Addiction treatment transcends just purging or pumping out chemicals from the patient’s body system, it involves a series of behavioural modifications. These modifications can be achieved through Art Therapy.

Art therapy has been used from time immemorial to complement addiction recovery treatments. They serve to drive the psychological component of recovery by providing an emotional outlet and a means of self-expression for addicts.  it can help turn a negative experience into a positive one, utilizing self-expression and creativity.

Patients are often encouraged to express feelings or experiences that are too painful or shameful to articulate through visual art.  Visual art can be expressed through ink, paint, clay, or other media.

It is not necessary to have a background in the visual arts or artistic talent to participate; individuals only need to be open to the experience and to engage actively to benefit from these sessions.

Common visual art activities Recovery patients can take up include

• Painting
• Drawing
• Colouring
• Sculpting
• Scrapbooking
• Collages
• Photography
• Digital Art

Usually, the art therapist is there to validate their experience and help the patient reflect. Some questions they might ask about a completed work might include:

What were you thinking about while creating this piece?

Did you have any strong emotions?

Are there any words that you associate with this piece?

How does this piece relate to your healing?

Patient’s response to these questions is then used to evaluate progress of the patient and make further adjustments if necessary.

There is a general notion that drugs increase your creative capabilities. Granted, drugs and alcohol influence your mindset in ways that can springboard thoughts and ideas you wouldn’t normally have, they do not necessarily unlock some higher level of genius.

Some even suggest that substances unlock a part of consciousness that is normally suppressed. In fact, some of history’s greatest visual artists created well-known masterpieces under the influence of drugs and alcohol. While this is yet unproven, let’s look at likely symptoms that a visual artist is addicted.

First, who is a visual artist? A visual artist is one that creates art forms such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, video, filmmaking and architecture.

Many artistic disciplines (performing arts, conceptual art, textile arts) involve aspects of the visual arts as well as arts of other types. Also included within the visual arts are the applied arts such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and decorative art.

Visual artists are illusionists capable of creating something that may evoke an emotional response or may stimulate the viewer’s intellect or both. It is totally understandable why people will assume they were under some influence. That is not to say however, that visual artists don’t get addicted. In fact, they are very vulnerable to addition whether drugs, alcohol, or their art itself.

Some of the tell-tale signs are typical of addicts but some signs distinguish them; these include

•  Showing reclusiveness
• Lack of interest or obsession with work
• Secretiveness
• Weight loss
• Blood shot eyes
• Mood changes