Many people suffer from some mental stress, depression, loneliness, anxiety, and other disorders. A result estimated that 1 out of 5 Americans has emotional disorders. Many people take medications and treatments to recover from it, but it does not benefit them. So, they find that to recover from emotional disorders, an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is the best choice.
Emotional support animals (ESA) are specially trained animals that help people to recover from mental disorders. They give love, companionship, and joy to the person suffering from mental and emotional issues so that they heal from stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. It becomes a trend that people prefer Emotional Support Animal (ESA) to recover from their mental issues.
Many pets can be considered Emotional Support Animal (ESA), but dogs are highly commended. Cats, birds, horses, and rodents are also regarded as Emotional Support Animal (ESA). You must have an ESA letter for a pet that is your Emotional Support Animal (ESA).
ESA letter states that a person has an emotional disability, and he/she is highly recommended to keep an Emotional Support Animal (ESA). ESA letter gives many benefits to its owner and saves him/her from all the troubles they might see because of keeping an ESA.
Are you eligible for an ESA?
If you want to have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), you must be diagnosed with a mental disability or emotional disorder. So, not everyone is eligible for an ESA. You can only keep that if your doctor recommends it to you.
Can a doctor or psychiatrist supply an ESA letter?
Yes, a doctor or a psychiatrist can supply an ESA letter. There are some steps to follow to get an ESA letter from your doctor or a psychiatrist.
1. Consult with your psychiatrist
The first step is to consult with your psychiatrist. It is essential to discuss your mental issue with a psychiatrist so that the psychiatrist came to know that you meet the outlined criteria of Americans with disabilities by the act of 1990. A psychiatrist may check whether you are suffering from stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental disabilities.
2. Discuss your issue with Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP)
The second step is, to be honest with your doctor and take regular treatment. If you are visiting a doctor for the first time, it might be possible that he/she will tell you about other treatments such as medications, etc. but, if you are visiting a doctor again and again, then he/she will know about your mental issue.
It might be possible that your psychiatrist isn’t well qualified to know about your issue. So, ask him/her to refer you to a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP).
3. Get your ESA letter (If you are eligible)
Once you are diagnosed with mental or emotional, your psychiatrist will allow you to keep an ESA. If you are diagnosed, then take the ESA letter quickly to obtain benefits from ESA.
A valid ESA letter must have:
- Letterhead
- Signature of psychiatrist
- Details such as date of issue, license number, and state
- Address
- Confirmation that you are diagnosed with an emotional disorder
4. Pay ESA letter fee
After getting the ESA letter, pay your ESA letter fee. The fee may be different for every state and the standard period is 1 year. Usually, the ESA registration fee is $200. You have to renew your ESA letter after 1 year and pay the fee again if you still want that.
You can get an ESA letter from your psychiatrist and also get it online. One of the best providers of ESA letters is pettherapist.org.
