If you have depression, anxiety, or another mental disease, an emotional support animal (ESA) can help you stay calm and grounded. ESAs, however, are not service animals. They are, instead pets that a therapist or psychiatrist has concluded would assist relieve the symptoms of a diagnosed mental condition. The only legal method for your pet to be classed as an ESA is with a letter from a mental health practitioner who is treating you for a documented mental condition. You may be able to keep your ESA with you in locations where animals are not normally permitted, such as no-pets accommodation or the cabin of an aeroplane, if you have this Legitimate ESA letter.

• Make an appointment with your doctor. You might just visit your primary care physician or any doctor. However, the individual most suited to prepare an ESA letter for you is the mental health expert who is treating you for your mental disease.
• When you call to make the meeting, tell them you want to discuss about acquiring an ESA letter. That way, when you arrive for the appointment, you are not putting them on the spot. Specify your necessity for the letter. You can either bring your animal in the passenger area of an aeroplane or keep it with you in no-pets accommodation.

• Different circumstances may necessitate having your pet for various reasons. For example, if you have worry and a pathological fear of flying, your therapist may be able to issue you a Legitimate ESA letter allowing you to fly with your animal. However, those same considerations would not justify keeping your animal in no-pets housing.
• If you suffer from anxiety, for example, your animal may help you stay calm or give you something to focus on when you sense a panic attack coming on. Your animal may also give you a sense of connectedness to reality or the world. Being responsible for such animal’s well-being may assist you in being grounded.
• Provide an example letter to your health care provider. Sample letters are available online to ensure that your healthcare professional includes all required information for a valid ESA letter. In general, the letter must say that you have a recognised mental condition and that your ESA helps to alleviate the symptoms of that disorder. Pick up your note from your doctor. Your health care practitioner may write your letter right away or request that you return for it. If you need it by a specific date, let them know. Make a duplicate of your letter for your own records before giving it to them.