Art as Therapy, Part 1

Written by: Olivia Gyapong

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, those fifty-five years of age and older accounted for more than seventy-one percent of the United States’ suicides in 2016. Why is that? Well, the CDC cites loss as one of the risk factors for suicide. As people age, loss snakes its way through life. Some lose their memory, others motor function, loved ones...any combination of things. Losing parts of your identity piece by piece has debilitating effects, culminating in the loss of the will to live for many who feel they have nothing left to lose. Yet, what if there was a way to stave off and/or reverse the effects of loss? People of all ages are joining the ranks of those who use some form of art as therapy- including caregivers. I met with Ellen Lebedow, Manager of Social Services at Riderwood in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Ms. Lebedow has been managing a team of social workers at Riderwood for several years, now. Every year, each one of her social workers helps hundreds of the 2,400 residents. While Ms. Lebedow says that there is no typical case, a common issue among those who seek assistance is loneliness which, Ms. Lebedow attests, can “lead to cognitive decline and the beginning of dementia.”

So, how does being lonely put someone at higher risk of a brain disease? Well, there are several networks of neurons originating in your brain that control different functions of your body. One of these networks is called the salience network. The neurons of the salience network dictate “cognitive control, the maintenance and execution of tasks, and the ranking of behavioral responses.” It is suggested by the NIH that the salience network “reacts to behaviorally salient events.” When one puts themselves in these scenarios that test their behavioral and social health (the behaviorally salient events), they are exercising their salience network which can improve control of motor functions and improve their control of their behaviors- the loss of which are widely known symptoms of dementia. The NIH has also concluded that those who engage in a moderate to high amount of social activity were 14.4% more likely to outlive those who engaged in neither social nor physical activity.

One of the best ways to boost social health is through group art classes. One of the regions in which the salience network operates is the anterior cingulate cortex which “is involved in creativity.” Therefore, if you exercise creativity in a social setting, like group art classes, you will improve the function of your anterior cingulate cortex and, thereby, your all-important salience network.

“We are [certainly] learning how important the arts are [in therapy],” Ms. Lebedow said. “[We] encourage attention to the creative side.” Riderwood now has three music therapists on site. Ms. Lebedow notes that many of those who come to her seeking help for someone they are concerned for are friends or family members, not professional caregivers. “[They] come to us because they can’t solve challenges on their own; they need help navigating their challenges. [People say], ‘I didn’t even realize I was a caregiver.’ Anyone who cares for someone is in a caregiving role,” Ms. Lebedow says.

If you are someone who finds yourself in such a position, you can certainly seek advice from a social worker or professional caregiver, but another possibility is enrolling in an art class.

Caregivers who feel like they are constantly pouring their energy into those whom they care for can attend painting sessions, dance classes, pottery classes, etc. and have a good time themselves while strengthening their bond with the person they care for. Art, in any form, is about being in the moment and searching your soul so that your work may have meaning. It is hard to come by anything more cathartic and self-nurturing than that.
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