Musical Therapy

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Depression may be one of the most devastating of all mental illnesses. Not only does it deplete a person’s outlook on their life, but it even inhibits them from properly living their life in complete happiness. Luckily, measures have been instituted to treat such a disease. Psychotherapy, anti-depressants, and counseling are all proven techniques to combat depression. However, a relatively newfound therapy has been researched by various neuroscientists. Musical Therapy is the incorporation of song to soothe a patient’s stress response such as heartbeat, breathing, and hormone levels. This treatment form is found to be most relatable with adolescents. According to the Journal of Humanistic Counseling, “Music techniques seem to be a potentially …show more content…

The human brain exhibits distinct brain areas that are activated by musical meter, tempo, and patter-melody (Mannes 32). When music is perceived by the ears, the brain interprets the music instantly and, due to PET and fMRI scans, views the input as complete instead of multiple parts of a whole (Mannes 29). Therefore, it is justified to believe that music does possess a capability of altering an individual’s perception and well-being. If music is absolutely processed by the complete brain, it is not beyond reason that music alone can impact mood. Philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said, “When I hear music, I fear no danger, I am invulnerable, I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times and to the latest.” Music plays with our emotions and great artists know how to implement the element of surprise in their works. A technique called syncopation is when a meter or melody is intentionally disrupted, usually with the intent to cause an emotional response from the audience. This technique impels the audience to become attached to the music because they can reminisce about how they felt during that particular moment. It is now embedded in their sense of self and being as long as they perceive the song to be meaningful. (Mannes 60) Elena Mannes, author of Power of Music, says, “We choose music-consciously and unconsciously to make us …show more content…

In order to compare the two, we must explore the different procedures that each form entails. Drug therapy includes the prescriptions of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications that mediate irregular hormone response during trigger situations. Musical therapy utilizes seven variations: 1. Gentle exercise to familiar and energetic music. 2. Progressive muscle relaxation done with eyes open to specially designed music interspersed with instructions from the therapist. 3. Special music used to help the individual create a structured plan for a positive action to solve a problem or improve a mood. 4. Slow and repetitive music used at home to enhance falling asleep. 5. The use of fast rhythmic music to enhance increased energy, especially used outside group sessions immediately before home study time. 6. Music listening in groups in conjunction with drawing. 7. Music listening in groups to pair positive experiences and memories to a particular song. The results of studies have shown that antidepressants reach a higher efficacy than musical therapy in moderate and severe cases of depression. However, musical therapy is comparable with drug therapy in mild cases (To Access). Numerous ethnic groups handle depression differently; just as they perceive music in a different

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