Pet

Hey guys, I will be moving into my own place pretty soon. My depression isn’t super bad right now, but it is still there. I was wondering if any of you have adopted or bought a pet to help with your depression? I want to, but I think it’s a double-edged sword. It will force me to take care of something other than myself and have a sense of responsibility, but I don’t want that responsibility to overwhelm me and worsen my depression. I know some people get pets and give them away, but pets aren’t disposable to me. I would never abandon one. I will have my family literally across the street for petsitting purposes but again I won’t ever abandon it. Part of me wants to get something with a shorter lifespan because of my commitment fear, but I really want a dog, so I don’t know what to do. I guess I could start out with an animal with a shorter lifespan, see how that goes, and then think about a dog if it goes well. Does anyone have any experience with being on their own and owning a pet?