Many are skeptical about the possibilities of using color for medicinal purposes, considering it almost quackery. But after all, ultraviolet and infrared radiation in medicine has been used for a long time, and this practice does not cause any surprise or doubt in anyone. Why is the healing effect of colors in the visible spectrum considered an invention of alternative medicine representatives?
It’s all about the little study of this phenomenon, therefore, doctors are in no hurry to widely apply it in practice. But the psychotherapeutic effect of flowers is beyond doubt and is widely used both to treat various mental illnesses, depression and neuroses, and to relieve the negative effects of stress.
Color in psychotherapy
Color is nothing more than light reflected from the surfaces of various objects. The difference in its shades is due to the fact that objects are able to reflect light waves of different lengths: from 780 nm (red) to 380 nm (violet).
Thus, color is a form of energy, and like any energy, it is capable of influencing the processes occurring in our body. And some researchers, for example, the biologist E. Shnol, even believe that not electromagnetic impulses move along the nerve fibers in our body, but color streams.
The influence of color on the emotional state of a person is not only well studied, but has long and effectively been used both in psychiatry and in psychotherapy. The energy of color is essential for our life. In conditions of a lack of this type of energy, color hunger occurs, which is expressed:
- depressed;
- feeling of unaccountable anxiety;
- decreased performance;
- chronic fatigue.
These unpleasant sensations are familiar to those who live in a long winter when natural flowers are scarce.
Color is one of the most affordable and gentle means of treating neuroses and depression. Even at the turn of the 20th century, the outstanding psychophysiologist V. M. Bekhterev wrote that “… a skillfully selected range of colors can have a more beneficial effect on the nervous system than other mixtures.”
Red and orange colors in psychotherapy
Different colors have different effects on our mental state. The shades of the red-orange part of the spectrum excite, tone, increase activity and even increase blood pressure. Therefore, these colors are useful for decreased emotional tone and decreased performance.
However, red and orange are aggressive colors and have too strong an effect, so people in depression or simply in a depressed state reject these colors, they are afraid of their energy. But softer shades, such as whitened orange or pink, can be a good remedy for depression, and giving a person a pink elephant will undoubtedly improve their mood and condition in general.
Red also has a negative effect in a state of stress, which is already characterized by an increased level of arousal. If in this state a person is forced to be surrounded by red and orange, then this can lead to a nervous breakdown.
“Hot” colors should be used carefully and dosed in relation to adults, but they are not only useful for children, but also vital. Psychologists compare the bright, saturated red and orange colors with vitamins necessary for the normal mental development and growth of children. Do not worry that from the abundance of red, babies up to 5-6 years old will get overexcited, it rather calms them down than arouses them. Read about children’s color perception here.
Psychotherapeutic effects of blue, blue and purple
Traditionally, it is believed that “cold” colors soothe and relieve increased arousal, therefore, are well suited for overly irritated and aggressive people, as well as for those who are tired of a state of constant nervous tension. This is true, but it should be remembered that dark shades of blue and, especially, purple suppress positive emotions as well.
- These shades can cause feelings of unconscious anxiety, fear, the desire to withdraw, withdraw into oneself.
- And they can aggravate the depressive state, and not calm down at all.
Blue has a much more positive effect. Here he really calms, creating an emotional atmosphere of passive indifference, which is even useful in case of excessive excitability of a person.
Schizophrenia is treated with gentle shades of light blue and silvery blue, and many French psychiatric clinics are planting “blue gardens” with plants and flowers of appropriate shades.
The same can be said for purple. Saturated, dense purple is gloomy and disturbing, but light lilac, which is its shade, is definitely a positive color and is associated with positive emotions, but without increased arousal.
The use of green in psychotherapy
Green is considered neutral. It is in the middle of the spectrum and has neither the exciting red and orange effects, nor the overwhelming effects of blue and violet. Its light shades create a positive mood without diminishing the desire for active interaction with the world. Green improves performance, but does not tire.
- This color is unambiguously useful for all types of nervous disorders, both with increased and decreased emotional tone.
- Green color is good for headaches, especially those associated with nervous or mental strain. And the combination of green and yellow strengthens the nervous system and is a good prevention of neuroses.
But it should be remembered that green is different, and dark green-blue or gray-green shades in many people cause unpleasant feelings of depression and even sometimes disgust. Perhaps associations with spoiled food or rot play a role here.
Using color to overcome the effects of stress
The problem of dealing with stress has recently become especially relevant. But stress is not a disease or a deviation from the mental norm, such as psychosis or depression. Stress is a specific emotional state that mobilizes all the forces of our body to withstand adverse conditions. Therefore, stress is associated with a large expenditure of nervous and physical energy and leads to a number of negative consequences:
- nervous exhaustion;
- on the contrary, overexcitation and increased aggressiveness, which can be difficult to get rid of on your own.
It is in these cases that color therapy is needed, which helps to get rid not of stress (this is a protective reaction necessary for the body), but of its unpleasant, traumatic consequences.
Color treatment also helps with distress – a special type of stress associated with difficult experiences and the inability to solve vital problems.
Color therapy for post-stress conditions
The specificity of stress is such that caution should be used here with “hot” colors, which increase the tone, but excite the already overexcited organism.
Light blue shades are more suitable, but they reduce the activity of the nervous system and, accordingly, the protection of a person in a difficult situation. Indifference and serene detachment of cold colors remove the acuteness of feelings, but under their influence a person does not solve problems, but is removed from them.
The color green is best suited for treating the effects of stress. It acts in several directions at once:
- relieves excessive stress and excitement;
- increases emotional tone and awakens interest in life;
- soothes and strengthens the nervous system.
Useful in post-stress situations and brown, which also calms and gives a feeling of comfort and security.
However, green, even in combination with brown and yellow, is not enough for a person to bounce back after experiencing severe and prolonged stress. It is important for him to feel all the colors of life and again learn to enjoy every moment of it.
In this case, you can use complex color therapy in combination with art therapy. To put it simply, this is drawing multi-colored pictures. It helps to solve many psychological problems, including coping with distress.
Exercise “Draw your joy”
You can use colored pencils, felt-tip pens, or paints to complete this exercise. You will need bright vibrant colors, remember what colors children like to paint with – they know what joy is.
Take a piece of paper and draw what you associate with joy. This could be:
- real picture;
- symbolic image;
- fantastic landscape;
- a portrait of a dear person or pet – whatever you want.
Do not be confused by the fact that you do not know how to draw. Right now, only the feelings and colors that you put into the drawing are important. They, too, should not be realistic, but symbolic, reflecting joy. Let the cat be pink and the rain colorful. Anything you draw will be correct.
Most importantly, avoid blacks, grays and dark shades. You should like the picture, please the eye and cause a kind smile. In the process of drawing, all your positive potential is activated, which is not only able to improve your mood, but also push you to active productive actions. Put the drawing on your desktop or hang it on the wall, let it delight you and cause only good thoughts.
This is just one example of exercise that can help you overcome the negative effects of stress. But you can come up with similar ones yourself:
- draw a dream;
- the happiest memory;
- a place where you would like to visit, etc.
In any case, drawing has a very beneficial effect on the nervous system, and the use of different joyful colors improves its work and cheers up.
