Many artists are battling mental health problems that could have been prevented in the first place. They face different challenges that can take a toll on their creativity, profession, and health.

Therefore, it is imperative for artists to implement some health strategies to save their health and prevent possible mental health illnesses. For an artist to remain at their best, they need to be physically and mentally strong.

Here are some health tips that artists can apply

Stay hydrated

Just like everyone, artists need to keep up their hydration game for optimal health performance. If you don’t want to disrupt your creative process, it is important to take enough water each day. You will discover that you will remain refreshed and invigorated regularly.

Physical exercise

Many people are unaware that beyond the physical benefits of working out, your mental health also benefits from regular exercise.

One of the best ways to boost your mood and remain clear-headed is to exercise. Therefore, you can create a schedule for yourself where you work out 3-4 times a week, 30 minutes/1 hour for those days.

Take a break

If you keep forcing yourself to create every time, you might get burned out. Therefore, spare some time to take a break from work and recuperate.

You can do other things in your spare time apart from your creative craft. This might be the perfect opportunity to bond with friends and family.

Perhaps, one of the reasons why you’ve been battling creative block is because you’ve been isolating yourself.

Don’t compare yourself

It is easy to get discouraged when you feel that other artists are doing better than you. However, you need to remember that everyone has a different path.

The success that some artists are reaping today is a result of years of hard work.

Therefore, you can use their success as a morale booster to get to the top. If you keep comparing yourself, you will always remain demotivated because you will keep seeing more reasons that you are not good enough.

Over time, different studies have tried to establish the connection between creativity and mental illness. However, it is important to mention that mental illness is not a respecter of persons or skillset. This means that anyone can develop mental health problems.

Artists, too, encounter pressure due to the nature of their work, which can make some of them develop mental illness in the long run.  

Here are some of the signs of mental health issues in artists

Burnout

This occurs when the artist finds it difficult to create. It might be hard for them to get inspiration until after a long time of rest and a needed break from work. If this happens regularly, then they are probably battling mental health problems.

Sleeping problems

Another sign that comes with mental health issues is insomnia or somnolence. The artist will discover that they find it hard to sleep or they sleep frequently. This might be due to an underlying issue that they are unaware of.

Low self esteem

The confidence of some artists might reduce over time. This might come because of criticism of their work, insufficient income level, etc. When these issues accumulate over time, it makes them lose their confidence, and they struggle to remain creative.

Relationship problems

Some artists have poor relationships with people because of underlying mental health problems. They cannot maintain a good relationship for a long time without conflicts which usually ends in separation.

Anxiety and depression

Many artists battle anxiety and depression for a long list of reasons. For instance, it might be due to inconsistent work or income. It might also be due to creative block and self-doubt. Some artists also experience mental illnesses due to intake of substances like alcohol and drugs.

It is important for artists to seek help when they discover that they are acting beyond normal. They can get treated for mental health problems from professionals like therapists or counselors, who will restore their mental health to normalcy.

Artists suffer from mental health problems but we do not pay much attention to this. They are humans and this implies that they are prone to mental health problems just like anyone else. In their case, theirs is worse because of the make-up of their personality.

Now, artists are not wired like regular humans; in the process of uncovering their creativity, some modifications in the brain has occurred.

This implies that they would see the world and life in a whole new light, different from how we see it. Hence, it is very likely for them to have mental health problems or even get addicted.

Mental health problems increase daily, and it is expedient for people like artists to always seek help and keep in touch with mental health therapists. These professions are vast in what they do, they help to restore the affected individual to a state of normalcy.

When artists go through problems in their lives, the only way they can express themselves is to practice their craft.

Therefore, you would find out that, creative individuals who are good at their craft, are either happy, sad or good lovers. For a good number of artists, they have a poor mental health and this reflects in their mood disposition.

It is important for artists to always care for their mental health because it determines to a long extent, how well they would thrive in their career. Artists who have mental health problem would not practice for a long time.

One way they can go about this is to go for health checks on a daily basis. This would help to forestall any signs of mental health problem. During this period, it is also quintessential that they have a counselor who they talk to on a regular basis.

A counselor is a skilled professional who understands the nitty-gritty of human psychology. They would be able to detect if the artist is on the verge of a mental health breakdown or not.

Addiction is no respecter of persons, it can affect people of various races, color and age. Also, irrespective of your profession, addiction can affect you if care is not taken. The only difference is, people are affected by varying degrees depending on how challenging their profession is.

One of those professionals that are prone to getting seriously addicted are artists.

When addiction sets in, in their lives, their mental capacity becomes reconfigured automatically. And this is the end-result of a frequent occurrence of a certain activity, which might be the ingestion of substances or acting out an activity.

Below are some reasons why artists get addicted

1. Peer pressure: This is one of the major reasons why addiction is common among artists. When they see their colleagues drinking or taking drugs, they are often perceived as cool. Not wanting to be left behind, some of these artists join them in taking these substances and they become addicted later on.

• Relief from stress: Another reason why artists get addicted is because of stress. A good number of them face huge workloads each passing day and it affects them. So, in trying to help themselves, they take substances that makes them addicted in the long run.

• Boost creativity: For some artists, one of the ways they boost their creativity, is to indulge in their addiction. When they do this, it becomes easier for them to draw away freely. In the long run, these artists would realize that the benefits are only short-lived, and the only way they can help themselves is to take care of their mental health.

There are a truckload of negative effects that are attached to an artist’s addiction. Some of them could have erectile dysfunction. Others could have heart-related problems, liver and kidney diseases. For women, they could experience menstrual problems, alongside with regular sweating, constipation and itching.

Eventually, some artists die because of addiction, and this could have been averted if there was no addiction in place.

Artists are a set of people who are very passionate about what they do. However, they are also easily taken into addictive proclivities.

From studies, it has been seen that a good number of artists, including those who were popular or not, have battled with addiction in the past, without anyone knowing at first. Later, it was discovered that they had been combatting it for long, but it was too late to help out by then.

Now, there is a seeming similarity between the life of a typical artist and addictive proclivities. It is a known fact that addiction can take place in any aspect of the society. Artists and addicts are people who can be categorized as being impetuous, and they are also known to be individuals who love seeking pleasure.

The common types of addiction which is found among artists are usually alcohol, drugs and sex, and they are basically used to relieve themselves of stress, alongside satisfying themselves. Owing to the fact that artists are individuals who love pleasure, the aforementioned types of addiction are pleasure-inducing. Hence, you can expect that they would be attracted to them.

For instance, when it comes to sex addiction, it is a different ball game for the artist. This is because they take sex like an explorative way of life. They are very sensitive about all what sex entails, every move and patterns which are embedded in the act of making love. They also employ this in broadening their artistic way of life.

When it comes to drugs, it is a similar pattern. Some artists take drugs because it aids them to think outside the box, it widens their perceptions about conventional themes and ideas, thus giving them an edge over other artists who do not indulge in drugs.

However, the sad part is, with time, the excessive intake of drugs affects them adversely. In some cases, some of these artists come down with chronic health problems which have the tendency to take their lives.

For alcohol, it is also the same. It is often taken because it helps them to combat their negative emotions. Hence, whenever they are anxious or depressed, alcohol seems to be the major way out.

Advisably, the addiction rehab for artists should be customized, as the conventional one would be of little or no help to them.

Some artists may find themselves struggling with several circumstances in that of their personal life, but as a consequence of such they may find themselves in a battle with drugs and/or alcohol. However, no matter what addiction(s) they are faced with, there is always at least one factor－and/or series of factors－that serves as a cause for their consumption. Some of these factors are listed as follows; 1. Stress, and/or 2. Unfulfillment. For, these two components contribute greatly to both experienced and upcoming artists in that of the art world.

First and foremost is stress which is the most common reason that one faces addiction. But, with artists, as they endure a significant amount of it－which comes with the pressure to succeed－they may find themselves turning to drugs or alcohol to cope with their emotions. Then, depending on how they are handling certain situations mentally, this can cause such to stem into addiction. Oftentimes, artists may even have high expectations set for them－either by themselves or others－and if not met the pressure can trigger substance abuse. For, the substance(s) can cause a quick fix－and/or the relief they “need” from those unruly feelings－in a short amount of time.

Second is unfulfillment which runs parallel with that of high expectations. But, in addition to such, artists might find themselves unable to establish themselves, “get their feet off the ground”, or may feel as though they are insignificant/unrecognized to that of the public eye. Unfortunately, this can be quite discouraging as one begins to both contrast and compare himself/herself with another’s work, or success. In turn, some artists may even include their struggle with addiction in various pieces, which can be seen as a cry for help. An example of this can be seen through Vincent Van Gogh as he struggled with substance abuse, and depicted such within that of his work.

In conclusion, artists must be careful not to let stress, unfulfillment, and/or other high pressured situations within that of their career affect them negatively－because if they do such can take a turn for the worst. However, if one surrounds himself/herself with people, places, and things which stimulate that of his/her mental and emotional health, he/she can be better equip when difficult situations present themselves. Not only that, but there art can pose as beneficial, by serving as an outlet for them to express their emotions in a healthy way, aiding in a healthy mental state, and an addiction free life.

It is no secret that artists are commonly plagued by mental disorders. This is not because artists are broken people. It is because the creative mind is a fragile, delicate one. It has to be to achieve the level of sensitivity that being an artist requires. The difficulty in this is that the psyches of artists are so often wounded by negative life circumstances and their mental health struggles desperately. Artists who are struggling severely with a mental disorder should admit themselves to an anxiety and depression center. Some of the more common mental disorders that are associated with artists are described below.

• Depression is one of our society’s most common mental disorders, and is also one of the most common among artists. Artists are very sensitive people who pick up on the emotions in the people and in the environment around them. They are more deeply aware of the sadness and tragedy in the world, as well as within themselves. This makes them highly prone to mental disorders like depression and leaves them requiring medication and counseling in order to cope with the world around them.
• Anxiety is another mental disorder that is found in many households across North America. It entails feelings of dread and panic at the thought or the presence of what the individual is afraid of. This stressful disorder hits artists hard because artists have huge imaginations. These imaginations can be used for good, to conceive artistic projects and concepts, but they can also be used for bad, imagining in detail every bad thing that could come of any given situation.
• ADD and ADHD are hyperactivity disorders that make a person think or act rampantly and impulsively without proper organization of the information. These types of disorders are common among artists, whose impulsive nature is a trademark of their personality. Artists are circular, free thinkers who reject structure on most levels, including within their own brains.

One of the amazing things about the arts is, though it attracts personalities who struggle with addiction, the arts themselves are actually a remedy for addiction. Art creation is a known way of sorting out one’s thoughts on addiction in order to overcome it, which makes it a therapeutic tool, but art creation is also a source of pride for those who are skilled at it, which makes it a motivating tool. These are two major necessities to implement into one’s life when they are working to recover from addiction.

Art as therapy is a frequently utilized addiction recovery tool in the mental health industry. There are many ways that art therapy helps a person work through their addiction issues in order to overcome them. Art allows an addict total freedom and control over their art project, which is liberating after being ravaged by and subservient to their addiction for so long. Recovering addicts are free to express themselves however they want to, whether it is through drawing or painting, literal images or abstract ones. One commonality that has been observed throughout the art projects of addicts is that the art represents the addiction like an entity – a malicious, conscious force that is wreaking havoc on their lives. This does a lot to separate the addiction from their own identity.

Those who have a passion for visual art can reap another kind of reward from creating it: that of motivation. When addicted artists honor their talent enough to put aside their addiction and pursue it seriously, they have a strong motivation for seeing their recovery through. This is a form of believing in one’s self, which is always a nod towards good mental health. As an addict shifts their focus from indulging in their addiction to creating worthwhile, meaningful art, their mind, time and talent is occupied, which naturally transitions them away from their addictive tendencies. This has been found to be a very effective method of recovering from addiction.

Artists can be very passionate, driven people, but can also be the kind of person who is drawn into addictive tendencies. It has been observed that many artists, both well known and obscure, have historically struggled with addiction. There is a noted connection between the arts community and addictive tendencies. The reason for this is the profile of an addict and the profile of an artist have similar attributes. Addiction can be found in any part of society, but there are some particular similarities that can be drawn between an artist and an addict. Both addicts and artists are classified as impulsive, pleasure-seeking and intent people, and it is these comparable tracks of thought that often embody artistry and addictive tendencies within the same person.

Several common addictions that are found among artists are sex, drugs and alcohol. Because artists are very sensitive and very pleasure-seeking, these pleasure-inducing activities are frequently vices to their lives and their professions. Sex addiction is found in many different lifestyles, but for artists, this intimate and erotic act becomes an area of intent thought, focus and even artistic exploration. Drugs are very commonly addictive to artists because of their natural desire to expand their minds and bend their thought patterns. Drugs alter the perception and give the user an alternate way of experiencing reality, which is a readily available way of thinking outside the box. And alcohol is often the favorite remedy for negative emotions among artists. Many artists are so sensitive that they cannot sort through their overwhelming emotions, and instead drown them with alcohol.

However, the same personality facets that contribute to addictive tendencies also inspire artistic drive, making it up to the artist to choose wisely on how and where to focus their energy. Their appreciative nature, which can get them stuck on a pleasurable substance or activity, can also be what makes them appreciate the world of the spirit and of nature more. Their tendency to want to see the world from a different angle is the same quality that helps them create truly original art. And their highly emotive tendencies can help them empathize with their audience and make them connect to their work.

Anyone who has ever been friends with an artist can attest to the fact that they are unconventional people. They are commonly impulsive, unpredictable and extreme. The unique combination of mental faculties that enable them to create art also give them a largely unconventional lifestyle. The fact of the matter is, an artist needs these unique thought patterns and brain mechanisms in order to maintain their abilities as an artist, however, they can also cause artists problems. Artists are known for their reckless, unpredictable ways – a common bi-product to the functioning of an artist’s brain.

Creativity is the most obvious attribute of an artist’s personality. Their talent and vocation depends on their ability to be creative, so they need to exercise their creative imagination regularly. The downside to this personality trait is an extreme dislike for the confines of structure. A creative mind expects to be able to disseminate and recreate everything they are involved in, as well as reject authority figures.

Fluidity is another commonly observed aspect of an artist’s personality. When someone’s personality is fluid, it means they are likely to be ever changing and are highly unpredictable. Artists often possess this trait because they are fluid in their imaginations, entertaining a range of ideas and sampling different outlooks to see which one suits them. Negatively speaking, this trait can influence someone to be wishy-washy and generally unstable.

And lastly, artists are very passionate people. In a world that grossly undervalues its artists, passion is necessary in order to see to the creative process. Artists can attest to the fact that their work means everything to them, which is why one can frequently observe an artist working for countless hours on end. The drawback to this personality type is that artists can be overly emotional, about their work and about life in general. Artists are known for their extreme sensitivity and their tendency to make choices based on their emotions.