Dogs Reduce Stress

It's just a fact; dogs reduce stress.  Multiple studies have been conducted over how interactions with animals can decrease the production of stress homes cortisols in the body.
The past couple months have been particularly stressful due to some developing personal family issues.  My father had a past history of panic attacks before we moved to Oregon (some 22 years ago); I was aware of this but always just assumed it was a "mind-over-matter"type of thing.  I thought one could "stop" a panic attack mentally...but I found out I was wrong.  I experienced my first-ever panic attack.
My mom and I had talked earlier that morning on the way to work and I had just been told some particularly disturbing news that is effecting my family dynamics greatly.  All that day, I felt like I was in a murky cloud as my mind was trying to grasp and understand the news.

I was walking down Broadway in downtown with one of my dogs, clipping along at a nice pace, not even thinking about the developments in my family.
 
Then it hit me.

I felt like someone was pressing with all their might against my chest.  It was hard to take a full lung's worth of air.

I stopped the dog and pulled over to the side of the sidewalk, grabbing the wall of the building next to me. My hands were shaking.  I had to focus on breathing.  Breathe in, Breathe out.

Then I got really scared.  This overwhelming fear came over me.  I knew I was having a panic attack, but at the same time, I kept wondering, "What if this isn't just a panic attack, maybe this is something actually very medically wrong and I just keel over right here on the sidewalk and die?" (gotta love how the brain thinks of the worst case scenario at the worst time ever, right?)  I panicked a little more. (and that probably didn't help the situation)
I saw my little Yellow Lab was intently looking up at me.  I slid down the building wall, gathered her up into my lap and just held her tightly.  She willingly obliged and snuggled her head gently under me chin.  And there we stayed for a good 10 minutes.

People walked by me and smiled at the "seemingly picturesque moment" of a trainer and her dog, unknowing of what was really happening.

That little Yellow Lab got me through one of the scariest moments of my life so far.  Within a couple of minutes, I felt my heart rate slow down and return to normal.  I could take deep breaths and my hands were no longer shaking.

Thinking back on it, I'm glad the panic attack happened when it did, where I could safely just "pull over" and be with someone who wouldn't ask questions, wouldn't freak out, and wouldn't judge me, but would just be there with me to help get me through.  And she did just that.

I still get a little teary-eyed thinking about it.