Art therapy for the drug addict

Abstract

THERE is hardly a field for the application of art psychotherapy today, of more urgent importance than the readjustment of the drug addict. The sudden, almost vehement, wave of drug abuse, especially among American teenagers and young adults, has placed the task of social readjustment almost into the realm of the impossible. From the revival of totally disintegrated minds, to socially disoriented individuals, follows a long list of needs for which therapy of various kinds seems to be a seriously considered means. Since the beginning of the century, art has been applied in various educational and healing ways, many of which had never been dreamed of before. We have learned how much this “play” with crayons and clay means, breaking down the barriers of an unreasonable intellectual over-education. On the other side, there is hardly a mental institution in existence in which patients are not kept occupied with what has come to be called “Occupational Therapy.” A great variety of art uses have evolved. These do not need to be ennumerated or described in any detail in this paper. We only want to establish the fact that the educational or healing use of the arts is almost a common occurrence today. Therefore, that art might be, or become a valuable instrument for rehabilitating thousands of narcotic addicts, should not be considered farfetched. On the contrary, one could actually designate it as a lack by default. Indeed, by walking into one of the residential addiction treatment centers one could not fail to observe photographs, paintings, drawings, and the like done by the inmates. We learn that in most cases these dilettante expressions have not been induced by the staff, but grew from the self impulses of the residents. Of course, earlier in life, some had followed photography or some other kind of art impulse. Often, it is simply the self-creating occupational impulse that carries some fruit. In some such institutions, art and craft activities have been inaugurated with good results. However, these undertakings have hardly ever been connected with actual therapy in other than a rather superficial way, or as a part of a wider therapeutic procedure. It is the purpose of this paper to point out essential alignment of art and therapy with the narcotics addict. As an introduction, we might ask what the areas are in which it appears possible to influence the total status of a drug addict in a direct way in order to relieve him from his addiction. First, in all art there is a certain amount of physical activity, which means a vitalization of physical as well as mental activity. Most addicts suffer from a disorientation, and many, like most heroin addicts, experience a lack of impulse for all activity. The impulse “to do,” whatever it may be, should mean an impulse to activation-be it handicraft or drawing, painting or photography, or making music. It may lead to a reduction of the lethargy. It is an instinctive human desire to find outlets for innate impulses. From his earliest days, a child has the impulse and desire to play. Grown-ups, aside from their professional chores, have a similar desire for activity outlets. It is easier to challenge an addict on the line of such “free-time activities,” than with the drudgeries and unpleasantness cdnnetted with utility work such as wiping the floor and washing the dishes. In whatever we make the addict do, an agreeable feeling, pleasantness, and enjoyment should be the undertone. Our first task is to create this tone by whatever means possible. The next task is to “get the addict off his chair into