I honestly don't think people who have severe mental illnesses should be owning a parrot.
I say this, because I have suffered from depression for most of my life and now have anxiety on top of it. It may pass as I get older, or it may get worse.
Owning a parrot is stressful enough with the vet bills, spending quality time with the bird, and figuring out the bird's body language. You put an aggressive bird in that mix and the anxiety only gets worse. Plus, with depression it is hard enough to take care of one's self at times much less a bird.
However, I do feel that an animal companion adds happiness, self worth, and unconditional love to a person's life. Just not from a bird.
Iām glad you feel able to express that opinion and of course you are welcome to believe it, but I whole heartedly disagree. My birds have DEMANDED that I come up with effective strategies do even the worst days, and they bring my average day up by miles. If you are able to care for them and/or able to come up with strategies to be sure they are cared for when you cannot do it, there is no reason why you shouldnāt have a bird. Also realize that each personās experience is his own; you may be unable to preform a task that others are able to.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I am glad it has worked out for you, but each individual is different in how depression, anxiety, etc... affects them. Birds are demanding and combine that quirk with somebody on the verge of a nervous breakdown and I am pretty sure the bird will end up suffering.
The suffering could come in the form of suicide which will leave the bird traumatized as well as homeless, or it could be in the form of neglect or emotional/physical abuse.
I would rather somebody would surrender their pet before it gets to that point but that rarely happens.