Date of Award

Summer 8-9-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MAE - Master of Arts in Expressive Therapies

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Marisol Norris

Abstract

Substance Use Disorder is a public health problem that impacts society and individuals on many levels. In 2016, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) documented 64,000 deaths in America due to overdose (NIDA, 2017). The economic burden related to substance abuse is estimated at $740 billion annually in the United States (Priddy et al., 2018). High rates of relapse, approximately 60% in the first year after treatment, (Priddy et al., 2018, p.103), suggest the need for more effective treatment. A combination of trauma-informed practice and creative therapies in the treatment of substance use disorders show promising results. This literature review examines research about how trauma-informed creative therapies can facilitate healing on psychosocial, biological, and neurochemical levels. Above all else, addiction research points to the importance of repairing an individual’s sense of dignity and enriching our surrounding cultures with health fostering practices. Efforts to raise awareness and eliminate stigma will brighten the future of addiction treatment and may help foster post-traumatic growth, making for remarkably resilient individuals and communities.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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