Addiction therapies come in many forms. While some may involve talking about why you began using drugs, others allow you to express yourself in a different way. During art therapy, you can show your emotions and thoughts using artistry. In doing so, you can beneficially impact your recovery. To learn more about how art therapy can affect your addiction treatment, call Promises Behavioral Health today.
For anyone looking to discover the root causes of their self-destructive behavior, art therapy opens doors that might otherwise remain closed. An art therapy program allows people to openly express their fears, disappointments, frustrations and hopes honestly and without self-censorship.
Over 20.3 million people in the United States struggled with a substance use disorder.
The Importance of an Individual Approach
One of the most persistent myths of addiction therapy is that there is a one-size-fits-all “cure” for substance abuse issues. Television, movies, and the other media have made it seem, for instance, that beating addiction is merely an act of will. Or on the other hand, they have promoted the (false) idea that once the substances are out of your system, your treatment is over.
The fact of the matter is that although willpower is involved, addiction is a disease, not something just to be overcome by the power of the will. Premier research institutions like the American Psychological Association and the Mayo Clinic agree on this point. And it’s also true that recovery is a long process that requires a variety of approaches. Finally, there are as many approaches to treatment as there are people who are suffering from addiction issues. There are only a few ways to set a broken bone. But every addiction treatment program will look a little bit different depending upon the person, the substance or substances involved, the underlying causes and determining factors, and so on.
Staying on the road of addiction can lead nowhere good.
Choose the path of recovery with Promises Behavioral Health today.
A New Hope
This is why innovative mental health and addiction treatment facilities like Promises Behavioral Health have been at the forefront of exploring new approaches to treatment. It is our thought that the more options a patient has at their disposal, the more likely they are to leave drug and alcohol abuse in their past, and avoid relapse.
Addiction treatment has always involved utilizing multiple approaches. But more recently, we have been working to combine more strictly evidence-based clinical approaches with holistic treatments that address the whole person. Medical treatments like detoxification and psychological methods like individual and group therapy are an essential part of the equation. But newer evidence shows that these treatments, combined with holistic approaches like art therapy, can result in more effective treatment and longer-lasting results.
What Is Art Therapy?
You might be wondering, “What is art therapy?” Art therapy includes various creative activities encouraging emotional expression and reflection. Many clients respond enthusiastically when participating in an art therapy program because it gives them a new avenue for self-expression. Also, it engages them in their healing process.
For anyone looking to discover the root causes of their self-destructive behavior, art therapy opens doors that might otherwise remain closed. An art therapy program allows people to express their fears, disappointments, frustrations, and hopes honestly and without self-censorship.
The types of art therapy most commonly offered at mental health and addiction therapy centers lime Promises Behavioral Health include, but are not limited to, the following:
Painting
Drawing
Sculpting
Dancing
Acting
Music
Poetry
All of these activities are linked directly to the recovery process. Thus, inclusion in art therapy can give them a depth of meaning that can connect with the needs of patients.
4.2 million people ages 12-17 used illicit drugs in the United States in 2018.
Why an Art Therapy Program Works
The use of alcohol, drugs, and other destructive behaviors is often a way for people to cope with trauma and emotional pain. When people are under the influence, conflicts that need resolution get buried beneath a cloud of intoxication. Men and women in recovery need healthier methods of dealing with their pain. Art therapy offers an alternative way to access and process painful and complicated feelings.
Traditional therapy is an essential aspect of addiction and mental health treatment programs. But many people find it challenging to translate their feelings into words, especially when they don’t entirely understand those feelings themselves. Therefore, art therapy for addiction and poor mental health can significantly benefit those who struggle with one or both issues. Participation in an art therapy program can help remove the barriers that prevent people from acknowledging the actual sources of their pain and help them find their “voice.”
Art for Recovery, Art for Life
Every client has a unique story to tell, and expressing it through art is liberating for many. A few of the specific benefits, some of which we have touched on above, are:
Creating art allows us to open up lines of communication that you don’t often utilize. Addiction therapy is difficult in part because it means communicating your story and your feelings to people who are, at least initially, strangers. Creating art opens up new ways to express your story.
Visual and artistic communication allows you a way of reframing reality. The hallmarks of any kind of addiction are isolation and the distortion of reality. Creating art and communicating in new ways provides a new way to look at the world. And as a form of communication, it also provides a way to escape isolation.
Art therapy boosts self-confidence, self-healing, and self-discovery. Because art therapy involves working through your own emotions and examining who you are, it has been demonstrated to provide new paths forward. This is true, incidentally, for people struggling with addiction as well as for everyone else. By examining our desires, wants, hopes, and fears, we can better understand the sources of our trauma, our triggers, our weaknesses, and our strengths.
Art therapy helps patients avoid relapse. You will not be in therapy or an addiction treatment facility forever. At some point, you will be faced with the temptations and triggers that led you to your substance abuse issues in the first place. But by examining and expressing those in art, you will be able to recognize, avoid, and deal with them when they do appear.
For these reasons and more, patients who’ve learned to express themselves through art are more likely to succeed in taking their lives back from addiction. And they often continue to practice art even after their inpatient or outpatient rehab program is complete.
Recovery At Promises Behavioral Health
At Promises Behavioral Health, we understand the challenge facing all of our clients. We work with you to ensure you achieve long-lasting recovery from your addiction or mental health issue. Besides our art therapy program, we also offer:
We treat several addictions,
such as:
Opioid addiction
Alcohol addiction
Heroin addiction
Meth addiction
Cocaine addiction
There are a variety of mental health disorders that we treat, including:
Eating disorder treatment
Anxiety treatment
Depression treatment
Mood disorder treatment
PTSD treatment
To take the first steps toward obtaining the life you want, call us today at 844 875 5609. Through art therapy for addiction and mental health, as well as our other program, we will help you gain the peace and happiness that you are seeking.
Your addiction doesn’t have to rule over your life.
Call Promises Behavioral Health today.