The Benefits Of Art Therapy For Addiction Treatment

Art therapy can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, as it allows individuals to focus on the creative process and forget their troubles for a while. At The Raleigh House, we’re proud of both the environment we’ve created and our evidence-based treatment led by our experienced team. Our ultimate goal is to help you live your best life, ready for the challenges and joys that lie ahead. Fill out our form or contact us today to learn more about our 90-day drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs. Many art therapists are practicing artists who combine their own artistic experience with therapeutic techniques.

• She said that children were healthier and developed better when taught to express themselves creatively.
• Further, CAM practitioners are specifically included in the PPACA’s description of its patient-centered medical homes.
• Art therapy in addiction recovery has been shown to be especially helpful in addressing underlying psychological problems related to addiction.
• Combined with our evidence-based therapy, we may also recommend creative arts as an effective addition to your individualized treatment program.

However, the patient is still in control of the artistic vision of the project. Here, the active imagination method uses the artwork as a basis to let the individual’s mind roam into “spontaneous free associations.” This helps to encourage the analysis and discussion of the person’s feelings, thoughts, etc. As advocates of mental health and wellness, we take great pride in educating our readers on the various online therapy providers available. MentalHelp has partnered with several thought leaders in the mental health and wellness space, so we can help you make informed decisions on your wellness journey. MentalHelp may receive marketing compensation from these companies should you choose to use their services. Additional research suggests that art therapy can reduce anxiety in participants by lowering their levels of cortisol.

Using Art Therapy to Help Treat Addiction

An art therapy session is much more nuanced than what many people may have experienced in an arts and crafts class. Clients learn how to “stay in the now” and process their feelings (positive and negative) without the use of alcohol or other drugs. They are safe to explore difficult thoughts and challenging emotions, make important connections between those thoughts and emotions, and develop healthier coping skills.

Researchers in a 2014 study examined data from close to 300 substance abuse treatment centers, taking an in-depth look at how professionals treat SUDs. The researchers found that 36.8% of such programs used art therapy, demonstrating that it is an important option in many current treatment programs. You don’t need any special tools or a deep understanding of the arts to get started in an art therapy program for substance abuse disorders. Facing the possibility of life without a crutch can be scary, but it is the best way for you to move forward.

How Art Therapy’s Freedom of Expression Helps Addiction Recovery

As with other forms of therapy, a new client can expect to spend some time getting to know their therapist at the first session. This session also allows the therapist to get to know their client and assess their therapeutic needs. Containment occurs in a specific branch of art therapy called mandala art therapy, which encourages a client to confine their drawings to a circle. The client is asked to depict the stressors, factors, and issues that could potentially keep a person from staying sober. All that’s needed to take the first step is the will to lead a happier, healthier life. Drug addiction is a complex illness that impacts every aspect of a person’s life.

• By contrast, CAM has been regarded as being particularly useful for women and others with unique needs (Brady & Ashley, 2005; Feen-Calligan, Washington, & Moxley, 2008)).
• A study conducted at Drexel University demonstrated that as little as 45 minutes of creative activity can reduce stress and positively impact mental health, regardless of artistic experience or talent.
• For many people, expressing their feelings through art can relieve the pressure of knowing what to say in talk therapy.
• There is a difference between using art in therapy and art therapy itself, Hanes says.

Art therapy for addiction can help you reconnect with the joy of making something and simultaneously improve your mental well-being. While substance use disorders have long been viewed as primarily affecting men, women, transgender, and non-binary individuals also suffer from addiction at high rates. Art therapy can have a beneficial, transformative, even revelatory effect on patients seeking help for behavioral health concerns. Try incorporating some of these concepts into your own practice to see the good and healing it can bring. Studies show that changes in the brain when a person is engaged in a creative process allow them to have a purer or uninterrupted focus on their activity.

What Do I Need to Start Art Therapy?

Second, we examine the association between the use of art and music therapy and patient populations in a treatment program. Finally, we highlight the relationship between the use of EBPs and implementation of art and music therapies in the treatment center. Art therapy can be a part of a treatment plan for a variety of mental health issues, including SUD. Because of its efficacy, many addiction treatment centers include art therapy as one of the holistic treatment modalities used to complement traditional forms of talk therapy. Art therapy for drug and alcohol addiction recovery is an excellent tool to help individuals connect with their emotional challenges, explore their feelings, and reconcile emotional conflicts they have been suffering from. Many addicts suffer from emotional trauma, which is often the reason for their substance abuse.

• There are many art therapy activities that can support the substance abuse recovery process, but here are some useful examples.
• It’s no secret that people have been using the arts for communication, self-expression, and healing for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until the 1940s that art therapy became a formal program.
• Plum Creek Recovery Ranch’s clinically based treatment program incorporates art therapy with other evidence-based therapies.
• While art therapy is not intended to replace evidence-based addiction treatment techniques, it can serve as a valuable complement to an evidence-based treatment program.
• The goal is to give the patient an outlet to express themselves in a new way—a simpler way.

Art therapy programs incorporate therapeutic healing with coping mechanisms in safe, non-judgmental spaces. Therapists also included talk therapy in art therapy sessions, providing clients with tools to practice at home. Some people see their art therapist weekly, while others meet with them a few times a month. Art therapy for drug and alcohol addiction recovery can reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, and give addicts a tool to release their emotions in a safe space without turning to destructive behavior.

What Are the Benefits of Art Therapy for Drug Addiction?

Shame, anger, fear — these emotions are just a few of the ones you may face when you’re battling addiction. During your Recovery process, breaking free of thoughts and actions that are self-destructive should be one of the main priorities of your rehabilitation program, but addiction to drugs or alcohol is a very individual experience. That’s why your comprehensive treatment can and should include complementary therapies, which can help you address the root causes that triggered your addiction. Just precisely how creative endeavors can help to improve emotion regulation is not yet entirely understood. A 2019 study created a method of quantifying and measuring emotion regulation strategies to better understand creativity and to assist future studies of art therapy and its ability to treat mental illness. Because it can help with mood and emotion regulation, art therapy can be a potentially powerful tool for treating substance use disorders.

At Sober Stages, we use art therapy in a variety of ways in order to help individuals in recovery. We offer one-on-one sessions with a licensed art therapist, where individuals can explore https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-art-therapy-can-help-in-addiction-recovery/ their feelings and emotions through the creative process. We also offer group art therapy sessions, which can be beneficial for those who are looking to connect with others in recovery.