Drawing in therapy.

I was wondering if anyone has used drawing to connect to feelings and help get those feeling across to T. because of the inability to talk.

My T and I have suspected I have DID for a couple months. When emotions become too much I "Switch" and show all the symptoms of DID but in the dissociated state I mumble (according to T) don't talk and can't verbalize what I am feeling.

She had me draw a picture of what I was feeling. After I handed it to her we began conversing and 5 or so minutes later she held it up and asked me if I recognized it. I knew I drew it partly because I remembering her asking me to but I also was holding the green colored pencil but the picture looked strange to me.

Has anyone else's T. had them do this??? Thanks....

yea I have had this happen to me. my therapist told me its just common place will all kinds of mental disorders, to do things I cant remember doing like drawing, coloring, becoming aware that I am somewhere I wouldnt normally be....

My wife tells me sometimes in my bipolar/manic phases I appear to be dissociative to where I dont recognize her or things I have done once I am stable again. it even happens with my PTSD/anxiety/ and other physical and mental problems.

directly related to my dissociative disorders my diagnosis at the moment is depersonalization/derealization/dissociative amnesia and with those sometimes I draw/color or do other things I dont always remember. this happens during therapy and outside of therapy, which means my dissociative problems are not localized to just when I am in therapy. I know some people who dissociate only during therapy and in them its because they are being triggered by something (the room doesnt feel comfortable, they are not comfortable with the treatment provider....) my dissociating is trigger related but happens any time I am triggered out side of therapy as well as inside. therefore one of my therapy tools is doing things like drawing/coloring outside of therapy as well as inside therapy as a way to reground and calm/self nurture.

in the past I had a diagnosis of DID. my alternate personalities have all been integrated but before integration it was common place for me to switch into alternate personalities and do things I did not remember, like drawing coloring, going to bars, picking up men/women, and other things. I had many alters that used writing/drawing as a form of communication because they were trained not to tell what the abusers had done. some also drew and colored just for the the activity. my therapist says its just part of the disorder to have alters that did things I wouldnt normally do.

here where I live and work its a therapy approach, treatment providers (doctors, therapists, psychiatrists...) use for all kinds of mental and physical health problems, with all types of clients (adults, children, male, female....) I even know a physically deaf / mute (from domestic violence situation) person who carries around her own tablet with a drawing/writing program on it that she uses to communicate with friends/family/treatment providers.

I regularly use art to communicate when it is difficult to speak. It is also a coping mechanism for me. I use art in therapy to connect to things in the moment, however when the moment is past, I don't necessarily connect to it emotionally anymore. I know I did the work, I know I was trying to communicate stuff with it, and generally know (intellectually) what I was trying to communicate, but the emotional connection is gone. It not the same as you are describing, but I do disconnect from it at times (and with things I write). I am not DID, but highly dissociative, so that probably makes a difference...

Did you find it helpful at all? I think art can be a hugely helpful therapeutic tool, but I also may be biased

My t has asked us to draw but some of us don't want the feelings. So we aren't allowed to draw. There are feelings of fear with drawing. I think in time we will be able to draw. Maybe at home. But I do think it is a good way for the little ones to express themselves.

Yes yes I used to do this all the time in therapy. I found it very helpful. Starting a new T soon and I hope I can draw there, too. There are times when I can't talk, only make noises but I can draw -- especially with nondominant hand.
Sometimes if I am in a bad place and can't talk, hubby will draw pictures back and forth with me until I can come out of it.

Thanks for the replies. @ Thiswayout I think it was helpful to get across what I was feeling. While I was drawing T. said she asked me who I was and my age but I just mumbled incoherently and kinda rocked back and forth.

I have dissociated for a long time but this is new behavior and unfamiliar.