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.

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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.

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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

My Snakes Help me A lot if I am feeling down, which with the Husbands issues happens, I thank my Guys and Girl.

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My blood pressure was to the point where I required pills to get it down and keep it regulated. I started with a couple of corn snakes, then a few balls. Went for my check up and we've been backing me off the blood pressure meds ever since. She asked about exercise, diet, therapy...I told her it's my snakes. The way they move, how they look, the feel of them moving in my hands, the methodical husbandry...is very calm-inducing, tranquil and a go-to when I need some quiet time. It's so much better than eating 12 Oreos!

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Originally Posted by DLena

My blood pressure was to the point where I required pills to get it down and keep it regulated. I started with a couple of corn snakes, then a few balls. Went for my check up and we've been backing me off the blood pressure meds ever since. She asked about exercise, diet, therapy...I told her it's my snakes. The way they move, how they look, the feel of them moving in my hands, the methodical husbandry...is very calm-inducing, tranquil and a go-to when I need some quiet time. It's so much better than eating 12 Oreos!

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that's awesome about your blood pressure!

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Originally Posted by zina10

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

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Woah, that is one gorgeous looking tank! (And one sweetheart of a snake, bless!)

So strange that I stumbled across this thread when I did... I was just recently talking to a friend at work about how my animals are better than therapy for me!! I had a very long battle with alcohol and drugs and because of that got rid of my animals years ago. I was in no condition to take care of myself, let alone an innocent animal. Well, fast forward a few years... I have been clean and sober for over 4 years and have been living with my girlfriend for over two and a half years. We have a cat named Nala (her cat, that I just adore)....I decided to start with a fish tank again about a year and a half ago. There is something so serene and peaceful about an aquarium and it re-sparked my love for animals. Soon, my girlfriend wanted "her own" aquarium (she picked out the fish and feeds them, I do the rest). We now have two 55 gallons set up...At this point, I was ready for another animal, but something I could handle and get more direct interaction from. My girlfriend was 1000000% against a snake due to her "fear" of snakes, all reptiles were out. We decided to get a pair of ferrets, Johnny & June and we both fell in love with them. I immediately decided to give them a bigger, better home than their cage and turned a 4'x6'x6' closet into a fun filled enclosure. About 6 weeks later we were at the store and there was a beautiful albino ferret that caught my eye. I asked to hold him/her and considered taking the new ferret home. Well, this one other, goofy black boy just wouldn't let us leave without him. He was adorable!!! This goofy, bear cub looking little boy was coming home with us, meet Baloo. A few weeks later a tiny, albino girl was all I needed to round out the ferret family and we went out to find one. Chloe came home the following week... Fast forward a few months and my girlfriend approaches me one day out of the blue. "Babe, you're so great with your animals, I would be ok with ONE reptile in the house, repeat ONE." I knew she would be squeamish about a snake, but I guess she gave in to all my "hints". I would show her articles, videos, etc... to try to educate her about snakes and show her that they aren't slimy, yucky, dangerous animals. She trusted me enough to keep a snake in the house and I was determined to "teach" her how amazing these animals are. We ended up deciding on a sub-adult Cali King because she was more comfortable with the slender body and smaller "less scary" head than that of a BP. So we brought Django home to join the family. She slowly grew more comfortable being around the snake and eventually touched it! To her surprise, they aren't slimy or yucky at all!! She actually thought it felt pretty cool!! Then she was ready to hold him for a few seconds as long as I was right there. She fell in love!! She still won't hold him if I'm not right there, but she LIKES snakes now!!! But I "needed" a BP in my life. I ended up getting the green light and we found a Vanilla het pied that I really liked and Tyson came home with us soon after. We now have 4 snakes (I want more, obviously!!!) and she enjoys them all. In fact, the two corns, Baby Firefly and Otis Firefly were her idea for my birthday gift this past January!!!
...Anyway, I wrote all that to get to this point: I have had a passion for animals for many, many years. But, due to my addiction and alcoholism, I lost that part of my life a long time. I still had the heart to re-home my animals before letting them die, but I honestly didn't miss them. I was too busy killing myself on a daily basis. After getting clean and sober I wanted a pet, but was advised to wait a while and make sure I was ready. I took the advice and it worked out well for me. Now, when I'm feeling depressed, had a hard day, just want to scream, etc...I don't think about a drink or a drug, I reach for an animal and I forget all about what was troubling me in the first place. The animals don't make life problems go away, but they make them something I can face in a responsible way. There is something so special about the way animals make me feel. They are innocent creatures who rely on us to give them a happy, healthy life. What they don't know, however, is the love they share with me TRULY makes my world a better place and helps me to remember that ...life is beautiful...

I have bipolar disorder with severe anxiety issues and I have always found ball pythons to be very soothing and relaxing. There is just something about the way the move and when I handle them it's like it a whole different world. It's like it's just the snake and me at the time and the world doesn't even exist. Snakes are great! I love them so much.

Just like with any hobby, you find your interest that takes control of your mind for the moment and you get to forget about all the problems in your life.

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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I have to agree with the whole idea of this ...

When I grew up in the late 50's early 60's the idea of keeping snakes was never an option ( when did it start getting main stream , anyone ?).

I've always loved and been intrigued with all creatures but the only snakes I had EVER seen where massive big , dark coloured , slow moving / static Boas in the local zoos . Impressive in size only. The other snakes I saw where on telly , a film or whatever . They would be usually portrayed as dangerous or deadly - rattlesnakes or scary looking Cobras etc


Then when I was in my forties , one day buying some live fish food for my Malawi cichlids I was queuing up and one of the guys ( who knew me well ) suddenly put a beautiful Corn-snake in my hands just while he sorted it's container out . I was instantly captivated , amazed at its colour , heat , texture , feeling as it moved ..... I was hooked at that very moment .

Anyways I digress ...... My wife , who worries all the time about my growing collection ( addiction as she calls it ) also noticed a massive change in my overall outlook on life , I was more optimistic , much calmer and relaxed as soon as I got involved in keeping snakes ...

Maybe they're simply a distraction , who knows !?!

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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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Ahh ... You beat me to it .... Possibly a kind of distraction as I wondered .

Incidentally , I'd strongly consider moving it back into a Viv / tank and get all those benefits back ;)

There are many ways to get around any humidity issues after all ...



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I have to say I agree. I was in a very serious workplace accident. Resulting in CRPS, my right shoulder, neck, lower back are severely injured. I have more health issues, but you get the idea. Back In the mid ninties I had a large collection of boas. Then in 2013 (I was diagnosed with stomach cancer) my wife wanted to buy me a dog, I said a snake would be easier. Now there's five, all in tanks (yes they're a bit more work) I check a couple times a day. It keeps a smile on my face. I have pictures in my gallery. I need to put my latest picture up (I told my wife I'm done lol). And I probably should of introduced myself 4 years ago. But I like it here, Thanks Judy, and for those of you with health issues, God speed.

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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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I agree 100%.
Looking at and handling my snakes ( keep it clean:rofl:) does something for me... Especially watching them climb at night before I go into bed.. Relaxes me. ZZZzzzzzz

more recently, now that we have kids, I've been revisiting my childhood love for critters by introducing my kids to the joys of pet care. I did not have a snake when I was a child. when my daughter became interested in getting one a few years ago it seemed like a novel idea so we went and held some at a few pet shops. we were captivated by how they exist on a very different plain than we do. we eat a lot, drink a lot and move a lot, in contrast snakes have the most amazing ability to sit still and chill out. our BRB started out about as big around as a pencil, it would just slowly wind itself between my fingers. we spent what seemed like hours just holding it and observing it's fascinating movement. after a while, it was hard not to take on the zen mindset. Now that my son is 5, he too has become drawn to snakes and it really helps him learn the value of stillness.

My therapist recommended I get an animal as I have some brain dmg issues and I get very depressed. While I have only held ball python snakes and do not own them, I'm telling you, they make my day completely. They're so peaceful and cuddly and all around sweet noodle children. :) I would most definitely recommend them for therapy. They are very sweet and kind even if they are not always available for being poked and touched. They're really not as scary as some people say! And they are also very reliant on you, a good reason to live/stick around!