Art as a Form of Therapy
Art can be expressed in a lot of different ways such as music, dancing, acting, writing, painting, and drawing. We all are sure find those people who are fond of art amazing, and sometimes, we say to ourselves we wish we were as skillful as them. Good thing is that, some forms of art expression can be learned as long as that person is dedicated and very much willing to learn.
Another great news is that art is not only considered as an expression of one’s creative mind, art also helps people who have dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other condition related to having extreme memory loss.
For this article, we will be focusing on dementia. Dementia is different from Alzheimer’s because dementia is a much broader term. All conditions related to memory loss can be classified under dementia. People who have dementia thinks that it will turn their lives around. However, having a mindset like this will make things worse. Loved ones with relatives who have dementia must maximize the technology. There is already what we call gps tracker demente where a dementia patient will just have to wear the bracelet and a loved must connect the device to a smartphone. By using such technology, the patient will enjoy freedom by roaming around the neighborhood or park.
According to studies, art will be able to contribute to a healthier lifestyle of dementia patients by combining both music and dance or music and singing. One center in US was interviewed regarding their usage of art as a form of treatment to their patients. They said that upon conducting an art session where the patients will either draw, sing, and dance, they are more alive and t are even starting to remember happy memories.
Also, art therapy not only change the mood of of dementia patients, but also it unleashes their creativity. The truth is that a lot of dementia patients have creative minds, they are just forgetting the stuff they are capable of doing. But when proper treatment and medications are given, dementia patients can live happily.