Art therapy is a form of treatment which deals with substance abuse. It is a therapeutic practice whereby clients who are guided by the art therapist, make use of the creative process and pattern, the art media and artwork in further expressing their feelings. It is also essential in mending emotional conflicts, aiding self-improvement, managing behaviour and controlling addictions.

In addition to this, social skills are developed, reality orientation is improved, anxiety is reduced, and self-esteem is drastically reduced. Those who have been victims of chronic pain, cancer, disturbing brain injury and the likes, are known to have gotten better due to Art therapy.

One of the basic aims of art therapy, is to ensure that patients are fit to express their emotions via art, probably because they are too grieved to talk. Hence, there are art therapists who work with patients to ensure that they take part in practices such as painting, sketching and drawing.

In a broad setting, art therapy can be practiced, and this includes: Outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation programmes, schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices and the likes. Looking at addiction which stems from substance abuse, art therapy is quintessential, as it forms the treatment core of a customized rehabilitation pattern.

In addition to this, art therapy is also important when it comes to post-treatment recovery, and there are various resources which the post-treatment recovery can present themselves.

Arts therapy avails you the opportunity of discovering yourself, as it allows you to reach your subconscious level, and with time, you would come to realize the major cause of any form of addiction which is plaguing you. Once this is discovered, you can be sure that the arts therapist would assist you in ensuring that you combat the addiction, and break free from it eventually.

When you complete each project during your art therapy, there is usually a sense of victory and accomplishment which comes with it. Hence, you would be able to integrate this confidence into other facets of your treatment, and eventually your life.

Conclusively, art therapy ensures that you feel like a kid one more time, and when this is achieved, you can be sure that your treatment process is completed. Art therapy has been proven to assist in relieving stress and reducing anxiety, taking hold of these benefits would do you a whole lot of good.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS IN TREATING ADDICTION

Arts therapy is a form of expressive therapy, which encourages the use of art-making to improve the emotional well-being of an individual. It is utilized based on the belief that the creative process which is integrated in the artistic self-expression, aids people in resolving conflicts and gaining access to their emotions. It also helps them to develop their interpersonal skills, and properly manage their behaviours.

Also, arts therapy has been seen to greatly reduce stress, and develop their self-esteem, whilst granting insight. Popular examples of art therapy include: stress painting, incident drawing, sculpting emotions amongst others.

At rehabilitation centres, arts therapy is often used to assist individuals in communicating their emotions in a manner where they would not have to be verbal. Generally speaking, there are two categories of art therapy, and they are: art as therapy and art psychotherapy. Both forms of therapy are utilized by art therapists in effectively treating addiction, because it assists patients in achieving insights and healing.

Art as therapy emphasizes that the making of art is a therapeutic process, this is because it gives patients an opportunity in fully expressing themselves in an imaginative and authentic way, and with time it would assist them in gaining mastery over any form of addiction which is plaguing them.

The other category of art therapy which is art psychotherapy, is hinged on the idea that art is a form of symbolic communication. Art psychotherapy explains the end product which is used by a therapist and is used to monitor the progress made in treatment.

In the course of recovery, it could be difficult for some people to speak out concerning their painful thoughts or their addiction struggle. Art psychotherapy gives a substitute form of expression. This method is known to assist patients in self-discovery, and eventually self-acceptance.

Expressive therapies, which is a mother-category where arts therapy belongs to, can be said to be an excellent tool which individuals would need on the road to recovery. Art therapy helps an individual to express his emotions in many ways other than talking.