Maurice Benard Finds Comfort & Friendship In His Beloved Goats
The General Hospital star shares a sweet moment with his animals as research shows how pets can help reduce stress and anxiety.
General Hospital (GH) star Maurice Benard lives with anxiety and bipolar disorder, and the writers even built his diagnosis into his character, Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera.
Fun With Goats
This weekend, Benard took to Instagram to post a video reel. He showed off some outdoor fun with his goats. Usually, Buddy the Goat steals the spotlight. This time, a different goat jumped onto his lap for cuddles.
Goats are heavy, but affection is affection.
Benard picked Queen’s song “You’re My Best Friend” for the audio. In his caption, he shared, “I can’t tell you how much fun I have with these animals. They really are my best friends🎁.”
Fans Were Quick To Respond
Fans jumped into the comments section right away. One follower joked, “That’s cause they know you’re the Top GOAT.” Benard gave the comment a red heart emoji response.
Other fans also left supportive messages in the comments:
- “So cute ❤️ They love you.”
- “You are the BEST. We Love our furry babies!!!”
- “They sooo love you sweet.”
- “They are your adorable babies! 🥰🥰❤️❤️.”
The Science
It’s interesting that scientific research does seem to point to animals helping people like Maurice Benard to deal with mental health problems. It backs up why those goats help.
Remedy Psychiatry notes that the connection is a “dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship that influences the health and well-being of both humans and animals.”
The report also said that interacting with pets lowers “cortisol levels” and triggers “oxytocin release.”
Meanwhile, the International Veterinary Outreach says that animals boost mental wellness. The animals provide comfort by “being a calm presence…diverting negative thoughts,” and “helping owners establish routines.”
Well, General Hospital fans can see that happening in real time with Maurice Benard because one of them wrote, “Love them, especially Buddy! It looks like they help with your anxiety.”
Overall, it’s recognised that time spent with animals, not necessarily goats, helps to lower stress hormones and can even improve blood pressure apart from decreasing loneliness.
Therapists also use animals to support people with PTSD, anxiety, and autism.
Open About Mental Health
Maurice Benard has always been open about his mental health, and while it looked like he just shared a cute reel about his goats, GH fans also know that the goats can go beyond just being “friends.”
His State of Mind podcast has brought many other people in front of the camera as he helps to reduce the stigma surrounding talking about anxiety and other disorders.
Did you like the reel showing Maurice Benard enjoying some special cuddle-time with his goats? Shout it out in the comments below, and come back here for more General Hospital cast news and updates.