My dog gives me reason to keep living and not kill myself on my darkest days.
When I wake up sweating and shaking and panicing from anxiety, my dog gives me something soft and comforting to hold and pet. A dog reacts and loves you and distracts you by licking and being playful and in your face.
Having been alone and suffering from this for a decade prior, I can say for sure my dog helps me.
What croc of a psychiatrist can't see this.
Edit:
As for being a crutch, anxiety is not logical. Sometimes there isn't something to confront. Just a fear of impending doom from some unknown source..no matter what you tell yourself, and how much you know there is nothing, you still shake, heart pounding, sweating, physical pain from anxiety.
I could take medicine and be dependent on that, or I could hug my dog