February 10, 2019

How Art Therapy Helps Veterans

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After retiring or getting discharged from the service following tours of duty overseas, many of our former troops have returned home with a lot of heavy mental and emotional baggage. From seeing countless dead bodies on the battlefield to sustaining combat injuries, to witnessing their comrades getting killed, it’s no wonder why many of our veterans end up with serious psychological issues.

Such traumatic events often lead to anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and even paranoia—all of which are manifestations of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What makes it even more unfortunate is that, based on the latest estimates, only 50% of these vets have sought treatment, with just half of that number receiving “minimally adequate treatment.” Perhaps the worst part is the fact that many PTSD sufferers have turned to drugs and alcohol as their outlet to cope with their recurring flashbacks and nightmares or in their misguided attempt at self-medication.

Unknown to many is the significant role art can play in the recovery of PTSD victims. With the constant guidance of a professional art therapist and the victims’ willingness to participate, experts say overcoming the disorder wouldn’t be a difficult task to do.

Healing PTSD through Art

Although talk therapy is the more popular form of treatment for veterans with PTSD, psychologists found that expressing thoughts and emotions through talking isn’t enough to treat the disorder.

With the use of art, however, people diagnosed with PTSD are able to address their negative thoughts in a creative manner, giving them the opportunity to freely express just about anything that’s been holding them back, experts say.

Art therapy allows veterans to remove mental images and ideas and project them into an object through the various media of art such as drawing, painting, and even sculpting. By expressing their feelings creatively and discussing them later on, they can finally confront their traumatic memories, let go of them, and move on with their lives.

Moreover, through art therapy, therapists are able to get access to their patient’s mind, giving them a more in-depth idea of what the patient is going through and, as such, making it easier for them to identify other underlying issues.

Apart from helping patients effectively manage and ease the symptoms of PTSD, art therapy has also been found to be a good alternative to some medication. Some patients who have undergone art therapy say they now depend less on medication to ease the symptoms of PTSD.

Today, art therapy in military facilities has become a widely accepted form of treatment for men and women who have experienced the trauma of war. Creative Forces, a national military healing arts program in the U.S, revealed that 85% of patients at the Walter Reed National Medical Center who have undergone art therapy found the treatment to be effective.

Do Your Part to Help Our Suffering Veterans

Art therapy is just one of the many programs being used to address the mental health issues affecting a good number of our veterans. You can easily participate in the effort to ease the suffering of our nation’s heroes by donating your old and unwanted vehicles to us at Veteran Car Donations.

We auction off donated vehicles and use the proceeds to support the programs of our nonprofit partners that are focused on providing assistance to veterans burdened with service-connected disabilities, mental health issues, lack of jobs, and homelessness due to poverty.

Thanks to these donations, needy veterans are able to get mortgage-free and specially adapted homes, free mental health care, employment opportunities, job training, transitioning assistance, tutoring support and education scholarships, financial assistance, and many other benefits.

Our donors also receive benefits for their charitable contribution as they get to claim the highest possible tax deduction after their vehicle is sold aside from getting free towing services.

For more information on our car donation program, feel free to visit our FAQs page. For inquiries, you can call our toll-free 24/7 hotline 877-594-5822 or send us a message online.

You can donate to Veteran Car Donations by either calling us or filling out our secure online donation form. We accept donations of nearly all types of vehicles wherever you are in the United States since we have car donation programs in all 50 states.

You Can Easily Yet Effectively Help Our Vets

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By knowing how art therapy helps veterans, you will come to the realization that there are many easy yet effective ways of helping our nation’s heroes. Call us at 877-594-5822 and provide one of these ways through your car donation!

Last Updated: August 24th, 2023