How Can Art Help in Addiction Recovery? Gateway Rehab

Unfortunately, many people believe art only serves to entertain, but this is patently untrue. In fact, studies have shown that art as a way to recover https://ecosoberhouse.com/ from SUD can be incredibly effective. For people with mental health issues and SUD, art can be a critical component of a recovery toolkit.

Addiction Treatment Programs

With the benefits of AVAT, these findings underscore the need to promote equitable health care access by extending the benefits of AVAT to diverse populations, regardless of regional boundaries. The included control groups were very diverse and subsequently classified into 6 categories. These control categories were treatment as usual (25), other (17), attention control (10), no intervention (10), waiting list control (5), and not specified (2). If a study had more than 1 method of measuring the same end point, we only included 1 measure for this end point, selected either based on popularity of the measure or interpretability of the score.

Recovery, Mindfulness, and Distraction

In creating art, people are able to focus on their own perceptions, imagination, and feelings. Clients are encouraged to create art that expresses their inner world more than making something that is an expression of the outer world. Doctors noted that individuals living with mental illness often expressed themselves in drawings and other artworks, which led many to explore the use of art as a healing strategy.

The Role of Abstract Art in Addiction Recovery

Group art projects can foster a sense of community and shared purpose among individuals in recovery. They can also provide opportunities for peer support, shared learning, and the development of social art therapy for addiction skills that may have been impacted by addiction. Nature-based art activities offer a holistic approach to healing, combining the therapeutic benefits of art-making with the restorative power of nature.

The number of studies on art therapy treatment and SUDs remain relatively small, however, so scholars need more evidence to determine the therapy’s effectiveness. Another aspect that may strengthen the effectiveness of art therapy is a phenomenon called containment. Containment allows clients to use visual representations to contain difficult thoughts and experiences that might arise during therapy. Another pioneer in the field of art therapy was Margaret Naumberg, the founder of the Walden School in New York.

Art Therapy in Addiction Recovery

Finally, we highlight the relationship between the use of EBPs and implementation of art and music therapies in the treatment center. Music therapy is a more recent development in SUD treatment, dating back to the 1970s (Baker, Gleadhill, & Dingle, 2007; A. S. Miller, 1970). Just like art therapy, it is thought to help patients tap into emotions and needs that may be difficult to express through more traditional forms of communication. Furthermore, music therapy also provides a way to motivate patients to receive treatment.

Art therapy provides a break from intensive talk therapy and allows the subconscious to express itself. Once we have an understanding of what is going on deep beneath the surface, we are able to use that to create true, lasting change within ourselves. Art therapy has been used since 1945 to help war veterans cope with the trauma resulting in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). It can also help those who have experienced trauma, including sexual assault or childhood abuse. Art therapy is an experiential form of therapy that allows us to channel our thoughts and emotions through various mediums. Art therapy is a vehicle for us to channel our emotions while being supported and guided along the way.

• Some choose to categorize art therapists with other types of therapists, while others require licensing standards for art therapists.
• Mental illness and emotional traumas are often the culprits behind substance abuse disorders, and art therapy can be invaluable in managing those exact issues.
• The meta-regression yielded inconclusive results due to the large number and variety of included factors.
• While these coloring books can be a great way to pass the time and may even help lower stress, they can’t replace real art therapy with a Registered Art Therapist.

We performed random-effects meta-analyses, with standardized mean difference (SMD) as pooled-effect size and 2-sided 95% CIs. To be displayed, each study outcome had to report at least the number of participants in the study and the mean (SD) of the outcome for the control and intervention groups separately, measured after the intervention. Likert scales with 5 or more levels, as well as scales with counts, were treated as continuous data for the analysis. To identify the range of conditions and issues addressed by art therapy, we extracted all scales and measures from the studies included in our review and assigned them to broader categories.

• While instructing the therapist about what to paint, the client has an opportunity to express in words what he or she is thinking and feeling.
• Nevertheless, these difficulties can be overcome due to great benefits of the art therapy.
• The same concept applies to art; expressing what’s going on in your brain visually, whether via ink, paint, clay, or something else, allows you to show others your mental state and better understand these emotions yourself.
• The references of identified reviews were screened for studies that we might have missed.