Combatting Addiction with Music Therapy

“Where words fail, music speaks,” Hans Christian Andersen is quoted as saying. We all know that music speaks to us, that it is a form of self-expression and can change a mood or evoke an emotion like words never can. One simple song can convey to others how you feel or even change your mood. It is why music therapy should be a vital part of your drug and alcohol treatment plan that science and clinical research supports.

Music therapy is an established health practice where music is used as to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of a person. According to the American Music Therapy Association, it also provides an avenue for communication that can be helpful when an individual cannot express themselves in words. Because addiction is an unconscious way of coping with negative emotions, music therapy helps to identify those feelings and manage them in a more productive manner.

Music therapy provides the opportunity to interact with music through playing an instrument, listening, dancing, singing, and, perhaps, even writing songs or lyrics regardless of a past musical background. Studies have shown that drumming provides relaxation and can be useful for patients who have experienced repeated relapses, and movement to music is associated with a decrease in anxiety, depression, anger, and stress.

In fact, further research has shown that playing an instrument or listening to music can engage the reward systems in the brain—the same systems that are enacted during drug use.

Music therapy for addiction

Other Benefits of Music Therapy Include:

 

  • Improving working memory and brain function
  • Boosting mindfulness and self-awareness
  • Improving social skills
  • Enhancing problem-solving and coping skills
  • Increasing positivity
  • Relieving stress
  • Reducing muscle tension

Another great benefit of music therapy is it works for people of all ages. The songs and style of music may be different, but there is something for everyone. It is also a powerful tool to help attract someone you know who is struggling with addiction to seek help.  Music therapy, especially during the early part of treatment, can help with the immense emotional highs and lows of withdrawals an addict experiences.

At Florida Coast Recovery, our beautiful drug and alcohol detox center located in South Florida offers music therapy as well as a number of other therapies to give you or someone you love the best chance of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. It’s our multi-disciplinary approach which includes holistic therapy to addiction and treatment that allows us to help individuals achieve and maintain a life of serenity.

We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us today at 877-251-6570 to learn more about music therapy or our other treatment plans and find out how we can help you live your best possible life.

Sources

  1. http://www.musictherapy.org/about/quotes/
  2. http://www.recovery.org/topics/art-music-therapy-addiction/#musdef
  3. http://alcohol.addictionblog.org/music-therapy-in-addiction-recovery/
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4268880/