Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a serious mental condition, which can take place after an individual suffers from a severe case of trauma. It heavily impacts one’s daily well-being and worsens the overall quality of life. Although there is a wide range of plausible treatments for PTSD, art therapy seems to be a highly effective one due to its potential for self-expression through ways, which are not hindered by the physiological barriers of PTSD.
The use of art as a form of therapy is a highly effective form of treatment, which is non-invasive and does not lead to side effects. It is important to note that art therapy is a powerful approach due to the engagement of parts of the brain, which would be considered as damaged or impaired, such as the zones responsible for speech (Walker, 2015). In other words, many PTSD patients are unable to communicate their experiences and problems through traditional means of self-expression, which is why utilizing the creative process of art allows such people to have a novel way of transmitting their thoughts and emotions. In simpler terms, art is an alternative gateway for communicating one’s traumatic experiences.
Moreover, art therapy is a highly effective treatment for PTSD due to the overall engagement of critical parts of the brain. It is stated that the current understanding of brain structure and its functional units show that the creative process of art-based self-expression stimulates both left and right hemispheres, which is highly beneficial for one’s recovery from the condition (Walker, 2015). Therefore, I think and feel that art therapy is a plausible measure for helping individuals with PTSD since it has a highly reliable scientific basis, and practical utilization of the treatment showed a great deal of improvements among these groups. It is possible that the use of art as a form of treatment might not be intuitive or straightforward to accept as a plausible approach, but a closer look reveals the proper logic behind it.
I personally know a person who could benefit from and, as far as I am aware, he uses PTSD medications in order to relive the most disruptive symptoms of the condition. My uncle’s close friend is a veteran, who uses Prozac, might and should try art therapy. He is well-known to be a highly reserved person who is mostly silent and has difficulty expressing his feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Art therapy could benefit him as a form of treatment for PTSD since he will be able to share his experiences through art-based means of communication. After seeing the TED talk video, I would consider suggesting he try art therapy since the medication he uses has a wide range of side effects, which might be hindering his life and overall well-being.
In conclusion, art therapy is an effective form of treatment for people with PTSD due to two major reasons. Firstly, it is plausible due to the fact that it enables an alternative way of self-expression since the majority of PTSD patients’ brain regions responsible for speech are impaired. Therefore, they are unable to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a conventional form of speech. Secondly, art therapy engages critical parts of the brain, such as the left and right hemispheres, in order to create art, which is of paramount importance for the recovery process.
Reference
Walker, M. (2015). Art can heal PTSD’s invisible wounds [Video]. TED.
