Art Therapy for Depression
hi
has anyone tried art therapy for treating depression? did it help
what sorts of activities did you do?
@SisterHaleemaCounselor
I find drawing Zentangles is calming and theraputic. Stringing beads for necklaces and bracelets is great activity for distraction and it leaves you with something beautiful at the end. :)
@AlfalfaSproutDeux Glad to hear you found a unique way to distract yourself from depression. Stay strong and take care.
I don't know if you'd count it but one thing I like to do is play guitar. Even just playing for yourself is uplifting. I reckon any creative endeavour that captures your attention would be enough to help beat the blues :)
@T0TheBeach Great thought beach! I agree and i play guitar as well and it greatly calms me down a lot. Music therapy is great for coping depression and anxiety. Stay strong and take care.
@SisterHaleemaCounselor I think art therapy can be a great coping mechanism for depression. For me, it allowed me to see that I could still make beautiful things when everything felt dark and horrible. Like others have mentioned coloring is great, guided exercises are cool too. That being said, it's also not for everyone. People are all different, so don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work how you think it will. Keep trying and keep fighting!
I never tried art therapy but i always draw when i feel depressed or lonely, it takes away the pain, i can put it out there, on paper.
Another activity i love doing is dancing because i can express everything through dance. I think you should try it i think everyone can dance and you don
@Helpfly Great suggestion help 
I will definitely try dancing! Keep doing what you doing! Stay strong and take care.
Wow. All these suggestions are great.
After you paint...do you try to interpret your artistic expressions?
I indulge in listening to music, & then when I'm alone and feel a bit fresh, I indulge in singing & recording my own songs on my phone. Singing is the only thing that makes me feel like I'm good at at least one thing. I've noticed that staying alone or with people whom I don't like makes me immobile/stagnant and I end up wasting all those useful hours doing just nothing and that triggers my depression. But music brings a slight ray of hope and energy.
@peacefulWarrior10 im so sorry to hear that. You are not alone.
This is a lovely post. I am looking for ideas for art therapy for myself. I am not the artsy/crafty type person so anything simple would be very appreciated. I have coloring books but feel limited in expression with those. Thanks in advance for any ideas....
@emotionalMaple9419 I used to run an "art therapy group" ( I was interning so it was more practice) and I would check out pinterest. There's alot of really simple and cheap crafty ideas on there. You could also try coloring while practicing mindfulness. We used to play relaxing classical music sometimes. Even as a moderator it was soooo relaxing.
@blueocean45
Thanks for your kind and thoughtful reply. I never thought of putting music to coloring, that's a great idea. I will also have to look at pinterest. I am not signed up there. Thanks again.
I'm a professional illustrator. Well, "was" actually until my depression got worse and I stopped working alltogether. Just wanted to add that anything creative is "art" and can be therapeutic. Going out for a walk in the park and take a nice picture of a tree, a bug or an old man sitting on a bench reading his newspaper. Stick a very big paper on the wall and with a black marker (or pink, or yellow, whatever color you like) just let your hand flow randomly on the paper, no particular shapes, just let your hand dance on the paper. Do it a few times and you will discover your own personal patterns. Record yourself singing, cut images from magazines and make a collage, draw on napkins with a ballpoint pen. Take a picture of yourself every day for one year. There are countless ways one can make art. You just do what feels right for you and have fun doing it. Drawing does not inspire me at all currently, so I started writing short stories. Nobody will read them, noone needs to. Your art is a very personal thing and you should feel free creating anything that pleases you.
@Banshee84
So well said... and that unique idea of taking a pic of yourself (selfie) is more of a self care activity, I love the idea, I think I'll try :)
@Banshee84 Currently I enjoy singing and recording my own songs on my phone. Had more things on my list earlier but now I've lost interest in almost all of them.
@Banshee84 Please make yourself at home here on 7 Cups and seek all the support you need to deal with your depression. Go for professional help if required. You sound like a strong person. I wish you find inner peace and strength always :)
@peacefulWarrior10 thank you so much for your thoughtful reply and I'm glad you could find a good idea from my suggestions. I have found a wonderful sponsor here at 7 cups and I also set my first appointment with a therapist for Monday. I'm grateful for this community and I hope I can contribute as much as possible.
@Banshee84 That's wonderful.. I did notice your sponsee badge! You're awesome for knowing when and how to seek support. Take care :)
#simplesmallsteps #keepgoing #sponsor
@Banshee84
Brilliant
Coloring helps a lot. So does making jewelry. The hard part is getting motivation cause i'm so low at times.
@Lavenderfolly oh no Im so sorry for you feeling like this
