Art Therapy For Addiction
Art therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for addiction and can assist individuals in their recovery in a safe, supportive environment.
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Addiction is the mental, emotional, and/or physical dependency on substances or certain activities, including alcohol, marijuana, narcotics, sex, work, eating, shopping, gambling, video gaming, etc.
The impact of addiction can lead to the deterioration of mental and physical health, neglect of responsibilities, loss of connection with friends and family members, loss of sense of self, not being able to process emotions or develop healthy coping mechanisms, and other effects. Art therapy can help you process the challenging emotions associated with addiction and assist in your recovery.
Book a free consultation with an art therapist. We can help.
How Does Art Therapy Help With Addiction?
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It is important when working with addiction to uncover the underlying thoughts and emotions that lead to those impulses. Art therapy encourages self-exploration through art and can help develop the self-awareness needed for recovery.
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Art making can enhance self-esteem and self-worth. It allows you to acknowledge your emotions, access your creativity and gain a visual reminder of the accomplishment of finishing a task or completing an artwork. It can be a validating experience to share your art process and artwork with a trusted art therapist.
For these reasons, some treatment programs for addiction also include art therapy as a component (Aletraris et al., 2014).
Seeing your artwork over time can also offer a record of your healing journey and create a deeper sense of worth and commitment to yourself and your recovery.
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Individuals who experience addiction may turn to these behaviours for emotional self-regulation.
Art therapy allows space to observe and express their emotions in a safe and non-judgmental environment. It can help contain and process unhelpful thoughts, work through them and allow the development of tools for self-regulation.
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Individuals who develop addictive behaviours may have difficulty managing and expressing their emotions. They may experience feelings of shame and negative thought patterns that have developed over time.
It can be difficult to talk about these feelings and experiences sometimes. Art therapy can help individuals express themselves in a non-verbal and controlled way and allow space to process these intense emotions safely.
About Us
Welcome to Full Circle! We are a non-profit organization founded in 2014. We provide mental health care through individual art therapy sessions, workshops and group art therapy. Our mission is to provide a safe space for people in need of mental health support, by helping them heal through creative processes.
Our team is dedicated to helping people heal and grow, through art therapy and other creative mediums. Please reach out to our team if you have any questions.