Art is therapeutic in each stage of the creative process. Art therapy is extremely beneficial for those who are treating their substance use disorder or alcohol use disorders. Royal Life Centers uses art therapy for addiction treatment, because of its ability to provide insight and clarity to our guests. Art covers a wide range of creative possibilities, and at Royal Life Centers, we support all healthy avenues of expression— art included.
At Royal Life Centers, we only use proven effective methods of addiction treatment, and our art therapy services are no exception. Art can help you heal. Drug or alcohol addiction can often lead to our guests feeling numb, unable to connect with their emotions. Art therapy can generate a connection between you and your emotions, being the perfect tool to guide the exploration of self. Art therapy has a massive range of benefits, and is proven to treat mental health. At Royal Life Centers, we have a holistic approach that treats the mind, body, and spirit. Our treatment programs use intensive therapy, including: individual therapy sessions, group therapies, behavioral therapies, adventure therapy, activity therapy, and equine therapy.
The process of art making is actually a mindfulness activity, which supports our holistic philosophy of treatment. Here are 20 ways art in recovery can help you heal:
1. creating art provides an emotional release
2. helps you to organize your thoughts
3. relaxation comes through art processes
4. provides a tactile connection between mind and body
5. promotes mindfulness
6. allows for you to focus
7. art is self-expression, and can often speak of emotion beyond any words that could be used
8. provides distress tolerance
9. mindful art exercises like “draw your breath” strengthen the connection between mind and body
10. art can record and preserve emotions felt in the moment, which can be used for reflection at a later time
11. gives you a different perspective
12. cultivates somatic awareness
13. relieves stress
14. can be extremely beneficial for processing grief and loss
15. creates self-awareness
16. can be used to treat PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other mental health disorders
17. can unlock the creative coping skills that we didn’t know we had
18. reconnection to your true self, to who you were before addiction took over
19. re-builds and strengthens the connection between mind, body, and spirit
20. art is a great tool for therapists to get a better understanding of our guest’s mind, through symbols and colors used in their artwork
Substance abuse treatment should incorporate ways for the addicted to connect with themselves- their emotions, their inner truth, their outlook, their fears, their goals, who they are. Art therapy is effective, it can help you heal. Practicing art therapy at Royal Life Centers can give guests insight and teach them healthy ways to process emotions and continue to grow. As people, we are constantly evolving. Our thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors should evolve with us.
Art therapy can teach you about who you are, how you feel, how you can make the changes to act in a way that is constantly bettering yourself. Emotional regulation can be achieved with small, simple artistic practices. Creating artwork can lead to organizing your thoughts, keeping you in the present moment and giving you the power to reflect on how you were in that moment. Self-discovery can stem from the simplicity found in dragging a paintbrush across a canvas.
Art therapy is not just for short term relief, building the knowledge that this practice works will set you up for long term success in achieving a better understanding of how you feel, how you act and who you are. The connections nurtured between mind, body, and spirit by creating art provide growth in all aspects of recovery. Royal Life Centers employs art therapy in all of our treatment centers, because we believe in the power art has in healing.
For more information about how we use art therapy to help heal the mind, body, and spirit, please reach out to one of our addiction specialists at (877)-RECOVERY or 877-732-6837. Our team is available to speak with you 24/7. Because We Care.
