From the New Straits Times in Persekutuan, Malaysia:A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. This is especially true in the treatment of mental health patients.
For patients unable to adequately express their feelings verbally, the best approach is to allow them to speak through their art. This is especially true of children who often have problems talking about their painful experiences.
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy. Through the use of artistic expressions and other diagnostic procedures, doctors will be able to more accurately treat patients.
The patients’ artistic expressions — through sketches, paintings or even sculptures — help still their erratic mind, allowing them to focus on their creation. This therapeutic process slowly helps them to contain the turmoil in their minds.
University Malaya Head of Department of Psychological Medicine Professor Dr.
Hussain Habil says: “Sometimes disturbed people cannot tell others about their feelings and thoughts. Art therapy not only allows them to tell their stories, it is also a healing process.
“Through art, doctors will be able to analyse what they have gone through, what is on their minds and recommend the appropriate treatment.”
Hussain says one of his patients refused to talk about her problem. For several sessions, she remained silent and uncooperative. Realising that the normal approach was not working, he decided to give her paper and colourful crayons, and encouraged her to draw anything she wanted.
She began to open up. Her sketches were dark and gloomy, reflections of her severe depression. She had been sexually and physically abused, and using her paintings, she communicated her traumatic experiences.
Hussain says art therapy is not a cure for mental illness, rather it is one of the methods to better understand patients and help them on their road to recovery.
Often, the public has the misconception that patients with mental illness are dangerous so they are afraid to approach them. But the patients need someone to understand what they are going through.
They are suffering from an illness and with proper treatment, they should be able to function normally, says Hussain.
“The famous painter Van Gogh suffered from mental illness, too. He told his stories through his paintings. It shows that mental health patients are creative and the tool for them to express their state of mind is art.”
The Malaysian Mental Health Association states mental illness is identified by symptoms such as anxiety, depression, intense fear, thought disturbances, paranoia, delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations and unusual elation.The cause of mental disturbances are unclear but they are often preceded by emotional stress and difficulty coping with conflict or adjusting to adverse events. Other factors are biochemical imbalances, deterioration of brain cells (especially in elderly people) and alcohol or drug abuse.
The types of mental illness are distinguished by their symptoms. Some of the more usual types are schizophrenia with symptoms that include fear, withdrawal, mood fluctuations, loss of energy and self-neglect.
Depression occurs among all ages and the causes include family environment, life events, biological factors, a serious loss and stress.
Another form of mental illness is manic depression. A person with manic depression has extreme and unpredictable mood changes. The cause is unknown but studies have shown that it could be inherited. Stress may be another cause. Symptoms include talkativeness, big spending, risk-taking behaviour and sleeplessness, alternating with symptoms of depression. Anxiety is one of the more common reactions to mental stress.
Between 10 and 15 per cent of people are affected by some form of anxiety disorder. Long-term problems such as living in a crowded house can be stressful and even happy events – getting married or switching jobs – can cause anxiety. Anxious people feel tense most of the time, have problems sleeping, are dry in the mouth and are unable to relax.
Consultant psychiatrist Associate Professor Dr Stephen Jambunathan says art helps express feelings that are difficult to put into words, thereby releasing feelings in a safe and acceptable way, and promoting spontaneity and creativity.
“When the patient draws, he is expressing his feelings through art. This process is his way of making contact with people by letting them to his inner world.“
Art therapy can help patients cope with their illness, and alleviates symptoms of anxiety, intrusive memories and pre-occupation.”
To raise awareness on the importance of art therapy in the treatment and rehabilitation of mental health patients, University Malaya’s Department of Psychological Medicine organised the “Art in Psychiatry” exhibition at the Annexe Gallery, Central Market in Kuala Lumpur recently. With the theme “Journey into the Minds”, the exhibition displayed more than 100 works by mental health patients.
Dr Jambunathan, who organised the exhibition, says art therapy is beneficial to people who are suffering from mood disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and language and learning disabilities. It is also used to “treat” victims of abuse.
He pointed to a painting by a child that depicts a smiling girl dancing. The word “muzik” is painted near her and a house.
“But after completing the painting, she made black markings all over the painting. It could be that initially she was happy, but maybe something happened to her that made her draw the black markings.”
Dr Jambunathan says the goals of art therapy are to encourage expressions, increase self-esteem and support network, encourage group cohesion and stronger self-identity.According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behaviour, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight.