How Does Music Therapy in Addiction Recovery Work?

Music has a powerful effect on you. In religious rites, it sets the tone for an event. At a party, it provides the backdrop for festivities. Is it any wonder that music therapy in addiction recovery is an excellent tool for healing?

Music Relaxes and Inspires

It doesn’t matter if you make the music or listen to it. Therapists discovered that music therapy in addiction recovery has a profound impact on participants. For starters, it boosts your motivation to stay the course. Music can strengthen your resolve to keep working on recovery even if you temporarily question your ability to do so.

Moreover, this modality offers emotional support. Some songs just speak to your soul. Similarly, the melody and arrangement strike a chord deep inside. Listening to a song that affects you on this level is a lot like someone saying, “Hey, I get you.”

Incorporating Music Therapy in Addiction Recovery

Your therapist works with other addiction specialists who are part of your recovery team. Doing so allows the expert to understand your care needs in depth. For example, if you struggle with low dopamine levels, music therapy can result in a natural release of the neurotransmitter. Therefore, this type of treatment is an ideal adjunct to medication management in dual diagnosis treatment.

Music also enables you to minimize a pain response. For rehab program participants with an opioid addiction, the therapy can, therefore, be a catalyst for healing. Overall, music lets you express yourself in ways that mere words frequently don’t achieve. You relax, participate more fully in meditation, and sleep better.

Why Music Works as Part of a Bigger Picture

Music therapy is a treatment that takes you back to a time of happiness or wellbeing. Most importantly, it encourages you to tap into this positive feeling and bring it to the present. As a starting point for change, music therapy doesn’t have to be a participation event.

It’s clear that music therapy isn’t a stand-alone therapeutic approach. Certainly, there isn’t just one best addiction therapy for drug addiction. Rather, the modalities work together to support one another as you pursue recovery. Examples include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy, which encourages you to overcome dysfunction in patterns of action
• Trauma therapy as a way to deal with intrusive thoughts and overwhelming emotions
• Psychotherapy, which benefits program participants who struggle with depression, anxiety, or other co-occurring conditions
• Group therapy sessions during which you learn more about the process of addiction and how to overcome it
• 12 Step recovery program participation that gives you a strong foundation for lifelong sobriety

Explore today how music therapy in addiction recovery could make a significant difference in your ability to heal. Isn’t it time to overcome a substance abuse problem that you’ve been struggling with for months or years? Beaches Recovery therapists help you decide on a treatment program that’s right for you. Make lasting changes in your life by calling 866.605.0532 now.