Art Therapy: Self Expression Through Depression

By: Aria Khambatta

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” - Pablo Picasso

Most people - creatives or otherwise - are familiar with the tortured artist trope; the idea that one must suffer in order to create meaningful art; beautiful art. Somewhere along the line there exists a seed of truth, that truth being, that for millennia people have used art in its multitude of forms as an outlet; a release and realisation for emotions they could never vocalise, or perhaps didn’t even recognise.

The purpose of art, traditionally, has always been to evoke emotion, any emotion, and the beauty of it is the plethora of stories each artwork can hold. It is also why people find such solace in an artist's life, why an art work so often is accompanied by its creator's history; because each piece is a story in its entirety, a phase of its artist's life, beautiful or tragic.

Your favourite singer, author, actor, painter - even the work you gravitate towards - changes with time. As humans we often feel the need to relate with the experiences of someone in a similar situation, a need for camaraderie and comfort; knowing we aren’t alone in the grand scheme of things. The beauty of art is, anyone can create it. In whatever form you wish, no matter the inspiration or controversy; your art is your own, and it has the power to lend you great comfort in life.

With the numerous barriers to mental health care being broken down, research has been funnelled into finding innovative ways to treat depression. One of them is art therapy. Recognising the role creative expression plays in relieving daily stress, mental health professionals have begun studying its efficacy in severe depressive treatments.

For a lot of people struggling with depression, vocalising the root of its existence or even recognising it is a huge barrier to getting the treatment they need. That realisation can sometimes come to us indirectly; an uncorking of bottled up emotions if you will, and art therapy helps provide a safe, non confrontational space for you to work with yourself and let this happen organically.

For so many individuals suffering from an illness they can articulate, talking to someone, be it a professional - or more commonly loved ones - is difficult and terrifying; knowing that your words are concrete and final, especially when you haven’t accepted those feelings yourself, can be a daunting predicament for most.

Meanwhile, art is subjective and potent and more importantly, can just be for yourself. A diary of sorts, whether your choice of medium is words, paint or music, art is fluid and therapeutic and entirely your own. A non-invasive way of admitting to yourself - and whoever you choose to share it with - that maybe you’re not so okay right now. But that’s alright, because you’re doing your best.

Depression is a cycle of destruction, sometimes difficult to detect because of its cancerous, slow encroachment upon daily life. The purpose of depression treatment has always been about breaking these cycles and creating new, healthy ones through acknowledgement, support and growth. This creation can extend directly -- and literally -- to your healing process with art.

Only in the last few years has art truly been accepted as a scientifically backed methodology for the treatment of individuals struggling with depression. It has no language or prejudice and has eternal room for recovery, because ultimately, art comes from within. A 2010-study from Art Therapy: Journal Of The American Art Therapy Association indicated that participants in art therapy treatment groups “make less phone calls to medical and mental health providers; require fewer referrals to medical specialists; have a decreased number of somatic symptoms and complaints; and reduce their utilisation of medical and mental health services.” In addition, for countries and faiths where mental illness and the acknowledgement of its dangers to society are taboo, art therapy can be a safe way to broach the topic of communication with loved ones.

For many people the creation of art associated with negative emotions and the consequent destruction of that artwork, can be a therapeutic and freeing experience. An experience that allows an individual to gain some personal clarity surrounding their struggles before they choose to make sense of it with someone else. Elizabet Kvarnstrom, author of a Bridges to Recovery article titled “Using Art Therapy to Create Freedom From Depression” conducted an interview with RyAnn Watson, a patient undergoing treatment at a university hospital, who stated, “it’s more about putting my emotions into the artwork than telling someone about it and making myself upset. I end up talking to [my therapist] about everything, once I’m drawing.”

Douglas Mitchell, a marriage and family therapist, develops upon the idea of literally cultivating your own joy with art therapy. Suggesting that the perception of beauty triggers the release of dopamine, our brain's pleasure hormone, and actively brings us a little happiness during a time when pleasure feels like a rare achievement. The idea of taking control and being able to invite positivity back into your life while healing is truly beautiful, especially in moments where your sense of autonomy and ability to feel much more than pain, seems robbed.

It is important to note however, that art therapy is not the pinnacle of treatment, finding what works for you is a unique journey and art is meant to be integrated into your treatment as a holistic approach to accepting your emotions in a concrete, physical format. It is not a replacement for medication or talk therapy, especially for those who struggle with clinical depression, which oftentimes cannot be resolved without the aid of a psychiatrist. Reaching out to a licensed healthcare professional, however, is not always a viable option - due perhaps, to financial setbacks, religious and cultural views or the lack of resources in your particular area - and at the end of the day, your journey is your own.

As someone who has dabbled in various arts throughout my life, pain seems like a disease, it can trap and maim you without reason and never truly goes away or grows smaller; we just grow bigger than our struggles, our barriers expand and let in spots of joy - loved ones, hobbies, newfound interests - and eventually, the pain goes from being everything, to simply a part of your life. Not inconsequential, not gone forever, but not nearly as all encompassing as it once was. Depression is a bubble of pain, it blocks and stunts your growth and becomes your everything. Let your art, in whichever form, lead your growth and rehabilitation. Let yourself breathe and accept that fact that sometimes we all need a little help.

Bibliography:

Slayton, Sarah C, et al. “Outcome Studies on the Efficacy of Art Therapy: A Review of Findings.” Art Therapy, vol. 27, no. 3, Jan. 2010, pp. 108–118, www.raphaelstichting.nl/queeste/files/2012/11/efficacy-of-art-therapy_review-of-finfings-2010.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2010.10129660.

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Kvarnstrom, Elisabet . “Using Art Therapy to Create Freedom from Depression – Bridges to Recovery.” Bridges to Recovery, 10 July 2019, www.bridgestorecovery.com/blog/using-art-therapy-to-create-freedom-from-depression/.

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“Art Therapy as a Treatment for Depression.” GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog, 19 June 2012, www.goodtherapy.org/blog/art-therapy-depression-expression-0619125.

Hu, Jingxuan, et al. “Art Therapy: A Complementary Treatment for Mental Disorders.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, no. 34456801, 12 Aug. 2021, p. 686005, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8397377/, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686005.

“How Art Therapy Can Help with Depression.” Bella Monte Recovery CenterTM : Residential Treatment for Alcohol / Drug Addiction, 15 Mar. 2022, bellamonterecovery.com/how-art-therapy-can-help-with-depression/.

Stuckey, Heather L., and Jeremy Nobel. “The Connection between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 100, no. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 254–263, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/, https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2008.156497.

Uttley, Lesley, et al. “Clinical Effectiveness of Art Therapy: Quantitative Systematic Review.” Nih.gov, NIHR Journals Library, 1 Mar. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279641/.