Music is something people can take for granted but many people love to listen to different styles of music to influence mood or behavior. Listening to a happy song can be quite uplifting and release feelings of despair. It can be difficult to explain a mood to people but music can often point straight to the heart of it and really be powerful.
Defining Music Therapy
Music therapy can be defined as clinical and evidence-based use of music to accomplish individual goals therapeutically. With the use of music therapy, the power of music provides a controlled space to effectively empower a person. The goals of treatment are established right away during the first session and therapy may involve some type of music creation or listening exercises.
Benefits
Myriad benefits can help people in recovery from addiction. Some of the following benefits have been reported:
- Stress reduction
- Increased relaxation
- Lower blood pressure
- Depression levels can lower
- Music may protect the heart
- Improved communication skills for individuals on the autism spectrum
- Support for coping with anxiety
- Create meditative states within the listener
- Improved concentration levels
- Ward off illness
- Reduce muscle tension
Music Therapy and Addiction
Music therapy helps people who are seeking to overcome addiction. The benefit of music therapy for people recovering from addiction includes the ability to process the myriad emotions coming at them from all angles in early recovery. A common reason people relapse is difficulty managing stress levels. Listening to or creating music can be a wonderful stress booster. Boredom on the other hand is a relapse trigger for some and music can relieve feelings of boredom. When people first become sober, it is possible to experience loneliness due to breaking away from the network of friends who used substances. Music is good for helping people heal and feel a little bit less alone in the world.
Music therapy can help people in recovery when it is used by a credentialed professional who went through an approved program. It is not necessary for people to have musical abilities prior to receiving treatment. They may not even like music but music therapy can be of benefit to people of all ages. Therapy techniques when used in combination with music can have powerful repercussions which can boost a person’s self esteem, confidence and sense of ability to work through the challenges recovery brings.
Cypress Lakes incorporates music therapy to help people open up to addiction treatment and recovery. Music therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on people’s recovery. We believe music therapy is a great addition to other therapeutic supports available at Cypress Lakes by our trained professional staff. Call us to get started: 877-938-1577