Addiction is a powerful disease that depletes your energy, your health, your emotional well-being and your cognitive ability. It also saps your creativity, your ability to solve problems and your ability to express yourself.

And that is just the drugs. That is not accounting for the damage that has been done as a result of living the lifestyle of an addict. Most people come into treatment having experienced and witnessed violence, trauma, poor nutrition, grief, loss, constant fear and anxiety and have been in “survival mode” for years.

Drug Treatment Is Evolving

As more is discovered about treating this destructive disease, it becomes more and more apparent that overcoming addiction requires a multi-faceted approach that is individualized and focuses not just on the symptoms of addiction — drug and alcohol use — but also the underlying issues that contribute to addiction.

Holistic Addiction Treatments Are Becoming More Common

 

While there are tried and true treatments and strategies that are an effective part of treatment, such as individual and group counseling, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and 12 step integration, adding various holistic therapies to the mix has been shown to help addicts not only achieve sobriety, but also to heal and thrive on a deeper level. This helps create true recovery, not just surface-level abstinence.

What Are Some Examples Of Holistic Addiction Treatments?

• Acupressure and acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Yoga and meditation
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Nutrition therapy
• Vitamin therapy
• Art therapy
• Music therapy

How Art And Music Can Help You Recover from Addiction

 

So how do art and music help to treat addiction? There are actually quite a few benefits to these types of holistic therapy. For addicts who come into treatment feeling traumatized, angry, closed off and vulnerable, art and music therapy can be tremendously helpful in facilitating the healing process.

While talk therapy is an important part of the treatment process, it can be slow going. For some people, deep-seated pain and trauma are difficult to verbalize. Art therapy allows clients to use a variety of creative and artistic mediums to help express themselves when the words won’t come. Some examples may include painting, drawing, coloring, sketching, manipulating clay and paper, creating collages, experimenting with color and more. This is done with a trained clinician.

Music therapy works in a similar manner. There are different ways of utilizing music in a therapeutic manner. Listening to music, dancing, creating music, drumming, singing, writing lyrics and other music related activities can enhance the therapeutic environment.

So it is easy to see the value in art and music therapy when it comes to self-expression and helping the healing process of therapy, but what are some other benefits?

Cognitive Recovery Benefits

 

Music has been shown to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and promote relaxation. Both art and music increase brain activity and improve focus. For addicts who have been using drugs and alcohol for even a short time, but especially for addicts who have been using for years, damage to the brain is a real problem. Addicts often suffer from short term memory loss, “brain fog”, difficulty focusing, impulse control, cognitive deficits and more. Art and music help to stimulate the brain and speed up the healing process.

Addict Self-Esteem And Self-Worth

Few addicts enter treatment with their self-esteem intact. The act of creating art and music helps to improve confidence and self-esteem. It improves communication and socialization skills, which also helps boost confidence.

To some people, art and music therapy just looks like play, but there is so much more to it. Recovering from addiction isn’t just about quitting the drugs, it is about recovering the self that has been lost to drug and alcohol use. It is about regaining the ability for self-expression, exploration and creativity, all vital aspects of being human.

Recover From Addiction Creatively At Broadway Treatment Center

If you feel like you are losing the battle with addiction, our program can help you. Broadway Treatment Center offers a comprehensive addiction program that incorporates cutting edge therapies alongside both traditional and holistic treatments. Our program takes an individualized approach in a warm, caring environment. We offer inpatient, outpatient, aftercare and relapse prevention programs with a strong emphasis on life skills. If you are ready to overcome addiction and take your life back, contact Broadway Treatment Center today.