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07 May 2018

The Effects Of Water Color Painting Therapy On Patience With Alzheimer By Jo Ann Danchik

By Dorothy Hughes


Alzheimer and dementia are two rather sensitive subjects to discuss on any level especially considering the kind separation and emotional distress that they can cause on families, loved ones, and even the suffering patient. Although the is no cure for either of these conditions and doctors simply try to minimize their effects by prescribing specific medications, some that work and some that don t. However, Jo Ann Danchik says that in the midst of all this hopelessness something that seems to be shining small beams of sun rays of hope is the use of center painting therapy as a form of bringing patients with Alzheimer moments of joy and peace.

This art form of therapy is especially used in children and adults who have encountered some kind of traumatic event or life-altering moment. Painting and drawing are used to help the individual to express suppressed emotions and feelings related to the event without necessarily having to verbalize the details. This is a fantastic way of creating a safe place for the person to share their trauma.

As technology seems to be dividing people socially the need for feeling heard and understood has risen dramatically. This has, in turn, led to the creation of a number of art forms to try and convey the message. According to the journal of psychology, it is human nature to want to tell stories, to want to share parts of ourselves with others and make connections through various channels whichever format those expressions may take.

Another art form that is used as a form of emotional therapy is music, music has the ability to transcend emotion and feelings, and sometimes may feel like a translator and decoder of one s own personal emotional struggles. Most artists tend to write their music from their own personal experiences. When these artists do this, they act as an anchor of emotional release, which again is a form of art therapy.

This is where painting as a therapy form really shines through. It allows the individual a pressure less environment to heal from the trauma they have endured while giving them the tools to also process what has happened to them. Most therapists fear that individuals who have had traumatic events happen to them struggle to process the occurrence.

When patients with Alzheimer react to these colors it helps them feel connected to whatever memory that color holds and their minds become more conscious of their own emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Colors emit emotions, they stir up certain memories, thoughts, and feelings by the mere sight of looking at them. This is called association and using a colour in one s artwork helps you to emote. Paintings tend to be a security blanket of emotions where you can simply tell how the artist was feeling on the sole basis of the colours they chose to use.

Art is a form of freedom, and one thing that Alzheimer s patients are in need of is a little freedom from the burden of their condition. Art allows for that escape and gives them something to use to hold on to some of their memories or to access these memories again.




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