Music is a universal language, so why not use music in healing? When we are seeking treatment for substance use, each of us has different methods that speak to us. Healing is more effective when we find methods that we relate to the best. Whether our musical interests are in listening or creating or anywhere in between, we can all find a little healing with music.
Music as Therapy
Music is all around us. How often do we find ourselves humming a song and not even knowing how it got into our heads? Whether it came from an outside source, like a TV show or movie, or just popped into our head from a memory, music has great power. It is no wonder, then, that beginning in the 1970s, people began to look at using music as therapy in treatment for substance use.
Music is relatable, memorable, and can inspire all different kinds of emotions and responses. Music that is familiar can help us feel safe and comfortable, while other music can be used to help us reach an emotional place that we might not be able to reach on our own or with talk therapy. For example, if we are struggling to grieve a loss, playing sad music may be able to put us in touch with those emotions inside of us and allow us to process those emotions so we can finally move on.
Music can also trigger us. Whether there are certain artists or songs that were closely entwined with our substance use, or with people with whom we used substances, we can learn to use music to our advantage instead of the other way around. Being able to access the power of music for ourselves in our healing gives us even more control over our success.
Relaxation
While we are in treatment, we experience so many different states and emotions. If we are struggling emotionally, are tense, or “stuck,” music can be used to help us relax. In fact, activities such as drumming have been used therapeutically to help those who have experienced multiple relapses to be able to relax within treatment.
Whether it is listening or participating in music-related activities, the ability to calm and relax us while we are experiencing so many different emotions and changes is very powerful. As we learn this concept within treatment, we can also take the idea with us for our recovery journey and use music and activities to relax us anytime we need help relaxing, even on a daily basis if necessary. Music is a simple tool that extends well beyond our initial treatment.
Mental Health
The use of music to promote mental health seems obvious: music has the power to affect our moods. For example, when we are sad, a sad song can make us even sadder. Or when we listen to an uplifting song, it can alleviate some of our sadness. However, in treatment, music-related activities such as moving to music can actually decrease anxiety, depression, stress, anger, and more. Again, these are skills that are easily transferrable post-treatment that can help us to maintain mental health throughout our lifetime.
Listening to Heal
Most of us listen to music wherever we are. Whether we choose the tunes or we listen wherever we happen to be, there is music everywhere. In therapy, though, we listen to heal. We might do exercises where we listen to just the lyrics. We might listen to the mood or feel of the music. We can listen to music and do movement to it, play instruments with it, or any number of activities that help us listen.
The healing is twice as powerful when we are listening and moving. Our negative emotions or memories can be released as we move, inspired by the music. Our brains react differently when we not only hear music, but also move to the music, and that helps us to heal, too.
Creating to Heal
There are many ways to be creative in treatment, including arts, crafts, dance, and music. Not only does creativity appeal to many people, but the use of creativity also helps our emotions to start flowing again, and we can process our emotional wounds and pain more freely. Creativity allows people to heal who struggle to open up in more traditional therapeutic methods. By writing lyrics or music, we are able to express our emotions and give ourselves healing.
Music for Recovery
The power of music can be ours when we utilize it in recovery. From listening to activities to creating our own music, there are so many ways in which music can help us to heal. Music can help us to relax as nothing else can. Music can help prevent depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and more. When we invite music into our healing process, we will never be disappointed. Music speaks to our souls, and when our souls are wounded, music can be the salve that helps us to heal.
At Rancho Milagro Recovery, we use music therapy in our treatment process. Call us at (951) 526-4582 so we can tell you about how music therapy may help you. Find out about all of our therapies, including equine therapy and art therapy, all of which can be a part of your healing process. Your life is worth more than just a song. We can help you hear the music of healing.