Category: Uncategorized

Creativity can be quite beneficial as it is oftentimes used in that of addiction recovery. Yet even so, the need to obtain creativity—after it has slipped away, out of reach—can bring about a whole new problem, centered around substance abuse. In turn, this may cause one to place blame on creativity, or the creator himself/herself, rather than looking at the reason behind/for his/her addiction. The biggest consequence of this is that, creativity can pose as an advantage—or a disadvantage—depending on whether or not the creator holds creativity, or whether creativity holds the creator.

First and foremost are the advantages that come through creativity, which can help performing artists who are struggling with addiction rediscover their passion in a healthy—drug and alcohol free—way. For, it is through the performing arts (which is defined as, “forms of creative activity that are performed in front of an audience, such as drama, music, and dance”) that one can better express—what they are not yet ready to verbalize—through various approaches such as; art therapy, music therapy, etc.

Art therapy is “a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or modeling, used as a remedial activity or an aid to diagnosis”, while music therapy is “the prescribed use of music to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological, and spiritual health and well-being”. It is through these two therapeutic exercises, among a number of others, that performers—and/or addicts as a whole—can be restored to their former selves, as each helps them to process their feelings in a healthy way.

In contrast, creativity can also pose as a disadvantage if the creator begins to let it rule their life to the point of addiction. For, he/she may begin to grow frustrated by the inability to express what he/she is feeling efficiently, and may become even more upset if he/she has little to no inspiration. In response to such, he/she then finds himself/herself using because he/she finds that he/she likes the way it makes him/her feel, and in turn lets his/her addiction to creativity create an outlet to addiction in other areas of his/her life.

In conclusion, creativity is what the the creator makes it to be. It can either become one’s downfall if he/she begins to crave it after it has gone astray—and in place of such begins to use. Or, it can be used as a healthy outlet for anyone who is able to see it as such—without addiction to obstruct his/her view. That’s why individuals who find themselves—and/or feel as though—they are falling into addiction, must seek help, so that they may not only rediscover their creativity, but rediscover themselves. For oftentimes, what lies deep beneath the surface of the person who is struggling serves as the root of addiction, rather than creativity itself.

Life as a professional stage performer is a grueling one. A professional stage performer may be a dancer, an actor, a magician, a musician, a singer or any other kind of performance artist. The performing arts are known for being highly competitive and difficult to make a living at, which is part of the reason that performing artists are known for their struggles with addiction. The performance arts are a professional field that carry a higher rate of addiction problems than most other fields. In theory, this is because of the natural sensitivity and experimental nature of artists, the professional pressures that performing artists face and the emotional strain that the industry and the artistic process put on a performer.

All artists are experimental and sensitive due to their creative, artistic nature. These characteristics are necessary to the artistic process. However, they also create mental complications for many performing artists. Their experimental nature may lure them into using an addictive substance or perpetrating an addictive behavior, and their sensitive nature may cause them to alter their identity around it and become psychologically dependent on it. This can be a dangerous combination that leads to a gripping and long-lasting addiction.

Professional stage performing is a highly underrated profession. The competition is brutal and the expectations are unending. Many professional stage performers find their industry extremely stressful because it does not offer reliable work and the wages can be completely unregulated. This stress often amounts to experimenting with addictive behaviors and substances as a way of escaping, and an addiction begins.

The demands of stage performance are incredibly intense. Performers put their bodies, talents, vocal chords, emotions and more through the ringer to deliver a worthwhile performance to an audience. These are skills that most other professionals cannot understand. Performers are very emotionally and soulfully connected to their work, and the rise and fall of emotional victories and defeats can leave a performer yearning for escape into addiction. If you or someone in your life is a performing artist who struggles with addiction, do not hesitate to seek help as quickly as possible.

Professional performance artists live a lifestyle that few people can comprehend. For a living, performance artists get on a stage in front of an audience and dance, act, sing or do a number of other performative talents for the audience’s entertainment, amusement and enlightenment. Preparation for these performances includes grueling rehearsals and many hours spent at practice and memorization. The work is hard, the wages are often sporadic and inconsistent and the performance schedule often involves travel. This is why the number of performing artists who are thriving is considerably low. Performance artists lead very challenging lives, with hardships that include mental disorders, stage fright and rootlessness.

Mental disorders that affect performance artists may include depression, anxiety, addiction and more. Artists in general are more prone to mental disorders than people in other vocations because their craft requires sensitivity, empathy and emotional depth. The performing arts are one of the most high intensity art forms because they are live, so they frequently make performance artists high strung and susceptible to breakdowns, which are symptoms of an anxiety disorder. It is strange to think of a performance artist with stage fright, but it is a very common form of anxiety that performance artists deal with. Many performance artists also resort to addiction in an attempt to self medicate, and make themselves much worse off. All of these things and more can cause debilitating depression.  When depression sits in, the performers must seek alternatives with a luxury rehab depression centers, Toronto.

The rootlessness of a profession in the performing arts can have negative effects on a performer’s mental and physical health as well. A number of live shows travel around specific regional areas and the performers that tour with it may not see their homes for weeks or even months. Many performers work for a local venue and have the luxury of staying in one place, but many become absorbed by life on the road. This can lead to disorders and addiction as well because it leaves a person separated from their support system, routines and familiar surroundings.

Performance artists face a number of challenges that other working professionals have never been exposed to. The performing arts require the sensitivity it takes to envision and execute a quality performance, yet they also require the thick skin it takes to endure unkind audiences, grueling rehearsal schedules and a traveling lifestyle. Many performance artists cannot handle the pressures of life on stage and succumb to addiction while trying and failing to cope in a healthy way. Mental health professionals are aware that life as a performing artists is particularly hard on a person’s mental health. Because of this, there are addiction treatment programs designed specifically for performance artists.

In an inpatient rehabilitation center that offers programs specifically for performance artists, the first step of treatment will be a complete detoxification for those who have been abusing a substance. A person needs their bodily chemistry to be balanced and healthy in order to face the challenges of addiction treatment. Detoxes are medically supervised to prevent clients from entering into dangerous withdrawal symptoms without medical support.

The psychological treatment that takes place in an inpatient rehab that is tailored to the performance artist’s mentality will cover matters like performance anxiety, stage fright, identity crisis’ and travel lifestyles. It is not uncommon for the counselors and facilitators to have past experience on the stage and know from experience what kind of hardships a performance artist faces. The treatment material in residential rehab will consist of exercises, readings and workbooks, along with individual and group counseling. Therapeutic activities are also offered, such as yoga and nature walks, and diet and exercise is part of the regimen as well.

When the residential period is over, clients will be out in the world again but not alone, as support services continue even once the program is over. Clients will have access to the counselors they worked with during treatment and will be plugged into a network of support groups, meetings, sponsors and other addiction treatment services. If you or someone you know is a performance artist struggling with addiction, drug and alcoholism rehab centers could be the answer to the problem.