Service Dogs and Nightmares
I have been up since 4 a.m because I had a nightmare last night. Correction, I had several nightmares last night. My nightmares usually fall into three categories: a) navigating my way through a dangerous neighborhood, b) dealing with abuse from my father; or c) watching my mother die. Last night, I had all three.
Sometimes my husband Geoff is still awake, and when he is, he can tell I’m having a nightmare, and he will wake me up. Most nights, as in last night, he was not awake, and I spend the night cycling from one nightmare to another.
Lately the negative aspects of service animals and emotional support animals have been in the news. These articles are usually about how people are abusing the system to get their animals on airplanes. Every once in a while, you will see a story about the positive aspects of service animals. This is how I discovered that some people use service animals for PTSD and that service animals can be used to wake people from nightmares.
Since I found this out, all I can think about is whether or not I should get a service animal. If I could get help in waking from nightmares, that would be amazing. Also, I have other PTSD symptoms that a service animal could help me handle. Right now, Geoff has to talk me down. I hate having him in that position all the time.
Geoff has made it clear that he does not want a dog, and I don’t want to force one on him. Also, we live in an apartment, which isn’t the best atmosphere for a dog. I’m allergic to most dogs, so I would have to find one I’m not allergic to. Also, I think I would feel self conscious walking around with a service animal.
On the other hand, my psychiatrist thinks that a service animal would be a great option for me. He thinks a service dog would definitely help with my nightmares, help calm down my suicidal tendencies, and help me deal with being out in public. Geoff says if I find that a service animal is a reasonable option, he would support it. I will have to think it over. I know one thing. I have seen more than my fair share of sunrises.
Katerina Canyon is a writer currently living in Seattle, Washington. She served as Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga, California from 2000 to 2003. She has a MALD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a BA in English, Creative Writing, and International Studies from Saint Louis University. She has been published in the New York Times and Huffington Post. Her most recent poetry was published in Black Napkin. Her latest collection Changing the Lines is currently available on Amazon and Elliott Bay Book Company. You can learn more about Katerina at PoeticKat.com.
