Did you grow up with a pet?
We had a cat growing up, and I always thought it was important that my own future kids have a pet too. For all the traditional reasons: learning compassion and responsibility. Our cat has taught our toddler how to slow down and be gentle with animals.
Then, last week, in a guest opinion column on Palo Alto Online, Adam Strassberg, a psychiatrist, offered another reason: the family pet as confidant and ally, and possibly a tool against teenage depression and suicide.
Earlier this month, a teenager at Palo Alto High School committed suicide. Palo Alto is an affluent neighborhood in the heart of Silicon Valley, and after the suicide, fellow students began talking about all of the academic pressure to succeed. Just today, Palo Alto Online reported that 16 other students have been hospitalized this school year for risk of suicide; neighboring school, Gunn High School, has seen 42 hospitalizations.
Which brings us back to Dr. Strassberg’s guest column. In it, he lists what parents can do to ward off depression and suicide in their teen children. Number 6 on the list is “Get a pet.” He recounts how countless suicidal patients have told him getting a pet saved their lives. He notes that when his own teens get angry at them, they always grab a cat before they slam their bedroom door.
If you have kids or plan on having kids, all of Dr. Strassberg’s recommendations are a must-read. For now, hug those cats and dogs (and bunnies and lizards!) out there, and thank them for offering us so much love and support.
