Generalized anxiety disorder is exceedingly common in today’s society and it is especially present among adolescents. There are multiple means of treating anxiety, including medication and psychotherapy. Art therapy is a powerful tool that has become a more popular choice within the recent years when treating anxiety. Though the most well known methods of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder have been successful, how art therapy affects children with generalized anxiety disorder has the potential to become a more desired choice.
Research Method
I used five different sources for my I-Search paper. The first source is a reference book titled “Spinning Inward” by Maureen Murdock. This book gives the reader an overview of how using guided …show more content…
Though these types of medications have been known to work, some of the negative effects include drowsiness, dizziness, poor balance or coordination, slurred speech, confusion and headache (help guide), just to name a few. “The benzodiazepines work because they slow down the nervous system. But sometimes they have the opposite effect. Paradoxical reactions are most common in children and people with developmental disabilities” (help guide). Some of these paradoxical reactions include increased anxiety, rage, mania, impulsive behavior, and hallucinations (help guide). These can be especially dangerous among adolescents because of the increased risk of behaviors that could harm other children or even …show more content…
An art therapist can help a person struggling with this disorder and should connect with the patient and allow them to express themselves in the way in which they choose. The art therapist discovers and presents creative techniques that can increase the understanding and encourage those with generalized anxiety disorder to let go of what is bothering them and teach them ways in which they can become more calm and less anxious in a creative manner. The role of the art therapist is “extremely important because they must have the qualifications to be able to properly administer certain directives and be able to respond appropriately” (Abbey Weeks). This type of therapist, as any type of therapist, has been through a large amount of training in order to successfully facilitate art therapy (Abbey Weeks). Because of the amount of schooling and certifications needed, this should not be considered an easy profession or one that can be easily achieved. Choosing to work with an art therapist and receive art therapy has the potential to become a more popular choice over medication alone. “One cannot call it ‘art therapy’ unless he or she is in the presence of an art therapist” (Abbey Weeks). Things like adult coloring books and collaging are considered art as therapy, not art therapy. This is because art as therapy is not under the administration and care of a certified art
Research Method
I used five different sources for my I-Search paper. The first source is a reference book titled “Spinning Inward” by Maureen Murdock. This book gives the reader an overview of how using guided …show more content…
Though these types of medications have been known to work, some of the negative effects include drowsiness, dizziness, poor balance or coordination, slurred speech, confusion and headache (help guide), just to name a few. “The benzodiazepines work because they slow down the nervous system. But sometimes they have the opposite effect. Paradoxical reactions are most common in children and people with developmental disabilities” (help guide). Some of these paradoxical reactions include increased anxiety, rage, mania, impulsive behavior, and hallucinations (help guide). These can be especially dangerous among adolescents because of the increased risk of behaviors that could harm other children or even …show more content…
An art therapist can help a person struggling with this disorder and should connect with the patient and allow them to express themselves in the way in which they choose. The art therapist discovers and presents creative techniques that can increase the understanding and encourage those with generalized anxiety disorder to let go of what is bothering them and teach them ways in which they can become more calm and less anxious in a creative manner. The role of the art therapist is “extremely important because they must have the qualifications to be able to properly administer certain directives and be able to respond appropriately” (Abbey Weeks). This type of therapist, as any type of therapist, has been through a large amount of training in order to successfully facilitate art therapy (Abbey Weeks). Because of the amount of schooling and certifications needed, this should not be considered an easy profession or one that can be easily achieved. Choosing to work with an art therapist and receive art therapy has the potential to become a more popular choice over medication alone. “One cannot call it ‘art therapy’ unless he or she is in the presence of an art therapist” (Abbey Weeks). Things like adult coloring books and collaging are considered art as therapy, not art therapy. This is because art as therapy is not under the administration and care of a certified art