Music as therapy

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Dizzyuntildeath

Dizzyuntildeath

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kiwifarms.net
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31 de Ene, 2020
I study music therapy to assist in emotional regulation for my clients, and I am always on the lookout for other perspectives and input on this subject, as well as songs that might help people de-escalate an approaching mania or panic attack, or move people away from a depressive episode. I'd love to hear from others about this, discuss the idea as whole, or just shoot the shit about music that helped them during trying times.

I'm 'middle aged' and most of the major events of my life are behind me, and all that is really left is weddings for the younger generation and funerals. I vibe with this particular song:


Not in any depressive sort of way, more of an at peace with what comes next sort of deal.
 
Dizzyuntildeath dijo:
songs that might help people de-escalate an approaching mania or panic attack
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I am not sure about de escalating mania.

But I find that high BPM and few lyrics, or lyrics in a language you do not understand is very good to empty the space around you mentally and help you focus.

I personally can't stand to hear people around me when I am trying to concentrate, or get in a zone. But I absolutely love chaos of my design. Drown me in some 200bpm and I'll be my best self. It's not so much that I don't like sound, as much as it is about not having control over it.

This won't help with Mania though, there are songs I never listen before sleeping, because I know they'll keep me awake. I don't know why, they just do.
 
Granted of course it can depend on the person but imo music in general is extremely powerful in helping people either get stuck in or surpass particular emotional states, maybe not mania but idk. Personally I'd tend to agree with you that it has a lot of power in helping one in various ways, from concentrating and getting some shit done to focusing and moving forward during more trying times in their life such as loss, grief etc

In terms of what particular genres/tempos etc helps that again really can depend on the person, what works to chill one person out might really irritate another. Some people vibe with subjects the lyrics address, some with the sound, some with the pacing. That's the beauty of music as an art form, at this point in time there's quite literally something for everybody to stick on no matter how many times they've listened to it and that track will still just click with them immediately
 
rel=alternate dijo:
I am not sure about de escalating mania.

But I find that high BPM and few lyrics, or lyrics in a language you do not understand is very good to empty the space around you mentally and help you focus.

I personally can't stand to hear people around me when I am trying to concentrate, or get in a zone. But I absolutely love chaos of my design. Drown me in some 200bpm and I'll be my best self. It's not so much that I don't like sound, as much as it is about not having control over it.

This won't help with Mania though, there are songs I never listen before sleeping, because I know they'll keep me awake. I don't know why, they just do.
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That's an interesting thought. I currently have in my roster a young man in his early 20s who is just on the positive side of the high functioning cusp of the autistic spectrum. He tells me he cannot stand musical discord of any sort, and hearing it pushes him into unpleasant places mentally, he says he has to remove himself from the area immediately when he hears it and I have no reason not to believe him. Clearly it triggers something in his brain, but what that is I cannot say as of yet.

maybe not mania but idk
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I include mania because I do have a few clients prone to manic or depressive episodes that have progressed far enough in their psychotherapy that they recognize when one is coming, and they report when they think they are heading in that direction, they put on music that soothes them, do some deep breathing exercises that we taught them in their behavioral therapy segments, and they report that it centers them.
 
As a musician, I think making music is one of the best forms of therapy you can get.
For example, look at Eminem's entire discography, he clearly uses music as a way to deal with his issues.
How about Chester from Linkin Park?
I'm convinced the man would off himself 20 years ago already if it wasn't for his music allowing him to let all his anger and sadness out.
Some of the greatest songs out there are essentially a form of therapy.
 
Idiotron dijo:
As a musician, I think making music is one of the best forms of therapy you can get.
For example, look at Eminem's entire discography, he clearly uses music as a way to deal with his issues.
How about Chester from Linkin Park?
I'm convinced the man would off himself 20 years ago already if it wasn't for his music allowing him to let all his anger and sadness out.
Some of the greatest songs out there are essentially a form of therapy.
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I'm a big supporter of this idea but I'm not really sure how to say this while maintaining a positive spin on it
'Emotional bloodletting' ?
 
Dizzyuntildeath dijo:
That's an interesting thought. I currently have in my roster a young man in his early 20s who is just on the positive side of the high functioning cusp of the autistic spectrum. He tells me he cannot stand musical discord of any sort, and hearing it pushes him into unpleasant places mentally, he says he has to remove himself from the area immediately when he hears it and I have no reason not to believe him. Clearly it triggers something in his brain, but what that is I cannot say as of yet.


I include mania because I do have a few clients prone to manic or depressive episodes that have progressed far enough in their psychotherapy that they recognize when one is coming, and they report when they think they are heading in that direction, they put on music that soothes them, do some deep breathing exercises that we taught them in their behavioral therapy segments, and they report that it centers them.
Presiona para expandir...
I am really on a different end of the spectrum you are looking at I think, but it might still be interesting to look into. After all, we're all not that different when it comes to fundamentals.

I am not autistic. I am just a bit of an odd ball, I like to control my environment. If I don't, I get irrationally angry at stuff people mostly don't care about. And sound is a big part of it. This distracts me from work, and if I don't see a purpose to balance my inconvenience, it really does weight on me. I think it's mostly an introvert thing. I care about the sound itself, obviously, but not in the way were I go ballistic if it is not perfect. It's more pragmatic, but still very much irrational.

I am prone to both mania/depression. In the sense that I am mostly depressive, but I am also the type to just drown it into work. I'll do 18 hours days if I need to, just like I do 80 hours week all year long.

This results in some type of hybrid situation, where my mental state slowly gets worse as I work myself to death and do nothing else. But it keeps most of the negative aspects of depression at bay, because keeping productive with clear metrics is reassuring and validating. Then I recharge on holiday when I reach breaking point and start over again.

In my own opinion and experience, feeling in control is more efficient than breathing, yoga, meditation and all this. Maybe not on the long term, because if you lose it, it's game over. But on the short term, it allows you to focus on what's in front of you and power through it.

On the other hand. I'll sometimes start listening to music that hypes me up in the evening, then pretty much end up sleeping two hours. I try my best to avoid it now.
 
rel=alternate dijo:
In my own opinion and experience, feeling in control is more efficient than breathing, yoga, meditation and all this. Maybe not on the long term, because if you lose it, it's game over. But on the short term, it allows you to focus on what's in front of you and power through it.
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As someone who would routinely throw himself at his work to avoid dealing with things I deemed unfixable at the time, I can relate to this.
 
It seems like instrumental music would be better at accomplishing therapeutic ends. Especially songs that involve sustained notes (something like violin/cello) since that along with melodic backing provides emotional drive without providing many snags for your brain to catch on.

I guess you could say a similar thing applies to music with chanting involved, there's a reason religious music that's intended to induce a sort of trance like state tends to involve sustained chants. The presence of some type of drone has a calming effect on the mind.
That's designed into bagpipes as well, and hurdy gurdys specifically have an additional drone string for that purpose.
This guy with a hurdy gurdy and a loop pedal isn't therapeutic but it's pretty crazy.

Basically if you're looking for music that's going to calm people with anxiety issues I'd consider looking more towards traditional styles.
 
Ultrapenguin dijo:
It seems like instrumental music would be better at accomplishing therapeutic ends. Especially songs that involve sustained notes (something like violin/cello) since that along with melodic backing provides emotional drive without providing many snags for your brain to catch on.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=dJ2We4rQOQMhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=koPxIB68nvI

I guess you could say a similar thing applies to music with chanting involved, there's a reason religious music that's intended to induce a sort of trance like state tends to involve sustained chants. The presence of some type of drone has a calming effect on the mind.
That's designed into bagpipes as well, and hurdy gurdys specifically have an additional drone string for that purpose.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=wwyznoWJDHIThis guy with a hurdy gurdy and a loop pedal isn't therapeutic but it's pretty crazy.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=AdCU75EMqh4

Basically if you're looking for music that's going to calm people with anxiety issues I'd consider looking more towards traditional styles.
Presiona para expandir...
The thing is therapeutic means different things to different people and at different times. You don't play a funeral dirge at a toddler's birthday party. What is perfectly calming to one may be nails on a chalkboard to others. Taking people out of emotional mind (or rational mind, whatever flavor you want, really) can be heavily context based.

Fucking love the hurdy-gurdy though. There's an instrument I really love and want to buy but is expensive called the Khaen.

 
When in a high stress situation, like the hours of revision before an exam or the last sprint on deadline day to complete a project at work, I feel so under pressure that I need to fidget with something to concentrate on anything at all, and this usually means at least one hand is occupied with spinning a pen or pressing hand grippers.

I don't know if it's the same for everyone but when I hear a song, I unconsciously start timing anything I'm doing to either the beat or structure of the song. When I put on certain music, and I time my actions to it, usually typing, I feel far more calm, it almost feels like I'm dancing instead of working. My tirednesss and nervousness starts to feel irrelevant, and I feel like I'm just going through the motions to finish something predetermined. It's a very strange, calming feeling, the closest I can get to it without being in the situation and listening to that music is when I'm taking nicotine. When I'm doing exercise, if I put in daft punk, tame impala, or something similar, and time the steps or reps I'm doing to it without thinking, I end up going much longer than I thought possible.

For work, I alternate between three albums, Mint Jams by Casiopea, Oil And Gold by Shriekback, specifically the song The Big Hush, and selected tracks from the soundtrack to The World Ends With You. High BPM music doesn't work for me, it has to be just the right mix of beats and a calming melody. Sometimes I've even listened to Blue Danube Waltz on repeat.
 
It's only 4 minutes please listen

GER:
Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen
Und auf dem Wege, den ich gehen werde,
Wird uns, die Glücklichen, sie wieder einen
Inmitten dieser sonnenatmenden Erde ...

Und zu dem Strand, dem weiten, wogenblauen,
Werden wir still und langsam niedersteigen,
Stumm werden wir uns in die Augen schauen,
Und auf uns sinkt des Glückes stummes Schweigen ...

ENG:
And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the path that I shall take,
It will unite us, happy ones, again,
Amid this same sun-breathing earth ...

And to the shore, broad, blue-waved,
We shall quietly and slowly descend,
Speechless we shall gaze into each other’s eyes,
And the speechless silence of bliss shall fall on us ...
 
themanwhowalks dijo:
It's only 4 minutes please listen https://youtube.com/watch?v=q-a0EoXZLwM
GER:
Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen
Und auf dem Wege, den ich gehen werde,
Wird uns, die Glücklichen, sie wieder einen
Inmitten dieser sonnenatmenden Erde ...

Und zu dem Strand, dem weiten, wogenblauen,
Werden wir still und langsam niedersteigen,
Stumm werden wir uns in die Augen schauen,
Und auf uns sinkt des Glückes stummes Schweigen ...

ENG:
And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the path that I shall take,
It will unite us, happy ones, again,
Amid this same sun-breathing earth ...

And to the shore, broad, blue-waved,
We shall quietly and slowly descend,
Speechless we shall gaze into each other’s eyes,
And the speechless silence of bliss shall fall on us ...
Presiona para expandir...
 
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