Art therapy, can it really help treat cancer?

Art therapy is a fairly new field in the medical field. Art, whether enjoying a work of art, or creating a work of art has long been known to have a healing effect. For people who have cancer, art therapy provides many things, from calm, reducing anxiety and fear, regulating emotions in facing a medical diagnosis, even emotions that are difficult to express in words can be done with art. Let's take a closer look at art therapy reviews.

What is art therapy?

Source: Norte Dame of Maryland University

Art therapy is a form of emotional support to help people who are dealing with very difficult circumstances in their lives. Art here, especially what is usually done is visual arts. Like making pictures or objects that have personal meaning. This is what is unconsciously able to release emotions in oneself.

Art therapy is not intended to create works of art to show off, you don't even need to be skilled or proficient at this.

This therapy is indeed used by people who suffer from chronic diseases and have poor mental health problems. So, this therapy is here to reduce mental problems that occur, so that patients can focus on treating the main disease.

How do you start doing art therapy?

Source: Focal Point

What can be done during this therapy is painting, drawing, or even sculpting. Any kind of visual arts you enjoy. To start this therapy the way is enough with your readiness alone. You can start on your own to do any artistic activity you want.

The focus in this art therapy is on enabling you to express feelings, understand feelings, and reduce stress.

There is no specific technique recommended for this therapy. Any tool, any style of making art can give joy and peace.

To begin with, it is important to find a comfortable place in your home or around you. Some people like to do this therapy while listening to music, some like it in a quiet place where there is no sound.

The best way to start is to just start right away, without having to first imagine in your mind the details of the image that will be poured, just go ahead. This is the most expressive way of art therapy.

Besides being done alone, it can also be done with a therapist or with a group of friends who have the same goal. It depends on your preferred situation.

If they use a therapist, they will not teach you to draw or paint. The therapist will lead you to explore feelings, develop self-confidence and self-welfare.

Usually this activity lasts a minimum of 60 minutes. This therapy can be done over the next few weeks or months on a regular basis.

Is it true that art therapy can help treat cancer?

Reported in Cancer Research UK, there is a study conducted on women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. This study found that art therapy can help improve the ability to cope with burdens and stresses during the medical process, and can improve quality of life.

A 2013 UK survey reported that 92 percent of people with cancer who had used art therapy found this therapy very beneficial.

Most of these therapists say that art therapy helps them with a variety of unpleasant feelings, and provides support when they are feeling anxious and away from their loved ones. In addition, researchers have also found that painting can change the wave patterns, hormones and signals in the brain.

In several studies on art therapy, landscapes or pictures of natural landscapes such as mountains, lembang, rivers and so on, are the most widely expressed art themes.

Some people also like abstract drawings, or paint with their fingers directly. There is no specific stipulation, this will be different for each individual.