Can listening to your favorite songs, playing an instrument, or songwriting have a truly positive effect on your mental health?
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Music cannot cure you of your mental illness(es) but some believe it can subside certain symptoms.
Me, Mental Health, and Music
I was in my twenties when I was finally diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Before I knew the name or definition of my condition and before I sought therapy for my disorder, I wrote songs to cope with anxiety. I had no idea at that time that my love for writing and singing over instrumentals or YouTube Type Beats during a state of anxiousness was a therapeutic practice called Music Therapy.
History, Mental Health, and Music
Music Therapy is using various forms of music for therapeutic purposes. According to the Wikipedia page Music Therapy, the practice of Music Therapy is as old as the Bible. The prophet David helped improve King Saul's mental state by playing music. Nevertheless, the first recording of the musical practice being used was in 1789. A few methods used in Music Therapy to treat mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression include listening to music, songwriting, as well as playing instruments. Furthermore, the Sound Well Music Therapy article Music Therapy and Mental Health describes how music can be specifically used to improve an individual's mental health. In the present day, people including YouTuber Bobby Nsenga create playlists dedicated to bettering a person's mental state. I enjoy playing a few of Bobby's playlists when I am not feeling my best. Here is one of my favorite go-to playlists by Bobby Nsenga titled Falling in Love With Life Again - Playlist:
Georgia, Mental Health, and Music
The World Health Organization stated that 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder (WHO 2022). While the Wellbeing Port claims that ...one in five adults in Georgia battles mental illness (WBP 2022). For those that are able to seek medical help for their mental illness(es), one of the methods used in some Georgia Medical institutions is Music Therapy. Moreover, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, as well as Metro Music Therapy, are just two of the many Medical organizations that use Music Therapy for mental health. Do you believe music can improve a person's mental state? Do you think that music can remedy some of the symptoms of certain mental? Have you found music to be helpful for your mental and emotional state?
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CC Attribution:
"Brain nebula" by ezhikoff is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
"Headphones (hanging in a tree)" by Alexandre Dulaunoy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
"Grant Hospital Sign" by Friscocali is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Very interesting topic. I appreciate that music can definitely affect our moods. Certainly movies and tv shows capitalize on this as they design the soundtrack to evoke or at least coordinate with the emotions of the scenes.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder though seeing so many people who spend nearly 24/7 with headphones on. Is it a crutch or even an addiction? So many people never learn to self-sooth and always have to have this distracting or pacifying sound in their ears.
I have known people who were youngest of multiple kids that needed background sound or they get nervous. Then there are only children types who had total silence whenever they were studying or sleeping.
It is great to find something that helps. But also important to recognize that it isn't realistic to expect the world to be ok with every person off in their own little world all the time. We are social creatures that need to learn to interact successfully with others even if it takes us outside our comfort-zone.
Thanks
Ab
Thanks so much, Ab for your insightful comment!
DeleteThis blog is everything I want when I think of a blog. It's so exciting, and vibrant. Music therapy is great way to relax for several people. Music is a way to help people cope with their feelings and stress.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Vannah for your kind comment! It is so true that for a lot of people music is a source of relaxation.
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