Pet therapy is offered at least once a week in Building 10. Severely depressed patients benefit the most from this activity. After all, animals fulfill their need to love and be loved. Animals are nonjudgmental creatures that provide unconditional affection. Research suggests a pet can have a positive effect on physical and mental well-being. Consider the case of C.
C absolutely loved pet therapy. He would feed Zeke, the visiting dog, scratch and stroke his head, and play with him. He would speak to Zeke in Vietnamese and treat him like a friend. C suffered from adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood. He used to flip a coin to decide whether or not to eat, and he felt nobody loved him. Noncompliance was an issue for C. He received a routine injection of Risperdal Consta.
It was a shame to watch C live his life in a world of solitude, but I had no idea what to do with a Vietnamese mental patient who spoke such little coherent English. Rather than feeling inherently awkward when I was trying to talk to him, I felt powerless. C understood some basic words, but he also refused to take his medication. As a result, he was no longer able to speak English. This is a trait of psychosis.
Music therapy is another fun activity. In my opinion, patients should be allowed to pick the genre of music. A classic song can evoke a reaction from even the most isolated patient, like C.
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