The 38-year-old Rob Osman from Bristol, England, has battled with anxiety and depression for most of his life.
He was also forced to living in his sister’s windowless basement smoking far too much weed to care.
He did many things to get out of his depression, including the pursuit of a psychology and counseling degree at a local university. But the best remedy was walking his Hungarian Vizsla, Mali. When they were strolling outside, Rob felt his body relax and the tension melting away.
He felt so much relief from this simple everyday activity, he set up a group called Dudes & Dogs. It’s a mental wellness community that encourages men to get out in the fresh air for a walk and talk about their feelings.
“Talking helps.point 311 |
It does,” Osman wrote on the group’s website.point 42 | “It’s helped me no end, but sometimes as men, we aren’t the best at it.point 105 | Well, Dudes & Dogs wants to change that for the next generation.point 162 | There is no doubt things are changing.point 194 | We want to be a part of that.point 216 |
By simply getting outside, talking things through, we can start to change our mood.point 70 | ”point 73 | 1
It all began during one of those wet, windy, and cold days in the UK. Rob never wanted to go out, especially not the way he was feeling.
But there was the dog. She didn’t care that her owner felt like crap. She didn’t care that the weather was rubbish, she just wanted to get out and play. “It’s been the best therapy I’ve ever had,” Rob said.
Osman invited friends on walks with Mali. Some days, they would chat but often they simply hang out. He discovered that his friends were also benefiting from the dog and fresh.
“They need someone to listen,” Osman told TODAY. “The idea of using a dog gives people an hour away from the family and gets them out. Dogs are like four-legged antidepressants. When people are around them they drop their defenses. They play with the dog.”
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