Originally Posted by
Aellyce 
When I relapsed with drinking earlier this year, one of the moments that mentally kicked me into action to get help and be done with that awful episode was when I just lied around drunk and lazy in my room in the absence of my husband (he was traveling), in the company of the vodka bottle, feeling sorry for myself. The cats came to me affectionately as ever, I guess not knowing what was going on with me, and I would push them away. But they would not give up. I think I will never forget that moment when the realization came to me intensely, that I am pushing away some genuine love, wanting to escape into drunkville and into my ***ed up head again. I looked at my kitties and was suddenly felt a very intense wave of sadness. That was not the binge episode when I finally made the call to rehab, but close. So yeah I definitely second the idea of pets.
I completely get this! I finally figured out that my animals weren't bugging me. They were sensing I wasn't right and were coming to help heal me with their love. It pained me to realize I pushed them away.
When I was in IOP one time, a woman who was extremely depressed and drinking, kept complaining how her little dog lately would bother her to play ball when she was crawled up in bed, and she kept yelling at her to go away and leave her alone. I shared my experience, and she came back the next day to say that she now believes her dog was trying to get her to play to get her out of her funk.
I truly believe in the healing power of pets.