Art therapy, Art yoga are among stress relievers -Coping outside the arts

Coping outside the arts For those dealing with stress and trials but have a passing interest in the arts, there is still help. Some methods include regular exercise, reaching out to others for support and making a list to prioritize what you need to do, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Both Mary Woods and Dr. Robert Bradford with Aiken Counseling Group have seen evidence of yoga as a coping method. “Recently we had a patient that was on six different kinds of medication and dealing with several life stressors,” Bradford said. “Yoga has reduced their medication to only blood pressure medication, and it appears that this patient will no longer take the blood pressure medication. The patient reports that yoga has helped her identify purpose and meaning for her life.” Woods also pointed out that yoga can be used to deal with trauma and related disorders. If you or someone you know are experiencing high levels of stress or dealing with trauma, consult with a physician. For more information, visit www.nimh.nih.gov. Stephanie Turner graduated from Valdosta State University in 2012. She then signed on with the Aiken Standard, where she is now the arts and entertainment reporter. Everyone deals with stress and trials, be they from work, school, family or friends. Stress is the brain’s way of responding to these triggers, releasing “nerve chemicals and hormones,” according to the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health department. Just as problems with your physical health can affect you mentally, “mental health issues can have an impact of all areas of a person’s health,” said Dr. Paul Leslie with Aiken Counseling Group. Related Stories Partly-paralyzed artist still painting after motorcycle wreck 33 years ago For example, anxiety disorders, which can be triggered by stress, can cause lack of sleep, headaches, muscle tension and trembling, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Art therapy Art therapy, or therapy through the visual arts, can be one way to handle that nerve on your body. “Art therapy is an effective modality to assist patients to increase awareness of self and others, cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences, enhance cognitive abilities and enjoy life-affirming pleasures of making art through reflecting on artworks,” according to a press release by Aiken art therapist Lillian Stark. Stark is a painter and drawer who has worked with “youth and adolescents in residential treatment centers and who have been removed from their homes ... due to neglect, abuse and abandonment at the hands of their parents or guardians” and has them use “various art materials, techniques and clinically designed projects or art tasks which are compatible with the patient’s symptoms and serve as an intervention,” according to a press release. “Individuals who benefit from art therapy include those who have survived trauma resulting from combat, abuse and natural disaster; persons with adverse physical health conditions such as cancer, traumatic brain injury and other health disability; and persons with autism, dementia, depression and other disorders,” according to the American Art Therapy Association. MCT Graphic This graphic shows tips for summer exercises. Exercising is considered a stress reliever. Enlarge MCT Graphic This graphic shows tips for summer exercises. Exercising is considered a stress reliever. The children and young adults Stark works with sometimes haven’t fully comprehended what has happened to them, and the therapist said that creating art, “putting it down on paper,” helps them process their traumas. Just as the term “the arts” doesn’t only refer to painting and drawing, art-centered therapies can come in the form of dance, drama or music therapy. Stark is showing her young patients’ work through the two-part “Art Therapy: Visual Progress Notes” exhibit at the Aiken Center for the Arts, 122 Laurens St. S.W. The first part will be up until June 5, and the second part will be shown from June 11 to July 3. Coping outside the arts For those dealing with stress and trials but have a passing interest in the arts, there is still help. Some methods include regular exercise, reaching out to others for support and making a list to prioritize what you need to do, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Both Mary Woods and Dr. Robert Bradford with Aiken Counseling Group have seen evidence of yoga as a coping method.