Healing shame in substance use recovery through Art Therapy

Shame plays a major role in the lives of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and can affect how they see themselves, how they connect with others, and how they navigate through recovery. Many individuals with SUDs struggle with stigma, past trauma, and low self-worth. This can make it hard to be hopeful, stay engaged in treatment, or believe they can change. Addressing shame is an important part of helping individuals rebuild their identity and strengthen their emotional well-being. This paper explores how shame impacts individuals with SUDs and introduces an 8-week art therapy curriculum (see Appendix A) created for adults in inpatient treatment. The curriculum combines ideas from the Trauma, Addiction, Mental Health, and Recovery model (TAMAR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and Art Therapy to help clients understand their emotions, build self-compassion, and explore their creative expression. Through creating art, clients have a creative and meaningful way to explore their experiences, reduce shame, and develop skills that will support their lifelong recovery.