Music Therapy Argumentative Essay

Have you ever listened to music and it made you instantly feel better and it gave you a sense of relief? That is where music therapy comes into play. “Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program” (musictherapy.org). Music therapy is a type of therapy that was being used to aid people in their illnesses before medicine was even thought of. Music therapy dates back to an extremely long time ago and was used to aid people before there was proof that it actually helped. Now, we have the technology to perform the studies that can prove whether or not music therapy helps with a certain illness and or person. There have been many studies that have been executed to show that music therapy helps in some cases such as in depression and or anxiety, cancer survivors, dementia, schizophrenia, substance abusers, and overall stress and quality of life. Music therapy can help with some cases by

“Science has proven that music releases mood enhancing chemicals into our body which music therapists can capitalize on to aid in the medical treatment of patients” (petersonfamilyfoundation.org). The hormones that are released are dopamine and endorphins. Dopamine is a hormone that is known as the ‘feel good’ chemical and when released it increases the pleasure receptors (petersonfamilyfoundation.org). Endorphins are also a hormone that is released in the body when listening to music and is gives a person a happy state of mind and a sense of euphoria. (petersonfamilysoundation.org). These hormones are used in many different disorders and or illnesses to help a patient, one of those disorders being