Hi, I’m Lola, a 20-year-old trying to navigate life while living with schizoaffective disorder bipolar disorder 1 and severe anxiety. Every day is a challenge—sometimes just getting out of bed feels like climbing a mountain. Crowds, unfamiliar places, even small errands can become overwhelming. I’ve been working hard with therapy and medication, but there’s something else that could make a world of difference: a psychiatric service dog.

These specially trained dogs aren’t just pets—they’re lifelines. A psychiatric service dog can help ground me during hallucinations, interrupt harmful behaviors, wake me from night terrors, and provide a sense of security when I’m overwhelmed or panicking in public. Most importantly, they offer constant companionship and emotional support that I can’t always find elsewhere.

Unfortunately, training and acquiring a psychiatric service dog is expensive—anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 depending on the organization and training level. I’m currently not able to work full-time (I am working part time) due to my condition, and my family is doing all they can, but we need help.

We have found a local Service Dog Training school 4 paws 2 freedom that I would like to enroll in. Tuition is $5,000 and a dog breed appropriate is around $3,000.

If you’ve ever struggled with mental health or loved someone who has, you know how vital support can be. A service dog isn’t just a want for me—it’s a need. It would help me go back to school, build independence, and have a real shot at a full life.

Your donation, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to freedom, confidence, and stability. If you can’t donate, sharing this with others would mean the world to me.

Thank you for reading, and for believing in me.

With gratitude,

Lola

The pictures I have up are me participating in a schizophrenia study with UCD, my first experience with a service dog in the hospital, my favorite coping tools (music, sunshine and car rides) and my artistic outlet (tattoos/I’ve done all of mine).