Emotional support animals and fibromyalgia
By condition
A fluctuating condition raises the same question every episodic impairment does, and the statute answers it clearly.
Fluctuating does not mean disqualifying
An impairment that is episodic or in remission still counts if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active. That is settled, and it matters here, because the most common reason people with fibromyalgia hesitate to ask is a sense that a good week undermines the claim. It does not.
A diagnosis is not the test and does not decide this. The question is whether the impairment substantially limits a major life activity, and whether this animal alleviates a symptom or effect of it. Both halves have to hold, a licensed clinician decides, and the answer can be no.
The symptoms that usually carry the case
- Widespread pain, and what it stops you doing on a bad day.
- Fatigue that is not relieved by rest, which limits working and caring for yourself.
- Sleep disturbance, which is a major life activity in its own right.
- Cognitive symptoms, which limit concentrating and thinking.
What the animal is reported to do
Most often, structure and movement. An animal that has to be fed and let out imposes a rhythm on days that would otherwise have none, and gentle regular movement is frequently part of managing the condition rather than incidental to it. People also report the animal as a reason to stay in housing they could otherwise not face maintaining.
Documentation that describes a bad day rather than an average one tends to serve people better here, because the average flattens exactly the variability the condition consists of.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is free and available at any hour. An assessment on this site is not a crisis service and is not a substitute for one.
Common questions
- My symptoms vary a lot. Does that weaken my request?
- No. An episodic impairment is assessed on what it does when active.