Reducing Anxiety Through Art Therapy

Anxiety takes a toll on the brain and body, raising blood pressure and heart rate, and affecting memory function, ability to focus, and concentration. Through the power of creative thought, art therapy can reduce anxiety and tension levels that negatively affect the brain and body. From trauma victims experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder to those facing life challenges or generalized anxiety, art therapy uses sculpting, drawing and painting to tap into the subconscious and aid the therapeutic process.

Reducing Anxiety Through Art Therapy

For many individuals, anxiety signals the existence of an underlying, unresolved deep fear. Art therapy can help identify fears that lie in the subconscious, as well as triggering memories of trauma that have been buried or repressed. Once the root cause of anxiety has been identified, therapists are better able to treat patients and help them find relaxation and relief.

The Role of Art in Anxiety Reduction Therapy

Art therapy can also shed light on trauma, and has been used successfully in treating abused children, rape victims and natural disaster survivors. Art therapy provides a vehicle for self expression, allowing subjects to control the method and outcome of their creations in a nonjudgmental environment. In fact, a 2006 study showed that by using art therapy to augment cognitive behavioral therapy, victims of childhood sexual abuse showed reduced symptoms of anxiety.

Empowerment Through Art Therapy

Art therapy can reduce anxiety by helping to build self esteem and a sense of empowerment in subjects. In fact, a study at Northwestern Memorial Hospital gathered 50 cancer patients to engage in art therapy for four months. Patients began to create art of their choice, using whatever medium they desired, even acting as a creative director for art executed by the therapist if they had loss mobility in their own hands. Patients experienced reduction in anxiety, due to both the calming and creative effects of art creation, an increased sense of control and the illumination of deeper psychological issues.

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