An art therapy session is much more nuanced than what many people may have experienced in an arts and crafts class. In an addiction treatment setting, a specially trained art therapist helps clients use their imagination to create art as a way to express thoughts and feelings they might have difficulty processing during a traditional talk-therapy session. 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. Individuals battling substance use disorders have the luxury of finding inpatient treatment centers that offer innovative practices.
Art therapy is proven to help people deal with anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. It can help those suffering learn to manage their feelings and behaviors, relieve symptoms of stress, and even develop interpersonal skills. 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. Patients can also learn to understand themselves better through examining their own art and engaging in meaningful dialogue with an art therapist about their work. One of several options for addiction treatment, art therapy for drug and alcohol addiction recovery can provide a creative outlet for addicts to express their thoughts and emotions.
What Do I Need to Start Art Therapy?
Illicit drug makers are also increasingly mixing other substances with fentanyl, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or xylazine, a sedative used in veterinary medicine. These combinations are creating a perfect storm of responses in the body that increases the risk of death, said Nora Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Jamie Shoneman, ATR-BC, LCAT is a Licensed Art Therapist who has experience working with populations from Pre-School Children to Geriatrics. She has specialized in Trauma Therapy and has extensive experience working with the Dually Diagnosed throughout the recovery process as well as providing mentorship and supervision to students and professionals. If you are struggling with addiction, it may seem like there is no end to it.
- All of the centers using medications also used at least one of the psychosocial therapies.
- Addiction is a disease that dramatically affects the brain and its functionality.
- Topics include an exploration of recent trends in substance abuse, implications in clinical practice, and Art Therapy directives geared to address short and long-term treatment goals.
- Jenna Krauter, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT is a licensed art therapist and graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York.
- Music therapy is a more recent development in SUD treatment, dating back to the 1970s (Baker, Gleadhill, & Dingle, 2007; A. S. Miller, 1970).
- Art therapy for substance abuse addiction recovery is an effective tool for rebalancing the brain and helping patients find their path to sobriety.
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. In particular, numerous studies have explored college students’ ability to regulate emotions and how this ability affects substance use. There have been multiple studies that provide evidence that increased emotional intelligence can prevent people from developing SUDs. Additionally, other evidence shows that learning techniques for mood and emotion regulation can be beneficial for treating SUDs because they can reduce cravings. In the United States, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the American Art Therapy Association set and maintain standards for art therapy education.
Create and Meditate with the Lighthouse Activity
Most people with substance use disorder are likely to suffer from mental health conditions. If you also have a dual diagnosis, you must follow a collaborative treatment plan that can simultaneously address both disorders. Pleasant memories with loved ones and favorite places and things are our cornerstones, evoking positive, sentimental emotions that promote healthy recovery. Besides, a self-care box reminds individuals of positive self-affirmations and goals, keeping them on the right path. Art therapy is known to be an effective technique in improving mental and emotional well-being, especially for those in addiction recovery treatment. Expressive therapies, sometimes called creative therapies or art-based treatment, offer an alternative approach to addiction.
- Seeking treatment from experienced rehab and recovery professionals can increase your odds of kicking your old habits and preventing relapse in the future.
- Once sober, many people find it difficult to fill all the hours they used to spend seeking and using drugs or alcohol.
- Just 3.3% of programs offered hypnotherapy and 8% offered acupuncture to their patients.
To begin, each participant will draw four dots—one in each corner of the paper—and then connect them to draw a square border. Within that square, they can draw lines to create as many sections as they desire and begin drawing dashes, lines, strokes, or dots to create more shapes. It’s important to remind participants that this activity is not about who can draw the best and that there’s no wrong way to draw zentangles. The participants should use colors that represent positivity and those that they enjoy the most. They can create a necklace, a keychain, a bracelet, or any string of beads that will benefit them the most.
Substance Use Treatment
An added benefit is that feelings of stress and anxiety are lessened as someone is partaking in an enjoyable activity. Moreover, if someone struggles with a poor attention span, they can connect with each moment as they create artwork. Lastly, painful emotions are released as individuals explore their emotions and realize their potential as they create art. Whether or not an individual has an artistic talent or is even interested in the arts, art therapy for drug addiction can be extremely soothing and effective. Essentially, art therapy, under the supervision of a licensed art therapist, can help addicts seeking to recover from their addictions.
It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery. During your recovery, you may find it difficult to communicate your story or verbalize how you feel. Unfortunately, many addiction programs focus on talking about what you’ve been through. When the words don’t come easily, art therapy for substance abuse can help bridge the gap between you and others, giving you a nonverbal way to find healing. It does, however, provide a means to express oneself creatively that can benefit that individual throughout their lifetime. There is some evidence that suggests that benefits may really start to begin after about 8 weeks, although various clinicians believe that any amount can have benefits and have never found this therapy to have negative effects.
Poetry, singing, dancing, knitting, doodling, painting, and (for the more mathematically inclined) expressing emotions through numbers or solving equations. Art therapy has been connected in helping treat schizophrenia in patients and individuals suffering from PTSD. The study found participants art therapy for addiction with ADHD had better focus and made decisions with better clarity and participants with Asperger’s had positive behavior. People with chemical dependencies who practiced the 12 Steps found this therapy to be beneficial in reinforcing the first step and the third step of the 12 Steps.
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.
Such activity allows them to feel safe and comfortable, especially when they find it difficult to discuss these issues in regular talking therapy sessions. It’s beneficial for those with underlying mental health conditions who may struggle with verbalizing their emotions. Sarah is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 13 years of experience in the behavioral health field as well as a certified provider of Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma. She has extensive experience in counseling and case management with local mental health authorities, emergency homeless shelters, leading high acuity response teams, and serving first responders/veterans.
We used two dependent variables for our analyses – art therapy and music therapy. Interviewees indicated whether or not these approaches were used in the organization. Treatment programs that used art therapy or music therapy, respectively, were coded “1” and non-users were coded “0” on the dichotomous variables.
