for this, there are those who seem to do it naturally.

Having a pet is a responsibility – but it is one that comes with great rewards. Also keep in mind that the term “pets” encompasses all types of animals – not just cats and dogs.

 

 

The show on Netflix “Kingdom” is about a family of MMA fighters with a lot of drama. It’s about Alvey Kalina and his two sons Nate and Jay. Nate is played by Nick Jonas. The acting in the show is surprising from these 3.

When you’re out of good shows to watch, Netflix can be a great source of bad but entertaining tv shows. This is one of those. If you’re into MMA it’s actually not bad. If you’re not into MMA then it’s cool. The training that these actors went through to prepare for the series is actually very impressive.

It’s the first show about MMA that I’ve ever heard of. There have been movies made like Never Back Down, The Warrior, and Here Comes the Boom. Hopefully there’ll be more mixed martial arts themed movies but the sport is still relatively new.

Many movies have been made about martial arts and Netflix even has a tv show now called Cobra Kai that’s about the bully from the Karate Kid but in present time. It’s actually really funny. That show is more ridiculous than Kingdom for sure. Kingdom is a more respectable show.

Cobra Kai is the Karate dojo that the kids who bullied Danny LaRusso trained at. Danny LaRusso is the Karate Kid trained by Mr. Miyagi. The Karate Kid is the protagonist of the movie but in Cobra Kai, Johnny Lawrence is.

The story in the movie was that LaRusso was bullied by Johnny and Cobra Kai and then LaRusso beat Johnny in the Karate competition. The tv show picks up twenty years later where Johnny is a deadbeat dad struggling to survive and Danny LaRusso is a well off owner of an exotic car dealership.

The moral of that story was that nice guys don’t finish last and the good intentioned kid won in life.

The Destroyer

Back to the tv show that this article is about, one of the main characters is Ryan. His nickname is the Destroyer. Ryan was a huge prospect a few years ago but spent some time in prison for assaulting his father so badly that he paralyzed him.

Ryan gets out of prison and goes to talk to his friend Alvey. Alvey asks Ryan what he’s going to do but Ryan isn’t sure. Alvey convinces Ryan to try fighting professionally again because he has the raw talent. So they both agree and try to get him back on the right path.

Ryan goes through ups and downs and he has his moments where he’s going off the wall and has no regard for his actions. Eventually, he’s able to get himself together and starts winning fights and eventually becomes champion again.

Jay Kulina

Jay is a broke fighter that has a lot of talent but isn’t fully dedicated. He has issues that stem from his mother leaving him and the family at a young age and becomes a drug addict. Jay also has his moments where he breaks down and also where he gets really focused on his career.

He has a really rough time with the women he dates in the show. One is a liar and leaves him for the guy that she was lying about. The other girl completely ruins his life because of drugs and eventually ends up getting murdered when desperate for drugs and hanging with the wrong people.

Nate the Great

Nate is a mediocre MMA fighter but he’s extremely disciplined. He works hard, doesn’t cause problems, and keeps his mouth shut. His only problem is that he likes men too and in his profession that’s not something that’s really accepted. He keeps this secret to himself and battles with it often. He also suppresses his desire to be with men.

Twisted Relationship

Alvey and Lisa are in a twisted relationship. It’s all kinds of messed up. First of all, Lisa used to date Ryan, who Alvey coaches. The age difference is pretty big too. Lisa runs the gym and even invested $100,000 into it without any guarantees or even percentage ownership stake. They’re both alcoholics and eventually she ends up pregnant and then has a miscarriage.