LostInTheFog, Since this is a bit astray from the thread, I originally tried to figure out a way to send it as a private message to you, but I cannot figure it out, how to do that. Yes, I have horses, and yes, when I'm stressed out they are there to save the day for me. I jokingly told a friend that having them is cheaper than a therapist. But I don't know of anything that could give me that deep inner sense of peace that they do. They have a way of dealing with the world that is so much more direct than we humans do, and being with them has always helped me reach a deeper sense of inner peace that is impossible to explain. Being with them helps me be mindful of the moment in a way that I've only achieved otherwise through deep meditation. But being with them gets me out in the sunshine (or the snowstorm) and helps me feel mindful about nature and my place in the world in a way that I've never achieved through meditation. So, in short, they help me regain balance when it is most needed.

To keep it on topic, at least a little, I think that Carers need to de-stress sometimes. It is very important to do so, to keep your balance and your sense of self intact. When the person you love is going through a bad time and seems angry or depressed for reasons you cannot begin to fathom, and you hurt too, it is so hugely helpful to have something in your life to turn to that helps you regain a sense of peace. For me, that is horses (and also meditation). I am not a PTSD sufferer, but my guy is. He too gets great satisfaction in working with the horses and dogs. I think the animals are therapeutic for both of us. Cowgirl