The psychiatric community is in favor of using art therapy as a hands-on therapeutic technique. There are several types of art. For those with drug use issues, woodworking is an underrated artistic medium that offers several social and psychological advantages. These are five advantages of woodworking that you might not have known about.
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#1 Increasing Focus
Drug usage rapidly deteriorates cognitive abilities. Hallucinogenics, opioids, and depressants all cause concentration to drop. Users frequently discover that they have difficulty carrying out simple tasks. Although stimulants are occasionally considered an exception to this rule, they aren’t actually an exception at all. People often misuse them in an attempt to sharpen their focus. The opposite result is produced with prolonged usage. It gets harder to focus when under the influence of stimulants since the brain develops reliant on them.
It is possible to retrain the brain like a muscle. Concentration may be developed via woodworking. To avoid mishaps when using saws, drills, and sanders, you have to be extremely cautious. Even little measurement errors might cause a project to lag. You’ll practice lengthening your attention span while you work on the wood pieces. You may train your mind by doing simple tasks like screwing in a piece of wood and recording its location. Gradually, your level of attention will return.
#2 Restoring Normal Brain Chemistry
When addiction reaches its peak, your neurotransmitters malfunction. Alcohol and drugs take over the brain’s reward system. Increased dopamine levels from substances overload the receptors, blocking the reuptake. To try to restore equilibrium, the mind blocks receptors. This makes the healing process more difficult.
Activities that involve carpentry can help the brain produce and receive endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. Your brain will release appropriate amounts of these neurochemicals when you exert your muscles and mental faculties in enjoyable activities. They lessen the symptoms of mental disease and control mood. Your brain will reopen receptors when it becomes aware of the changes in neurotransmitters over time. You’ll start to experience delight on a healthy plane.
#3 Improving Your Ability to See
People going through recovery from a drug use problem come across a lot of difficult circumstances. This is an essential component of healing. Many people relapse as a result of the emotions associated with stress. It’s critical to approach issues rationally rather than irrationally. Objectivity and spatial skills are foundational abilities of logic. Fortunately, there are ways to teach these components throughout addiction therapy.
One technique to enhance spatial thinking is via woodworking. The association between spatial abilities and carpentry was investigated in a 2014 research that was published in Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training. Researchers discovered that compared to the general population, those who construct things out of wood have better spatial understanding. Additionally, they discovered that during the kinetic learning process, improvements in the application and comprehension of spatial information occur at statistically significant levels.
Although we aren’t always conscious of it, employing spatial abilities is crucial to getting by when in recovery. Making a daily calendar with appointments and arranging your possessions in a sober living facility room are two examples of spatial awareness.
#4 Engaging the Entire Brain
Although wooden things appear simple, their manufacture is a complex process. Working with wood requires a complicated brain system. It requires hand-eye coordination, creativity, arithmetic, logic, memory, spatial thinking, and emotions. Your entire brain is working as you organize and carry out your job. The hemispheres of the brain’s positive neural connections get stronger. When negative brain circuits associated with drug use disorders are not used, they become less strong. Engaging in whole-brain activities promotes neuroplasticity in a way that helps those who struggle with addiction.
#5 Establishing Friendships
Many persons with substance use problems only socialize with other people who use or drink before receiving treatment. After a residential treatment program, going back into those connections may promote relapses. Those who are committed to their recovery might find it helpful to cut off or separate themselves from these relationships. As an alternative, people might seek solace in brand-new friendships. Rather of using drugs, they ought to bond over common interests.
In woodshops, people in recovery can make new companions. Everyone shares workbenches and tools a lot. This encourages cooperation and cohabitation. A chance for socializing exists. The setting is helpful to those who have trouble reading social cues. There’s already a conversation starter in the room. You are free to ask a lot of questions in this area:
What are you producing?
Do you like picking up new skills?
When did you start doing woodworking?
What sort of wood is your favorite?
Could you assist me with [insert challenging skill here]?
Which hues are you using to paint your project?
In addition to meeting people in common areas, woodworking and carpentry groups are widely available worldwide. Many guilds provide video instructions on various tasks on their websites. Join the growing and enthusiastic community of woodworkers.