Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be helped with art as a self help and learned coping skill.
Children in general benefit from developing their skills in art. Many children who are suffering with symptoms associated with mental health disorders can be helped by learning skills in art. Daniella Barroqueiro, Ed.D. is a art teacher and college professor who herself has what she describes as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She believes that the downside of Attention Deficit Disorder can be reversed and turned into a positive. The creative outlet of art, that is her passion, has helped her to channel symptoms associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to a positive direction, in the art room. Professor Barroqueiro explains,
“When talking about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it is common to focus on the ‘downside’ of the disorder, the challenges, the frustration, how to ‘fix’ a problem or a set of problems. Notice I refer to a downside, which implies that there is also an upside to having ADHD/ADD. Intelligence, creativity, spontaneity and the ability to hyper-focus (yes, hyper-focus) are among the characteristics commonly found in people with ADHD/ADD.”
Regular participation in art can help a person to gain self control, it can give a child a way of expressing themselves emotionally. It can help most anyone to learn to maintain sustained concentration. It can be effective in helping to stabilize erratic moods. It also helps adults and children to acquire time for their minds to find solitude and peace, and to heal. It can be a part of natural healing. The mind that is bombarded by the constant stimulation of television, music, or media violence, has little time to heal.
When art is considered as an effective self help therapy, or that parents, educators and caregivers can encourage, for children who have mental health disorders or who are emotionally disturbed, it is of much value. The use of art as a therapy, {in the long-term, when considered in terms of long-term efficacy}, can be more effective than the use of drugs which often have numberous and serious side effects for the majority of children as well as adults, and which are being overused today.
Art and arts therapy can also find a placing in the treatment of addictions, as it can be of much help in building feelings of self worth, which is essential in overcoming most addictions. Art and art therapies also can be of value in helping those addicted to porn to break that chain of pornography addiction. Pornography and masturbation contributing factors towards depression and major depression for some persons. One university study has confirmed a correlation between these factors.
Art is something very positive for children. There are benefits for the majority of children if parents can help them to develop an interest in art. Some of those benefits are, it helps children avoid overindulgence in media violence, such as in television, movies and video games. Self esteem and a feeling of self worth can be enhanced in children, as they see what they can produce through their creative artistic ablilities. Seeing is believing. “If I did that, then I mustbe worth something.”
When a child begins to find pleasure in developing his artistic talents in art on a regular basis, it is more likely that he or she may enjoy creating with art over his or her lifetime, especially if he or she understands why art can be of value, and how television and especially, media violence and sexualized content, can negatively impact the mind and psychology, the emotions of a child, teen or adult. Developing interest in art can help a child or teen to be more creative, use his imagination to a fuller capacity, as well as to become a doer rather than a viewer.
This article was produced by John Samuels of the Association for Natural Psychology. Please also visit our bookstore. Natural psychology, self help for treatment of mental health disorders, natural cures of mental health disorders, depression treatment without drugs, positive parenting, raising and teaching special needs children, and a variety of related subjects are considered. You can also see our new book,
Overcoming ADHD without Medication: A Parent’s and Educator’s Guidebook on Amazon, Alibris and other online locations. The Association for Natural Psychology is a New Jersey non-profit corporation.
Tags: adhd, adhd natural cures, adhd self help, Art therapy, Arts therapy, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, child psychology, childhood depression, children mental health, media violence, mental health child, mental health children