The Role of Visual Arts in Addiction Recovery (and 4 Exercises to Try)

Just imagine this scenario: Suppose you’re stuck in a pit of quicksand. Initially, you may feel like you’re sinking a little. However, the more you struggle, the deeper you begin to sink. 

With time, it becomes much more difficult to escape until you cry out for external help. In this scenario, the quicksand represents the addictive substance that may provide temporary relief but eventually turns into a vicious cycle. 

The Cleveland Clinic states that addiction is a chronic condition in which the person compulsively seeks a substance or activity despite the harmful consequences. While there are traditional treatments for this disorder, alternatives like art therapy also exist. 

Shocked? Keep reading as this article will discuss how art helps with addiction recovery and four exercises to consider trying. 

Traditional Treatment Methods and Their Complexities 

The American Addiction Centers states that any form of addiction is typically treated using evidence-based interventions like counseling, therapy, medication, peer support, and more. The procedures can be highly personalized based on a patient’s unique needs and stage of recovery. 

The recovery occurs in a controlled environment under the expert care of trained medical professionals. They use their clinical expertise to understand the patient’s unique circumstances, treatment response, and so on. 

However, the interventions in themselves may come with certain risks or barriers to recovery. Let’s use examples to understand. 

Example 1

Opioid use disorder (OUD), which is an addiction to prescription drugs, is often treated with a combination medicine called Suboxone. While it is an effective medication in managing withdrawal symptoms, it is not so safe. 

In other words, patients have reported developing serious side effects that damage their oral health. According to TruLaw, the acidic formulation of the Suboxone film led to tooth decay, cavities, bacterial infection, and so on. 

Most of these injuries, sustained over time, require extensive corrective procedures. As a result, patients have filed a Suboxone tooth decay lawsuit against the medicine’s manufacturer, Indivior. 

What’s even more shocking is the fact that the company was aware of the health risks, but did nothing to warn patients or even mental healthcare providers. This has deeply eroded trust in modern medicines for addiction recovery. 

Example 2 

Another form of treatment procedure conventionally prescribed for drug or alcohol addiction is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The therapist uses this therapy to challenge a patient’s negative thought patterns. 

For that to happen, a healthy dialogue must be established first. In some cases, patients are unwilling to dig into their past trauma that may be causing their present thought patterns. 

Moreover, they may be unwilling to respond to cognitive restructuring, thereby holding onto biases and wrong beliefs. This again makes it challenging to address the issue and delays the recovery process. 

How Art Therapy May Help With Addiction Recovery 

You will be glad to know that the visual arts therapy market is expected to reach $3.67 billion by 2030. What’s more, is that 25% of this market size is attributed to the mental health segment. 

So, let’s waste no time and dive straight into the importance of art therapy in addiction recovery. 

• Art, simply looking at the masterpieces, can be calming for the soul. It may inspire the pleasure of creativity which replaces the longing for illicit substances. 
• Art could become a way to express repressed thoughts. Many patients are unable/unwilling to communicate their struggles. However, they may be able to express themselves better through art even if it involves splattering colors on a canvas. 
• Creating art provides the brain with a rush of dopamine. This is something the illicit substances also offer, the only difference is the former is healthy. 
• Some people may even discover their career for life while engaging in art therapy. This will give them a sense of purpose and meaning. 
• Many substance abuse cases are a result of trauma. Art therapy helps unlock trapped emotions and gain insight into one’s own experience. 

Are we suggesting that this therapy should completely replace traditional treatment methods? No, especially if counseling and peer support are helping the patient. However, there are no dangerous side effects of art therapy. 

Having patients visit a famous museum to gaze upon works of art can work wonders. When followed by room for self-expression, it may spring open the door (wider) to their healing and recovery. 

4 Exercises to Try 

The good news is that visual arts therapy is not limited to a singular face. In other words, there are multiple facets to this niche that patients can try out. Let’s look at four relaxing exercises. 

Mandala Art 

This art technique involves creating intricate patterns and shapes inside a circular structure. The word ‘mandala’ itself is borrowed from Sanskrit, which means circle or center. 

It allows drawing geometric patterns that satisfy our need for symmetry and order. Mandala art is said to represent an individual’s spiritual journey. 

It can spark creativity and instill a sense of calmness. Mandala art is often used in visual arts therapy as a meditative exercise to make patients feel more peaceful. They may then be willing to open up more about their inner struggles. 

Pottery or Clay Modelling 

Sculpting forms a huge part of art and may help during therapy sessions. Patients can create three-dimensional objects and shapes using molding clay. 

The final sculpture or model doesn’t have to be perfect, but the process itself is often cathartic. Patients may find it helpful to express their emotions and explore their identity. 

As the difficult feelings come to the surface, the therapist can help them understand the cause better. Alongside this, healthy coping mechanisms can also be discussed. 

Expressive Painting 

The former two exercises that we discussed are equally about self-expression. However, they may carry a hidden pressure to create something conventionally artistic or beautiful. 

That’s when expressive painting can remove every ounce of fear/anxiety. This type of painting focuses solely on using colors and brushstrokes to express ideas and emotions. 

There is no need for a near-perfect pencil sketch or even a deep knowledge of color theory. All that is needed are paint blobs and plenty of brushstrokes to arrange them however the artist wants. 

This means there is room for loose or erratic brushstrokes. Similarly, the subject matter can be representational or abstract and the colors can be a mix of vibrant and neutral. 

People who have trouble putting their emotions into words can freely paint them out. Expressive painting is the ultimate way to let it all go with paints and a canvas. 

Gratitude Art Journaling 

Visual arts therapy sessions can be held once or twice a week. For the remainder, the patient must apply what they’ve learned. In many cases, maintaining a gratitude art journal does the trick. 

It’s a safe white space to record one’s current thoughts and moods using art and writing. It starts with writing down a list of things one is grateful for. 

This will be accompanied by visual representations of those things. It’s a fun activity and shifts one’s perspective to the good things in life. 

No wonder it’s an excellent way to relieve stress. Even events that made the individual proud can be commemorated using art. 

As we proceed into the future, visual arts therapy is expected to become much more advanced. The number of licensed art therapists may rise and technology could intervene to make the process easier. 

Through research and innovation, new avenues to create therapeutic art may be discovered. One thing is clear: visual arts therapy works and it may be the safe alternative we’ve been looking for all along.