I have a Service Dog in Training. He is a border collie who will is almost 2. I have multiple psychiatric diagnosis that are always changing so I will not get into the details of that. My biggest 'issues' are with depression and anxiety. I first got Winston when he was 6 1/2 weeks old as a companion animal(emotional support dog).

One major issue of not being able to walk away from my house, campsite, car, or into an wide open area...my agoraphobia has been tremendously helped by having Winston. He needs exercise and I'm all he has. Aside from driving me nuts in the house, he has established a routine for me of getting me out to the dog park every day for his exercise/my social hour(s) - We go for walks (long ones) - When I first moved up to this area 5 years ago, I could hardly walk to the end of my driveway. Now, I am able to walk a distance of about 3 miles before we turn back.

After spending so much time with Winston, I began to realize many of my abilities and my appreciation for life. I started to challenge myself in ways that I never imagined. Things started looking good for me and my whole outlook on life. I started enjoying sunsets. I realized that the more that I got out with Winston the more I appreciated the world around me. I realized that there was so much of the world that I was afraid of because of years of living in panic and despair.

Last February, I started going off of medication (after being on them for 15 years) - Since September, I have been off of all psychotropic medications, so far successfully!!!

So, sometime this summer I started researching online about psychiatric service animals. I have now been prescribed a service animal and am training Winston. We are working on public access stuff. He's so good in the stores.

I am still having difficulty bringing him out with me sometimes as I struggle with needing to feel accepted and not to be stigmatized against. With having a service dog with you, people ask questions. People are very bold. Sometimes, I just feel like saying that point blank that "it is none of your business what my disability is!!!!!" - other days I just don't care. It's frustrating. On the one hand I know how much help he is to me, yet on the other I am so fragile inside somedays to deal with confrontation from the public because I am an individual with an invisible disability and a service dog (in training).