7 Important Mental Health Benefits of Art Therapy

Expressive therapy is a field of psychology that helps to enrich the lives of individuals through active creation of art. Through the creative process, a patient can express their emotions and solve any emotional problems that they may have been bolting inside over time. Read on to know the immense benefits of this type of therapy.

Relieves Stress

Painting, sculpting, drawing, and other creative art techniques are excellent ways of reducing your overall stress levels and helping you feel better mentally. Art provides a distraction that gives your brain the necessary break from your everyday way of thinking. Today, coloring books that have been created specifically for stress relief is one of the most widely-held artistic stress relievers.

Boosts self-esteem and provides a sense of personal fulfillment

The creation of tangible rewards can help to build self-confidence and it can also nurture the feeling of self-worth. With art, patients do not have to create something that is absolutely perfect for them to get a sense of accomplishment. The type of art that one creates does not matter; whether you come up with photography, knitting, or drawing, you will have done your best and you will be rewarded for it. Personal fulfillment originates from both the analytical and creative components of the entire therapy process.

Improves overall quality of life

Art has been proven to improve factors like cognitive abilities and memory, particularly in individuals who suffer from serious mental disorders such as dementia. Even though different drug treatments may not work well in dementia patients, creating art offers them a sense of pleasure. This is because it helps to boost their social behavior and self-esteem. In addition, it also reduces different psychiatric symptoms that are associated with dementia.

Encourages creative thinking

Unlike math, creative art does not require any type of correct answer. This is because every individual is facing unique problems. Art therapy is not a form of competition because every art piece that is created tells the story of the artist in his/her own unique way. Individuals will come up with unique solutions and this can stimulate the brain further with this kind of creative thinking.

Physical rehabilitation and symptom relief

Expressive therapy is also important in relieving symptoms of a disease and physical rehabilitation. It can help patients cope with pain associated with their medical condition. In addition, it can encourage physiological healing by recognizing and working through resentment and anger issues, or other forms of emotional stress.

Treatment of mental health conditions

Art can be used to unearth both the conscious and the unconscious mind. Art can be used in assessing and treating children, adults, and elderly patients with depression, anxiety, and cognitive problems. Expressive therapy can also be used in dealing with relationship or family issues, grief and loss, and social or emotional difficulties resulting from learning disabilities in children.

Helps in traumatic and abusive experience

Creative therapy can help individuals to express and even deal with sexual or physical abuse. This is because it may sometimes be difficult for the individual to put the trauma they are undergoing into actual words. Art can be used to explore and manage traumatic experiences.

Expressive therapy offers a lot of benefits to patients suffering from different conditions. It can help to foster happiness and positive thoughts, which are important as they help the individual deal with their medical condition. The therapy also helps the patient to have a positive outlook on life which leads to happiness and health.