Cancer Patients & Art Drawing Therapy

Art therapy, which includes drawing, is a form of alternative medicine for cancer patients. The purpose of art therapy is helping patients deal with the pain and emotional trauma associated with cancer.

History

• A link between emotions and the creative arts was set forth in the 1922 book called Artistry of the Mentally Ill. Psychoanalysts developed this connection further in the 1940s when they studied art with the unconscious. Hana Kwiatkowska extended the art and mental health connection in 1958 when she used her art skills in family therapy. As of 2001, the American Art Therapy Association has over 4,500 participants.

Rationale

• According to the American Cancer Society, "many art therapists ... believe the act of creation influences brain wave patterns and the chemicals released by the brain." Art therapy can compliment other forms of cancer treatment like chemotherapy and more traditional psychotherapy.

Benefits

• Art therapy can be a useful tool to distract cancer patients from their painful medical treatments. The creative act of drawing can itself be healing because it can reduce anxiety by helping to release suppressed emotions. Also, drawing therapy can allow therapists to learn more about the inner workings of cancer patients, especially children, who sometimes draw what they cannot say.

Drawbacks

• While clinicians have observed and reported positive feedback about using art therapy with cancer patients, there is not specific scientific evidence to support this practice. However, other than painful emotions rising to the surface, there is no danger in a cancer patient working with a trained art therapist.

Example

• In her book "The Art Therapy Sourcebook," Cathy A. Malchiodi writes about an ovarian cancer patient who used ink drawing to create an abstract image entitled "Woman Caught in a Spiral, Spinning 'Round and 'Round." This image was based on the turbans that the patient wore due to chemotherapy hair loss. Malchiodi states that "while the drawing did not magically cure the depression about her cancer and the effects of powerful medical interventions, it allowed her a way to express feelings that were hard to convey to her family and friends and made it possible for us to talk about how she might be able to make changes in her life, given the impact of her cancer recurrence."