'My dog Freddie helps me handle my ADHD - his cuddles ease my anxiety'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

When artist and chef Annie Nichols was diagnosed earlier this year with ADHD at the age of 57, it was her 10-year-old English springer spaniel who helped her deal with it.

But in fact he’d been helping her for a lot longer.“It took a while, but once I got my assessment it was such a revelation, like a huge weight had been lifted,” says Annie, who lives in Margate. “I’d spent a lot of my life not being able to grasp certain things or mimicking others in social situations, and often getting it wrong.”As well as being Annie’s four-legged best friend all these years, waggy-tailed Freddie had, almost unbeknownst to her, been acting as her emotional support dog.

Emotional support dogs are distinct from service or therapy dogs, and help their owners cope with the challenges associated with emotional and mental health conditions by providing comfort through their presence. “Freddie is really affectionate,” says Annie. “If I’ve been upset, he will come over and give me a cuddle or nudge my hand for a stroke, which can release serotonin and ease anxiety.

He’s also a good distraction. I can become hyper-focused, but Freddie likes to suddenly bring me silly things, like a pair of socks.