Mental health | Outrageous Wellness

Think of all the things that our pets do for us. They love us unconditionally; they teach us patience; they get us up and out of bed when we’re feeling unmotivated. Our family pets lower our cholesterol and our physiological indicators of stress, like blood pressure, cortisol and heart rate; they keep us active and more social; they improve our pain management; they reduce our feelings of fear and anxiety. The list goes on.

Family pets also aid in our children’s development. Kids with a family dog are less likely to have asthma, and they miss fewer days from school because of illness. And pets, especially dogs and cats, influence learning and cognition in children, and they help children develop self esteem and social skills. They provide children with companionship, sometimes even more so than siblings do. Most children consider their pet to be a member of the family, and many confide in their pets, believing their pets understand what they are going through.

We have very special relationships with our domesticated pets, and this special status is reflected in the way our brains respond to our furry friends. Petting your dog increases oxytocin, prolactin, phenylacetic acid and dopamine; the effect is reduced when you pet a strange dog. These biological substances are neurotransmitters and hormones associated with affiliation and reward. In fact, the pattern of your brain activity when viewing your pet is very similar to the pattern seen when viewing your child. When pet owners claim that their dog is a member of the family, this is no exaggeration.

So, when you consider everything your family pet does for you, don’t you think your pet deserves the best that you can offer?

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Beetz A, et al. Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The Possible Role of Oxytocin. Frontiers in Psychology (2012). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234.

Levine GN, et al. Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk. Circulation (2013). doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0b013e31829201e1

Purewal R, et al. Companion Animals and Child/Adolescent Development: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2017). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14030234

Stoeckel LE, et al. Patterns of Brain Activation when Mothers View Their Own Child and Dog: An fMRI Study. PLOS ONE (2014). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107205

I was speaking with a client yesterday morning, and was surprised by her misunderstanding of the stress hormone cortisol. Yes, cortisol is elevated when we are stressed; and, Yes, having chronically elevated cortisol is destructive to the brain and body. However, cortisol is also elevated when we are excited, happy, joyful, and surprised.

For example, think back on a memorable dinner you had a number of years ago. Why do you remember what you ate during this distant meal, but probably don’t remember what you had for lunch two weeks ago? The reason, at least in part, is your cortisol was elevated during the memorable dinner in conjunction with your elevated – presumably positive – emotional state.

So what differentiates “bad” cortisol from “good” cortisol elevation?

Cortisol is part of a dynamic physiological system that evolved to help us remember, and learn from, important events. Elevated cortisol is particularly important when you experience negative events because it facilitates 1) emotional memory consolidation and 2) attention toward emotional information. This was important to our ancestors for dealing with threats in the environment, and for remembering rewarding events.

amygdala-crh-mrna-figure — Administering corticosterone (CORT; the rat version of cortisol) causes physiological changes in rat amygdala (CeA).

It is cortisol’s effects on neuropeptides like corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the amygdala that allows us to effectively encode memories. The digitized images above show that CRH messenger RNA (mRNA) is increased in the central amygdala (CeA) when corticosterone (the equivalent of cortisol in rats) is administered to rats. The cort-treated rats showed enhanced emoional memory in conjunction with the changes in the amygdala (Thompson, Erickson et al., 2004).

So the problem isn’t when cortisol is periodically elevated in response to emotional (negative or positive) situations; this is adaptive and healthy. Our cortisol levels are constantly in flux when we are healthy. The problem is when cortisol is chronically elevated. Chronic cortisol elevation is associated with a number of physical and mental health conditions, and when we are under constant stress our cortisol doesn’t necessarily follow the normal adaptive patterns.

Your cortisol levels may be chronically elevated due to stress if you experience weight gain, obesity, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, irritability, and a number of other symptoms. If you live in a constant state of stress, some relaxation techniques might be helpful, especially if you are experiencing some of these symptoms. Breathing techniques, meditation and muscle relaxation are options that are available to everyone. Listening to music, exercise, and making healthy adjustments to your diet also help reduce stress. Find what you love and make time for it. Make your wellness a priority.

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