These findings suggest several benefits for SUD patients, such as decreasing denial (Cox & Price, 1990), reducing opposition to alcoholism treatment (Allen, 1985), providing an outlet for communication (Harms, 1973; Moore, 1983), and lessening shame (Johnson, 1990). Viewing, discussing, and interpreting existing art can help in group discussions (Dewdney & Dewdney, 1970), and can motivate patients to change (Holt & Kaiser, 2009) by moving them away from reflection and into a state of action https://ecosoberhouse.com/ (Matto, Corcoran, & Fassler, 2003). Other benefits of meditation therapy include the ability to alter brainwaves, which contributes to improved psychological function and cortisol reduction. Mindfulness practice can enhance the performance of the frontal cortex, the area of the brain that regulates planning and thinking. Meditation also impacts the amygdala, which reduces fear, and increases the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, governing motivation and motor control.

Art therapy provides a non-verbal way to express pain, anxiety, or other emotional issues. It offers a way to work through tough issues that can’t be put into words or written down. Art therapy can also teach and develop skills needed to improve mental health such as introspection, self-awareness, and coping methods. For many years, scientists believed that the brain’s plasticity, that is, its ability to create new structures and learn, was limited after childhood. However, new research shows that we can alter the structure of the brain and reap the benefits well into adulthood.

Art Therapy: Create To Recover

In fact, one of the most significant advantages of participating in the creation of art is the ability to illustrate your emotions. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with the administrator and/or clinical director of each treatment program. Interviews were conducted by a team of trained interviewers with at least a bachelor’s level of education.

Although MBIs delivered in clinical settings appear to have few adverse effects [79], the costs and time required to deliver complex behavioral treatments like MBIs necessitate dose–response considerations to identify the minimal therapeutic dose. Null effects of MBIs observed in Stage II or III clinical trials might very well be qualified by extent of mindfulness practice, and thus mindfulness practice engagement should be tested as a treatment outcome moderator. meditation for addiction Furthermore, responder analyses might reveal that individuals classified as non-responders are those who do not meet the minimal therapeutic dose of mindfulness skill practice whereas individuals classified as responders are those who surpass this minimal therapeutic dose of practice. A precursor to mindfulness-based art therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is used to help clients approach situations from a place of acceptance and awareness.

#2 — Meditation Elicits The Same Brainwaves That Doctors Use To Treat Addiction

By taking deep breaths, chanting a mantra (or another focused word), and focusing on the breath, the result is increased awareness and connection. Luckily, the majority of music therapy activities can help you alleviate stress and anxiety. One particular study found that participating in music therapy actually helped promote an emotional change in people grappling with addiction challenges. Data from the study revealed that dancing and moving along with music decreased feelings such as guilt, fear, blame, and regret and increased feelings of joy and happiness. A 2018 study found that listening to “Weightless,” an instrumental song by Marconi Union, reduced anxiety in study participants by 65%.

Because it can help with mood and emotion regulation, art therapy can be a potentially powerful tool for treating substance use disorders. One study published by Harvard Medical School showed that not only did art therapy help prevent cognitive decline, it also provided stress relief and aided with communication, two factors that can help with emotion regulation. Art therapy can help people regulate their mood and emotions and find creative ways to express themselves, tools that could help people who are in treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) avoid using drugs or alcohol again. Art making can help make some of the abstract ideas addressed in the 12 Steps, such as denial, acceptance, and faith, more tangible.

How to Begin a Career as an Art Therapist

By retraining your mind through mindfulness practice, you create new neural networks. If you’re aggressive, you can find ways to temper that aspect of yourself, becoming assertive and clear about your boundaries without entering into a competitive and possibly even hostile mind-set that will sabotage you. These neurocognitive processes contribute to craving and elicit substance use behavior long after an individual has stopped using substances. Even when total abstinence is achieved, substance-related cues and negative emotional states can continue to trigger relapse.50,58 Thus, interventions are needed to target the manifold processes undergirding substance use disorder and relapse. For example, let’s say you had a painful experience during your time using substances. This experience has held you down for years, and it was difficult to get through it and seek help.

Most of the 34 studies reviewed relied extensively on self-report measures of substance use and other constructs. The most common methodological limitations were failure to interview collateral informants regarding study participants’ substance use behaviors at posttreatment and follow-up and to employ posttreatment and follow-up interviewers who were blind to participants’ treatment assignments. Fewer than half of the RCTs employed objective verification of participants’ self-reported substance use, such as urinanalysis.

Additionally, other evidence shows that learning techniques for mood and emotion regulation can be beneficial for treating SUDs because they can reduce cravings. Generally, people view art therapy as a therapeutic method to use with other forms of therapy. This is especially true for substance use disorders (SUDs), where ongoing recovery is so important. Oftentimes there is trauma, compulsion, and pain involved in substance use disorders. Such types of addictions, called co-occurring disorders, require patients to heal the underlying trauma and provide awareness.

• The study found participants with ADHD had better focus and made decisions with better clarity and participants with Asperger’s had positive behavior.
• Often, MBAT is used with individuals with physical illnesses to relieve psychological concerns, including those with coronary artery disease (CAD) and different types of cancer.
• If you or a loved one is struggling with these types of issues, MBAT offered through a psychotherapist or other mental health professional or practiced on your own at home could be helpful in improving your quality of life and general psychological well-being.
• The challenge to altering addictions is the fear that you can’t change which can push you into denial and cause you to minimize the consequences of your unproductive behaviors.

One year later, the mindfulness-based program proved to be more effective than the other two in reducing drinking and drug use. Those with depression had an improved self-image and a stronger sense of self-esteem. Another study found participants with PTSD felt more relaxed, had reduced behaviors that contributed to poor emotional function, and had increased emotional responses. Given that SUDs are chronically-relapsing conditions,50,58 any intervention for substance use should acknowledge the risk of relapse and take steps for prevention.