Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that can cause paranoia, hallucinations, extreme depression, frantic speech and other atypical behavior.
While medications are the primary treatment, it is important for patients with schizophrenia and their loved ones to consider other types of treatment. A proven effective treatment has been therapies that allow patients to express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions through creative media.
Creative therapies can include any form of self-expression. Art therapy has been used for psychiatric patients for years to give a voice to those who are not able to vocalize what’s in their minds. Creative therapies can also include dance, meditation, short stories, poetry, and songwriting.
For those with schizophrenia, engaging in some type of creative activity can help to dull the voices in their heads and the hallucinations around them. Creative therapies also help therapists and care teams better understand what their patient is experiencing.
This cathartic process allows the patient to freely express their emotions in whatever form is most accessible to them. If they are not able to vocalize their trauma, perhaps they can write it in a journal or create music inspired by their history.
While talk therapy can sometimes re-traumatize patients and trigger negative emotions, creative therapies give individuals the possibility to process emotions and feelings that they cannot put to words. Creative therapies may be able to bring patients one step closer to vocalize what’s in their head. Or, creative arts might be the best expression they can produce.
There are additional benefits to creative therapy. Engaging in this form of treatment can improve patient self-esteem, cognitive function, emotional strength, and social skills. Being able to create something can make patients feel more productive in a society that does not always value neurodivergence.
It’s also important to emphasize that individuals do not need to have creative or artistic abilities to benefit from this type of therapy. Finally, creative therapy produces a better sense of self. Patients might be able to gain insight on elements about themselves they might not have noticed before.