The benefits of music therapy are wide-ranging, but they are especially useful in addiction recovery. A music therapy program for addiction can help people recognize the emotions that drive their addiction and work through them in a healthy way. During music therapy sessions, you may use different instruments to externalize your feelings or improvise lyrics to songs to express yourself. Keep reading to learn more about how music heals addiction and why you may want to try a music therapy program.
At Promises Washburn House, we believe in a whole-person approach to addiction treatment. We incorporate holistic therapies into our programs to help our clients heal inside and out. To learn more about how music and addiction recovery work together in our treatment programs, reach out to us today at 855.298.3104.
How Does Music Therapy for Addiction Work?
Music therapy is a technique used to help people recognize and understand their emotions and develop healthy ways of expressing them. Music therapy can be helpful for people dealing with addiction by encouraging them to identify the emotions driving their addiction. Awareness of your triggers can help you work through them more constructively without drugs or alcohol.
Treatment centers combine the therapeutic power of music and addiction recovery in several ways:
- Listening to different types of music and focusing on the emotions that come up
- Putting your attention to the lyrics in songs and modifying them to fit your situation
- Exploring different instruments and using them to express how you are feeling
Music therapy for addiction is particularly beneficial for people struggling with substance abuse disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders because it helps them manage stress as well as relieve anxiety and depression symptoms.
During music therapy sessions, the therapist will typically start by asking questions about your emotions or experiences while listening to certain songs or genres of music. This allows them to identify what kinds of feelings trigger these responses in you so they can better tailor their therapeutic approach. They may ask if there are times when certain songs make you feel more relaxed than others or if certain genres give you more energy. It also helps to explore which types of music put you in a bad mood. These answers will help the music therapist and you understand what types of background tracks might be the most helpful for your recovery.
How Music Heals Addiction
There are many benefits to combining music and addiction recovery. Music heals addiction in a variety of ways:
- Music therapy can help you feel calmer and more relaxed.
- Listening to music can reduce stress, anxiety, and anger.
- Music can help reduce muscle tension and lower blood pressure and heart rate.
- Music can help distract you from cravings for drugs or alcohol.
- Music therapy can help you bond with your peers in recovery.
Although you can enjoy the benefits of music therapy at your treatment sessions, you can continue to experience the healing powers of music outside the facility. Choosing music that matches your needs at the moment can help support your recovery. Create personal playlists for each mood, so you have them ready to go whenever you need them. Select songs that uplift you when you need an emotional boost and songs that help soothe you when you are feeling stressed. You may even wish to create a playlist of songs to help you relax in the evening before bed, which can help address insomnia associated with drug or alcohol withdrawal.
Try Music Therapy for Addiction at Promises Washburn House
Music therapy is an effective addition to treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions. It can help you overcome your cravings, express your emotions in a healthy way, and provide you with a distraction from addiction triggers. Promises Washburn House combines music therapy for addiction with traditional treatment methods like counseling and medication to address all areas of your life for the most effective recovery. Call us today at 855.298.3104 to learn more.