Therapy snakes ???

Imagine that !!!

http://usherp.org/2013/02/02/therapy...at-depression/

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/0...erapy-pet.html

The strange thing about this is, I was in a pretty rough spot when I started getting interested in snakes/reptiles. Long story.. I actually used to have a pretty bad snake phobia. I always just thought that getting into this hobby took my mind off of things. But who knows. There is something sort of therapeutic in watching a snake move about ;)

Such for the reason we allowed our teenage daughter to get a Ball Python many years ago. It definitely helped her. Then she left home and I reluctantly became the snake caregiver.

I obviously became addicted. :snake:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7595de8eda.jpg

Elvira, 16 year old Normal

A friend of mine who works in a hospital for mentally disabled people sent me a picture of a therapy session with ball pythons. Apparently they lay down the patient and let the snake slither about on them.

There sure is something relaxing in how they move... at least the calmer species :P

An interesting concept! I certainly think there are many animals can be used in a theraputic way to benefit both children and adults. Perhaps it's due to the responsibility factors of looking after an animal as well - it can certainly give you a feeling of purpose and make you feel like you are needed, because in many respects they do rely solely on the owner looking after them.

Similarly to your story, over the past half a year I've really got into reptiles as well. I am looking forward to getting a snake soon and have been suffering from pretty terrible mental illness ever since I hit puberty; but the one thing that brightens up my day like no other is just being with animals. They have this innocence and sweetness that I just can't help smiling over, especially dogs (with their enthusiasm for just about everything!) and snakes with their sweet little scaley faces and big eyes. Every time I go to the pet shops and they let me hold one I just feel so happy and fulfilled inside lol.


TLDR; Gives you a feeling of responsibility and ability to be with another creature without having to face the difficulty of communicating with other people and possibly facing their judgements! Sounds pretty damn good to me! :banana:

It does help relax people with mental illness,my son who is 18 has autism n a moderate learning disability loves my snakes n my mum who has bipolar1 also enjoys holding them,I myself suffer with depression n they Defo help relax me n make me feel at ease wen I handle them![emoji4]


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Thank you for all the replies :)

in college i was diagnosed with anxiety + depression after suffering for almost a decade. this was also around the time i held my first snake. i remember holding the BP and just watching her: it was almost meditative; she made me feel so calm and focused. it was like relief from the stresses i was dealing with. 6 months later i bought my first BP, and he has been a blessing. he helps me stay focused and gives me a responsibility that helps me feel better. when he eats i feel good, when i'm handling him i feel calm, when i clean and care for his husbandry i feel important. it's amazing what responsibilities and a calm animal can do for you. :)

I deal with anxiety issues sometimes and I always say that keeping snakes helps to keep me Zen. It's almost like a form of Bonsai :). It's tranquil, serene, therapeutic, and even meditative to me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zina10

Imagine that !!!

http://usherp.org/2013/02/02/therapy...at-depression/

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/0...erapy-pet.html

The strange thing about this is, I was in a pretty rough spot when I started getting interested in snakes/reptiles. Long story.. I actually used to have a pretty bad snake phobia. I always just thought that getting into this hobby took my mind off of things. But who knows. There is something sort of therapeutic in watching a snake move about ;)

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Taking your mind off things is a kind of therapy really. That is one reason I decided to own a snake. It gives me something to look forward to during the day at work. Also I keep my snake in my bedroom. I use to keep em in a 40gal glass critter cage, (I stopped due to constant humidity problems and now have a plastic tub,) but when I had them in a tank and had a red or blue light on them at night I use to love watching em cruise around as I lay there getting ready to sleep. I kind of miss that part of a tank but have less problems using a plastic tote. I can still look in an watch but not as easily or clearly and they don't move about as much in a plastic tub and it's a narrow view.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

Taking your mind off things is a kind of therapy really. That is one reason I decided to own a snake. It gives me something to look forward to during the day at work. Also I keep my snake in my bedroom. I use to keep em in a 40gal glass critter cage, (I stopped due to constant humidity problems and now have a plastic tub,) but when I had them in a tank and had a red or blue light on them at night I use to love watching em cruise around as I lay there getting ready to sleep. I kind of miss that part of a tank but have less problems using a plastic tote. I can still look in an watch but not as easily or clearly and they don't move about as much in a plastic tub and it's a narrow view.

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I know what you mean !

That is why I went back to a Display cage. Just one...the rest of the snakes are in tubs.

Display cages can be done and still maintain correct heat and humidity fairly easily. You just have to purchase the right cage. Neodesha and Animal Plastics make snake enclosures. What I like about the Neodesha is that the front is a bit higher then the back and slanted. Gives you a beautiful view but the cage itself is still solid on the sides, back, top and bottom. Only the front is a glass door. So its sort of like a "cave" for the snake. You can add hides and or a shelf for them to hide. They are easily heated with UTH on a thermostat. You can even add a very dull/low lumen light if you want, I have a 2.5 W LED amber bulb, gives out very little light and no heat. Just enough to have a "view" If you use substrate its very easy to maintain humidity. Those cages are lightweight (aside from the removable glass door) and easy to clean.

Of course they are still Ball Pythons. They don't move around non stop and often are found in the hide. But I still enjoy walking by and seeing him peep out of the hide. He DOES come out and cruise, too. I like to keep the display cage "naturalistic" looking, but not over complicated. So its easy to clean and maintain.

Best of all, those cages really aren't that expensive at all. This is the 36" wide model, and in the pictures the door was removed ;) Hides are custom made, since the snake is to big for store bought ones...

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...Fhuge%2Fj2.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...Fhuge%2Fj3.jpg