A person who is emotionally disabled has every right to legally qualify for an ESA (Emotional Support Animal). If a mental health professional such as a therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses that a person is mentally disabled and writes a formal letter called the ESA letter, recommending a support animal for him, then it is possible to seek an ESA’s help.
The ESA letter must be written on a mental health professional’s letterhead that has the professional’s license number, type of license, date of license and the state which issued the license. Moreover, it must have the date when the letter was written.
The ESA letter must contain some important details about you that indicates that you are:
- A current patient of the mental health professional who is signing the letter.
- Under the care of a medical professional for your mental disability which is prescribed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) of mental disorders.
- Are unable to perform one of life’s major activities.
- Told that having emotional support is mandatory in conjunction with your treatment.
- The ESA letter must be no later than a year from the date of your departure, if you want to travel with your ESA
For further qualifying for an ESA, you must be diagnosed with a disorder from the DSM V that includes
- Cognitive disorder
- Mental retardation
- Tic disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Gender identity
- Sexual disorder
- Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD)
- Learning disorder
- Motor skills disorders
- Substance related disorder (alcohol or drugs)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders(PTSD)
One must be very sure if he would benefit from an emotional support animal, recognizing that you may have a condition that would require professional medical help is the first step. If you think that there is an underlying condition disturbing you, then the next step is to seek professional mental help. The health care provider that you are connected with will then evaluate if an ESA is appropriate for you or not.
After qualifying, if you already have a pet, then that pet could serve as your ESA or if you don’t own one, you can visit any animal shelter or rescue organization to find an affectionate ESA appropriate for your condition. Owning an ESA is a long term commitment – look for an animal with attributes appropriate for your situation. Having a gentle and affectionate ESA will help you relieve the symptoms of your disability.
A variety of animals can serve as an ESA like cats, dogs, reptiles, rodents and birds. Even though your ESA does not need any special training, it must be given basic training like verbal and hand signals so that it behaves well in all kinds of situations.
Use your ESA letter properly to accommodate your ESA in your house. To travel with your ESA, you should inform your airline 48 hours prior to the time of departure. You can even take your ESA in buildings with no pets’ policy without being penalized. You can fly with your ESA with certain restrictions. The ESA might be kept in a pet carrier to restrict its movements in the cabin.
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