A Look Inside Music Therapy

WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY? Listening to and analyzing music, improvising, singing, or drumming. Music therapy is used to address these individual needs PHYSICAL COGNITIVE EMOTIONAL HOW COMMON IS IT? MORE THAN MORE THAN 5,000 70 certified music therapists in the United States colleges offer a bachelor's degree program in music therapy. Music therapists can work in private practice, hospitals, schools, community centers, and even prisons. MUSIC THERAPY IS AMONG THE OLDEST KNOWN FORM OF THERAPY 400 B.C. WWII Hippocrates used music to calm mental patients. Became formally recognized after World War II, when it was used to lessen emotional and physical trauma of soldiers returning from war. MUSICAL THERAPY CAN BE USED TO TREAT SYMPTOMS OF ADDICTION DEPRESSION STRESS AUTISM PTSD ALZHEIMERS PHYSICAL TRAUMA (OR EVEN) CANCER But what genre of music is best? Music therapy is a highly personalized experience. My Personal Mix Music therapists adjust sessions based on individuals' tastes & frame of mind. Individuals with anxiety might benefit from softer, more low-key music; depressed individuals may benefit from something more energetic. What does music do for the human brain? A study revealed that people interpreted strangers' neutral facial expressions as either happy or sad, depending on the type of music they were listening to. Music can also help us understand complex emotions without succumbing to them This allows individuals to examine their own emotions - and the emotions of those around them - more objectively. CREATIVITY Background music forces our brains to work harder to focus on a task. The added challenge leads to more creative solutions. ACADEMICS People with musical training have better analytical skills, vocabulary, and motor sklls. In a study, surgery patients were given either anxiety RELAXATION medication or music. Those who listened to music had lower anxiety. Types of Music Therapy & Applications TYPE OF THERAPY FOCUS PATIENT TYPE Developmentally delayed children IMPROVISATION Develop spontaneity, creative expression, interpersonal skills Develop motor skills, learn to focus on goals Speech impaired individuals, dysfunc- tional families RE-CREATION Learn commitment, work within limitations, overcome fears COMPOSING Cancer patients, individuals struggling with drug addiction LISTENING Find emotional balance, overcome anxlety Surgery patients, Alzheimer's patients, drug addicts What makes music a good candidate for addiction treatment? MUSIC RELEASES DOPAMINE Drugs are addictive because they cause the brain to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that produces feelings of pleasure. Drugs, sex, and food also cause the body to release dopamine. 22% Psychoactive drugs 6% Eating favorite foods 6-9% Listening to music 21% (Listening to music) One participant experienced a 21% increase in dopamine levels while listening to music, indicating a nearly drug-like reaction. MUSIC ELICITS AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE Music therapy provides individuals with the opportunity to access feelings that contribute to their addiction and pose an obstacle to recovery. It's a chance to cope with complex emotions without resorting to substance abuse. MIN MAX MIN MAX Emphasizes emotlons De-emphasizes negative emotlons ACCEPTANCE, JOY, ENJOYMENT REGRET, ANXIETY, GUILT HOW CAN MUSIC HELP RECOVERING ADDICTS? ISOLATION SELF-ESTEEM STRESS PAIN Music helps Music allows Music can take the Music promotes feelings of individuals connect individuals to focus focus away from the physical pain of on others and learn leadership skills. with others and relaxation. build relationships. withdrawal. Clarity Way Find your path to recovery SOURCES American Music Therapy Association International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music Journal of General Psychology National Center for Biotechnology Information National Institute of Mental Health Temple.edu