| Abstract [eng] |
Alcohol dependence affects not only drinking behaviour, but also how a person sees themselves, how they experience relationships with close others, accept help, and feel within a community. Therefore, in the recovery process, it is not only the cessation of alcohol use that becomes important, but also the gradual restoration of the relationship with the self and others. In this context, group art therapy makes it possible to explore sensitive experiences that are difficult to express in words through the creative process, images, symbols, colours, bodily sensations, and shared reflection. The aim of this study was to reveal the dynamics of the relationship with the self and others among individuals with alcohol dependence in the process of group art therapy. The study analysed scientific literature on the experience of alcohol dependence, the recovery process, and the importance of the relationship with the self and others. The possibilities of applying group art therapy in rehabilitation were discussed. The participants’ artworks were analysed by relating their formal elements to verbal reflections. The main themes of the reflections were identified, and the three participant cases were compared. A qualitative study was conducted using a three-case analysis design. The empirical research took place at the “Aš esu” rehabilitation centre for individuals with addictions. The study analysed the artworks of three participants, their verbal reflections after experiential art therapy tasks, and data from an anonymous questionnaire. The data were analysed using formal elements analysis of artworks and thematic analysis of verbal reflections according to Braun and Clarke. The study revealed that several themes recurred across the experiences of all three participants: the need for safety, issues of boundaries and opening up, changes in self-experience, relationships with close and other significant people, the importance of the group / community, and the theme of the recovery path. The artworks helped to show how participants’ experiences were expressed not only through words, but also through visual expression. The findings suggest that group art therapy can provide a meaningful space for individuals with alcohol dependence to explore their relationship with the self and others through creativity, reflection, and shared group experience. |
