http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html&g
Alcohol addiction as well as other forms of addiction can be considered chronic illnesses or chronic disease. Addictions effect 17.6 million or 1 in every 12 adults according to NCADD. (NCADD, 2013)
According to Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).t“Groundbreaking discoveries about the brain have revolutionized our understanding of addiction, enabling us to respond effectively to the problem,” she says. “We now know that addiction is a disease that affects both brain and behavior. We have identified many of the biological and environmental factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and progression of the disease.” (Volkow, 2007) More and more scientists are discovering that addictions are diseases of the brain. MRI’s of an addict’s brain have shown that use of all forms of drugs and alcohol, over time; change the make-up of the brain and its function. Although there is still much to be learned on why one person will get addicted to a substance and another will not, it is a fact that addiction tears families apart, ruins lives, relationships and sometimes ends in catastrophic circumstances such as severe illness and death. One thing is for sure, those that are addicted struggle with peace of mind and how to achieve sobriety when they are facing a chemical, mind, body altered state of being.
Despite the ongoing chemical and physical changes that happen in an addict, there is research that shows how the Arts are being used to help in the mental and physical healing of these individuals. In Diane Walle’s book Group Interactive Art Therapy: Its Use in Training and Treatment, Diane gives a brief history of how all art forms have helped to calm anxiety and bring stress relief to patients of all kinds, whether mental, physical or addicts. (Walle, 1993). In the book Matching Therapy and Patients: The Cafeteria Plan, John A. Ewing MD., talks about how different art forms can be used in conjunction with other medicines and therapies to create and individualize programs for overcoming addictions. (Ewing, 2006).
It is no surprise that an addict, suffering from a chemical malfunction of the brain would benefit from achieving the “flow state” through some kind of chosen art form. (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008) The flow state is in fact the very state that an addict tries to recreate through drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography and in some cases, food.
There is more research being conducted every day on the effects of creating Art and the roll that it plays in rehabilitation of an addicted person. In Complimentary Therapy for Addiction; Drumming Out Drugs, research on the use of drum circles produced the following results: Research reviews indicate that drumming enhances recovery through inducing relaxation and enhancing theta-wave production and brain-wave synchronization. Drumming produces pleasurable experiences, enhanced awareness of preconscious dynamics, release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self. Drumming alleviates self-centeredness, isolation, and alienation, creating a sense of connectedness with self and others. Drumming provides a secular approach to accessing a higher power and applying spiritual perspectives. (Winkelman, 2003). People with gambling addictions are not being left out of the creative process in the form of recovery by any stretch of the imagination. At Windsor Regional Hospital Problem Gambling Services, problem gamblers admitted to Windsor’s 6-bed residential facility learn how to reduce stress, recognize irrational thinking and manage anger. They discuss the effects gambling has on families. They also attend morning and evening group therapy sessions and, once a week, an art therapy class. (Collier, 2008)
The creative process whether it is in the form of dancing, drumming, writing, painting, drawing, sculpture or even cooking or gardening has time and again proven to be a very important complementary health care practice. The brain and body work together to heal and to overcome obstacles such as illness and addiction. This is a scientific fact proven time and again. It makes perfect sense that entering the creative process and achieving that restful, meditative state would also prove to be the perfect complementary form of medicine for persons suffering from addiction.
References
Collier, R.. “Gambling Treatment Options: A Roll Of The Dice.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 179.2 (2008): 127-128. Print.
Ewing, John A.. “Matching Therapy And Patients: The Cafeteria Plan*.” Addiction72.1 (1977): 13-18. Print.
“Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness | Video on TED.com.” TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html>.
Volow, Nora. “The Science of Addiction: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior.” National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/spring07/articles/spring07pg14-17.html>.
Waller, Diane. Group interactive art therapy: its use in training and treatment. London: Routledge, 1993. Print.
“Welcome to NCADD.” Welcome to NCADD. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ncadd.org/>.
100 Cups of Compassion 