Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
Addiction is a word filled with stigmatisation and misconception. Despite substance abuse and addiction being the leading public health problem of our time and the huge economic impact resultant from medical costs and lost productivity, there is little attention and focus from medical and public health groups. From the perception that addiction is a social problem (requiring law enforcement) to the bias and prejudice that blame the afflicted, there are a variety of reasons why this is the case. Preventing addiction and substance abuse is not only about developing the way it is treated but more importantly challenging and changing the way it is viewed. This is where the power of art and creative expression steps in to be the most valuable of tools in the human repertoire.
To use art to challenge the misconceptions surrounding addiction, there are invaluable lessons to learn from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The world, in the past quarter decade, has responded vigorously to tackle the prevention of AIDS, an epidemic that was initially met with extreme prejudice and inhumane practice. This is in part due to the artistic expression of those who suffered and do suffer. Through art, the human experience was used to portray what it meant to suffer from this disease and the consequences it caused for the victims. Much like the artists who documented the AIDs epidemic, artists of our day can provide insights into the fear and isolation of what it is like to be in the grip of addiction. The visual arts are the most salient and personable tool to providing insights into human experiences, and the surest way of triggering understanding and eliciting compassion.
The book ‘Art and Addiction’ is a large collection of diverse stories that tell the stories of those impacted by the disease of addiction. Each image conveys the multitude of emotions, from anger to grief to isolation, presented alongside images of hope and connection of those recovered. Below is a selection of a few artworks.
Recovery by Pedro de Valdivia (2008)
This powerful image ‘Recovery’ by Pedro de Valdivia is a beautiful and visual representation of the psychological journey embodying addiction and recovery. The heart symbolises the soul, personality, and intuition that are at the core of human existence. A figure can be seen walking a tightrope, reaching for the heart, and hanging precariously above the psychological entrapment of drug addiction. De Valdivia found that art allowed him to express his harsh reality and inner turmoil and allowed him to transcend and rise above the prison that the drugs had created.
Deborah Feller was an addiction professional between 1976 and 1989 and then practiced as a private psychotherapist from then forth. Feller also holds a Master of Arts in the History of Art and Archaeology as well as a Master of Fine Arts. Combining science, art and a wealth of professional experience, Feller uses art to portray the narrative of the childhood neglect and abuse that is a consequence of drug and alcohol abuse. In the ‘Toy Soldier’, a young boy can be seen playing with his toy soldiers whilst his mother lies passed out drunk on the floor. This image powerfully captures the isolation and neglect that a child must endure when living in the home of someone suffering with the disease of addiction.
Carmen Beecher is a fine artist based in Florida. Although not suffering from the disease of addiction herself, Beecher witnessed her father’s battle. A battle that was lost when her father took his own life. In the ‘River of Tears’, the crow represents death whilst the bottle resembles spilt blood. Submerged in the blood are images of the deceased loved ones, the ones left behind to deal with pain and sorrow. This portrayal depicts how addiction is not an individual disease but affects all those who surround it and live beside it.
If you too are interested in how art can be the means to tackling health epidemics and bringing compassion to a sometimes cold world, then ‘Art and Addiction’ is the book for you.
