Art to help mental health
An exhibition opening in London today shows pictures by those who use art to deal with their mental illness, reports The Guardian.
The paintings are by artist Bobby Baker, who created over 711 paintings which charts her battle with depression over the last 11 years. Whilst receiving psychiatric treatment, she also decided to paint to give her something to focus on and allowed her to talk more easily to the professionals treating her.
“Recovery is about communicating, so if my pictures can communicate with people in some way, that’s great,” she says. She also calls for a more holistic approach to mental illness by treating the whole body rather than just the mind, and believes that there is more that can be done for mental health services.