Art Therapy
Overcoming an addiction is an intensely personal battle that everyone will fight in their own way. There are a huge number of challenges and obstacles to overcome, but with the right guidance, especially in the early stages, the chances of success are much higher. One unusual, but very effective form of treatment is known as art therapy for addiction, and it taps into the creative urges and talents some people have to deal with their issues in a unique, often imaginative way. If you’d like to know more, just contact our trained admissions counselors at 866-349-1770 for details.
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What Is Art Therapy?
One of the big challenges in treating a drug or alcohol addiction is the initial cleansing or “purge” of physical addiction. Some substances can create a physical dependence within the body that makes the addict have a very real, physiological craving for a substance that actively punishes them when they don’t get it. Purging this physical addiction is an important first step, though it means dealing with withdrawal, which can be a demanding time with symptoms such as nausea, fever and even hallucinations depending on the substance.
Once that purge is over, however, there’s still an emotional or psychological component that needs to be dealt with, and this is even more important than the physical aspect. This is where one possible avenue, art therapy treatment, comes in. Art therapy is a holistic treatment that has been in practice in the USA since the 1940s and is practiced by professionals who are licensed and certified to conduct this particular form of treatment. This requires both an understanding of art techniques, as well as good psychological grounding in human behavior, therapy, and transformative therapies. Art therapy for addiction is exactly what it sounds like. Rather than use traditional discussion techniques like psychoanalysis, or counseling, treatment occurs through the creation and discussion of art.
How Art Therapy for Addiction Works
Art therapy works in two ways. First, it introduces a comfortable, calming system of rules and regulations that give a person in recovery some non-threatening structure. Learning to paint, discovering the rules of drawing, getting a new appreciation for perspective, light, shadow or contrasts are all ways to bring back a sense of order and structure. The actual creation of art takes that imposition of structure and gives people in therapy a chance to express themselves.
Putting Problems In Their Place
Art therapy treatment can also focus on other works, not just that of people within the facility but classical and contemporary works of art that address similar topics. It’s always easier to discuss something that happened to someone else, giving people an opportunity to say things they might not want to admit about themselves when it’s the context of another work or person.
Dealing With Emotional Issues
While art therapy for substance abuse is not necessarily for everyone, for some, it may be the perfect vehicle to express and deal with the issues that led to addiction.
Art Therapy Is a Holistic Treatment
Contact Beachside right away to begin your recovery.
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