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Understanding the relationship between music therapy and mental health
There is a direct connection between music therapy and the improvement of mental health. Mind is intangible, it cannot be touched but it can be felt. Hence for improving or treating the mind, we cannot have tangible medicines. For having an impact on the mind, there needs to be something powerful which can influence the mind intangibly.
Music therapy is something that cannot be touched, but it can be heard, it can be felt. Hence, it has a very profound impact on the mind. Usually people are more alert and focussed towards taking care of their physical health. Everyone has a first-aid kit for any body related issues. Schools, hospitals, and even homes have first-aid kits for the body.
Where is the first-aid kit for the mind? Mostly no one is aware of what is to be done when there is any issue with mental health. What do you do when you are blamed? What do you do when you are criticised? Mostly no one does anything about it.
What do you do when you fall down and there is a scratch or a minor wound on your knee? Everyone knows that first one must clean the wound, then apply an antiseptic. If required, some take a tetanus injection. Then daily dressing of the wound is required until it is healed. If the pain is too much in case of a severe injury then a dosage of painkiller is taken.
But no one is taught what is to be done when one’s mental health is not alright. If you are being blamed or criticised and you are feeling hurt, that means your mental health needs attention. You need to immediately take care of it before it turns into something severe.
Music therapy is your first-aid digital kit for handling issues related to mental health. Just like how there are physical wounds, one feels the same pain mentally as well. We can call it mental wounds. To clean and heal mental wounds, you require music therapy. Music therapy is one of the best medicines for the mind.
The other amazing medicine is affirmations. When you combine affirmations with music therapy in the background, it becomes a powerful medicine too. For the mind music therapy and affirmations, both work wonders. In this blog on the impact of music therapy on mental health, we will understand how music therapy is your first aid kit for your mental health. We will also understand why it is the best treatment for mental health issues.
Psychological effects of music therapy on emotions and mood
When it comes to entertainment music you will observe that there is an impact of music but for a temporary period. However, when it comes to music therapy the impact is completely different and sustainable.
Human emotions and mood changes depending on the environment, thinking, imagination and memory. As most humans enter into daydreaming mode, the faculty of imagination is very active. This faculty then brings something from the memory and mixes it.
When imagination and memory are mixed, one observes changes in mood and fluctuations in emotions depending on whether the mixing is positive or negative. All negative imagination brings negative emotions on the surface and the same happens with positive emotions.
When one is under the influence of sad emotions one gets into listening to sad songs and sad music. When one is under the influence of anger emotions one gets into listening to hard rock beats and metal music where there is a lot of noise and banging of drums or over amplified electric guitar effects.
When it comes to music therapy whether it is sad emotion or anger emotion the music has a very different impact. It brings balance. Sadness or anger is released with music therapy and one enters a calm zone.
How music therapy engages the brain and affects mental processes
As we observed psychological effects in the same way the human brain also engages the brain and affects mental processes. When entertainment music triggers a negative emotion, for example sadness, the brain creates chemicals of sadness and spreads it across every cell in the body.
This process happens within a fractions of seconds. Now when such negative chemicals are there in the body, the mind enters into the negative zone. Lot of negative thoughts come. These negative thoughts affect mental processes and one feels more sad.
When it comes to music therapy, brain engagement is very unique. New neural pathways are designed during each music therapy session. Brain is engaged in the formation of new patterns which positively affect mental processes.
Role of music therapy in stress reduction and relaxation
When such new brain patterns are created one experiences reduction in stress as the brain feels more relaxed. One feels more calm and at ease.
Music therapy reduces all the impact of negative emotions. It brings one into a relaxation state. With such a relaxed mind the level of stress decreases automatically.
This is observed in the first music therapy session itself. However, when one repeats sessions one can then easily sustain the positive impact of the therapy.
Music Therapy Resources
Music Therapy and Mental Health Disorders
There has been quite a steady flow of research being conducted on the impact and use of music therapy in treating mental health disorders. As shared above, music therapy can help with healing mental disorders as it has a profound impact on the mind.
Recently there has been a lot of study done on how music therapy can help patients with alzheimer's, dementia, depression, autism etc. Let us understand in more depth on how we can use music therapy for common mental health issues.
Music therapy as a complementary treatment for mind related disorders
For any mind related disorder or issue, music therapy can be used as a first-aid kit. Music therapy does not interfere with your medicine intake. In fact it is both complementary and supplementary to your medications. The medications you take will work better and more efficiently if taken along with music therapy.
Music therapy will reduce the symptoms you are facing and gradually with time your doctor will reduce the dosage of the medication well because the healing rate becomes faster when we use music therapy.
Therapeutic music is created with specific frequencies, tones, ragas, sounds and instruments. It is a very scientific procedure to create such therapeutic music tracks. Live music therapy also requires a good knowledge about how to use an instrument for a therapeutic purpose. Playing therapeutic music is very different from playing entertainment music.
Whether you use live music therapy method or therapeutic music tracks method for incorporating music therapy in your healing regime, it does not matter. You are using music therapy, that is what makes the difference.
For any mental issue such as criticism, addiction, ego issue, conflict, low self-esteem etc. music therapy will work wonderfully. It calms the body and mind completely and helps you release repetitive negative thought patterns and emotions.
We have low self esteem because we think of ourselves in that way. We have low self esteem because we feel that way. Music therapy helps in breaking and changing such thought patterns and emotions. Hence, music therapy helps with solving such mind related issues and disorders.
The use of music therapy in depression
These days the term depression is used very lightly. Even if someone is just feeling sad, they will say that they are depressed. Hence, it is always good to use any online depression test and find out whether you are in depression or not.
If the result shows that you are in depression, don’t worry. There are many powerful tools you can use for overcoming depression. I suggest you read How do most people cope with depression blog. Especially check all the tools or resources that you can use to overcome depression with ease without medicine.
You can try counselling or visit a therapist or visit a psychiatrist and take the medicinal approach, or you can also try self help methods which are free of medicines and include self help therapies instead. These days there are many who opt for music therapy with counselling to cure their depression.
It is now a common fact that antidepressants have adverse side effects and counselling sessions with experts are becoming too expensive. One of the causes why people enter into depression is due to financial reasons. But after entering into depression, one is not free of expenditure to cure depression.
Hence, Yaha Life has come up with a very innovative self help method to help with treating depression. Music therapy is one of the therapies that is used in this depression treatment webapp. This treatment is also a very pocket friendly way to overcome depression.
There was an entire case study done and there are many testimonials you can read to see how this depression treatment webapp has helped many. Music therapy is a core part of this depression treatment webapp.
Using music therapy during loneliness
Music therapy is a very powerful tool to use during loneliness. When one feels alone, mostly it is because they are not able to reach out or open themselves for others to reach out. Music therapy helps in this process and opens you up to overcome loneliness.
Loneliness puts you through a heaviness which keeps you stuck in the loop of feeling lonely. This heaviness is nothing but negative thoughts and emotions. Once this heaviness wears off, it will feel like a fog clearing up. Once it is cleared, you will no longer feel lonely.
Music therapy helps in a very powerful way to clear up this fog of heaviness which is in the form of negative thoughts and emotions. You will automatically be able to learn to connect with others and will be safe from entering into depression.
One of the core reasons people enter into depression is due to loneliness. The best way is transforming loneliness which is possible using music therapy.
The use of music therapy in insomnia treatment
In India there is a tradition or lori, where the mothers sing the child to sleep. This is not being done for a few decades, it has been done for many centuries. Music is the best way to sleep. Music will relax the body, calm the mind and stabilise the emotions.
Healing music or therapeutic music ensures a deep sleep. If one is going through insomnia, then using music therapy to cure it is the most ideal way. Many do take sleeping pills but that comes with its own list of side effects and is not a natural method to get sleep.
If you want to naturally get back your natural sleeping rhythm, then music therapy is the most effective way out. There are countless music tracks out there on youtube, however you need to pick the right ones out for yourself.
Yaha Life has created music therapy that is specifically designed for people going through insomnia. Listening to deep sleep music therapy with particular ragas helps in treating insomnia.
When you want to go to sleep, put this on and listen to it throughout the night. Within a few days you will start feeling much better and within a few weeks of consistent listening, your sleep rhythm will be back to normal.
Music therapy for insomnia treatment also helps you break the thought patterns and root causes of insomnia. Positive musical affirmations change the negative thought patterns causing sleep disturbance.
Benefits of music therapy for autism spectrum disorder
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder. Music therapy cannot cure autism. But music therapy can help those suffering from autism spectrum disorder to be able to communicate with ease, learn faster and interact better.
At Yaha Life we have incorporated music therapy as a major part of the autism therapy plan and have 10 different tracks. There is also a creative ebook which is designed for parents to engage with their autistic child using materials readily available at home.
There are bonus flashcards provided as well which the parents can do with their children. The activities are designed to improve learning and have loads of fun and bonding at the same time.
Music Therapy in Clinical Settings
When it comes to music therapy in clinical settings, hospitals and healthcare facilities play a major role. Post major researches began and evidence was shared related with the positive results of music therapy, many open minded hospitals and healthcare facilities began to incorporate music therapy.
In India many hospitals have started music therapy in their setup. Yet there is much ongoing research conducted across the globe to help patients recover with ease. There are many clinics where patients are given music therapy apart from general medical procedures.
Music therapy in hospitals and healthcare facilities
Music therapy experts are invited to hospitals and healthcare facilities to conduct the therapy on patients. Few hospitals have created their own in-house setup for music therapy. There are 2 methods used:
Recorded music therapy - With the help of music therapy experts special tracks are recorded based on the patient's issue. Then these tracks are played for the patients at specific times and for a specific number of days. Results are noted and monitored.
Live music therapy - In a group, patients are given live music therapy where experts play various instruments as per the guided instructions. These live sessions are done on specific days for an hour.
Integration of music therapy in mental health treatment programs
Now in most of the mental health treatment programs music therapy is integrated as one of the core elements. Both types of music therapy recorded and live are incorporated in the treatment. Some programs are designed for a few weeks and some are designed for a longer time period depending on the patient's disease.
It is evident that medicines have their own limitations and side effects and hence, music therapy is now considered as one of the best solutions to control the impact of side effects. Therefore, such integration of music therapy in mental health treatment programs have created a positive impact.
Case study showcasing the impact of music therapy on patients
In early 2018 when Team Yaha met Team SRACT for R&D of music therapy webapp the analysis of 100K patients was overwhelming and eye opening.
The impact of recorded and live music therapy given to patients in a clinic at Mumbai, during 2009 to 2018 was highly positive. 3 types of diseases were covered during this period:
Physical diseases -
Arthritis, Asthma, Back pain, Blood pressure, Cancer, Cold & Cough, Deficiency disorder, Diabetes, Fever, Gas, Headache, Heart attack, Hereditary disease, Indigestion, Infectious disease, Kidney problems, Kidney stones, Migraine, Physical health issue, Piles, Sinus, Thyroid, Weakness
Mental diseases -
Alcohol addiction, Anxiety, Conflict issue, Criticism, Depression, Drugs addiction, Ego issue, Insomnia, Judgmental thinking, Low confidence, Mental health issue, Mood swings, Overthinking, Sex addiction, Smoking addiction
Emotional diseases -
Anger, Boredom, Emotional hurt, Emotional health issue, Fear, Frustration, Irritation, Relationship Issue, Setback, Shock, Stress, Tension, Trauma
Most of the patients had 18 to 25 sessions depending on their diseases. 100% of patients felt a good factor within 180 seconds.
Music therapy for Self-Care and Well-being
Self care is the best care. When you incorporate music therapy in your life you are taking a vital step for your self care. This self care is the first step towards your wellbeing. Music therapy is a boon to humanity to bring self care and wellbeing at both personal and professional level.
In this fast era where the attention span has reduced to 1 second, the amount of stress and anxiety has risen 100x, the best way to bring back wellbeing is via music therapy. Incorporating music therapy for self care and wellbeing is the right decision.
How individuals can incorporate music therapy into their daily lives
In my previous article I have shared 10 simple ways to incorporate music therapy in daily life. You must read this article and gain more insights on how you can use music therapy for yourself.
For now I will suggest you to go on the home page of music therapy webapp. Select any 1 option and begin your music therapy. On an average daily you can listen to different types of tracks from this webapp 4 times a day - morning, noon, evening and night.
Music therapy techniques for stress management and relaxation
When it comes to stress management let me be clear with you that managing stress is not a good idea. You must release your stress. Stress management is very temporary and your stress will come back again. But if you learn to release your stress then a time will come when you will be out of stress.
And even if you enter into stress you will know how to come out of it with ease. Therefore, music therapy comes as a handy tool for you to overcome stress. When you click on mental diseases on the home page of music therapy webapp, it will take you to all the mental health issues which includes stress too.
Just listen to music therapy for stress and you will be out of stress easily. All necessary instructions are given there so start using it for stress management and relaxation.
Music therapy for all
During our R&D on music therapy webapp our intention was very clear that music therapy must be available for all. There were long discussions going on regarding the pricing because to make it available for all it must be cost-effective too.
After considering everything when the music therapy webapp was launched we were sure that the acceptance will be faster. This became true. Most of the people have accepted music therapy in their life. Our current users are much happier with the transforming results they are achieving using this webapp.
Music therapy for all is the need in this era. If you still have not incorporated music therapy in your life then it's never too late. You can begin from today itself.
Conclusion
In this article we understood the relationship between music therapy and mental health. We also checked Music Therapy and Mental Health Disorders. Apart from that we learned Music Therapy in Clinical Settings. Finally we explored Music Therapy for Self-Care and Well-being.
I hope you have enjoyed this blog on The impact of music therapy on mental health. Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section.
My wellbeing prayers for you.