Not all people who are in holistic rehab for alcohol or drug addiction recover the same way. Some find it hard to communicate verbally or in writing, but find that art gives them an outlet to express themselves and how they’re feeling about the substances they’re purging from their body.
It isn’t necessary to be an artist to make art. Creating art is akin to creating a new life, and that is the goal holistic rehab centers have for all of their clients.
How Does Art Therapy Work?
Destroying the physical addiction to drugs or alcohol is the first step in holistic rehab. Once the detox portion of drug rehab is complete, there are still emotional and psychological sides of substance abuse that need to be addressed.
Art therapy is a holistic treatment administered by licensed, certified art therapists that substitutes for or works in tandem with counseling or psychoanalysis. The healing lies within the discussion and creation of art.
The Art Therapy Environment
People in drug rehab or alcohol rehab can feel uncomfortable sharing in a group or sitting one-on-one with a counselor. Holistic rehabilitation honors the unique way each person needs to fully and successfully recover. Art therapy is an alternative treatment where people can comfortably express emotions, experiences, and feelings.
Through art therapy, those in recovery from substance abuse are introduced to a non-threatening space with a calming set of rules that mark a much-needed return to order and structure. The art therapy environment fosters dialogue about art, so people can sidestep resistance or discomfort they have in talking directly about their struggles. Instead they are free to discuss the tenets they have learned (like how to mix paints or sketch light and shadow) and the work of other artists that address addiction, depression, or related topics.
This free—and safe—environment sets the groundwork for an individual’s creation of his own art and, eventually, to talk about his personal addiction and recovery as the subject of a work of art, rather than focusing on himself only.
Choose a Holistic Rehab That Offers Art Therapy
Art therapy is not a way to bypass the reality of addiction—people in rehab are, after all, in pursuit of healing—but rather a way to put experience at a distance to see it for what it truly is. This methodology helps a person in recovery to access emotions she or he would rather bury. Through time, art, and discussion, those who embrace art therapy in rehab will come to reveal, acknowledge, and begin to recover from the issues that prompted addiction in the first place.
Choose Beachside Rehab in West Palm Beach, Florida, an inpatient holistic rehab facility, to heal both inside and out and find balance and peace where there was once chaos. Call today at 866-349-1770 to speak with a trained admissions counselor.
Photo by RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Unsplash