Music IS therapeutic

Just when Aerosmith picked-up the high note while giving a stunning performance for Dream On, I felt tranquilized to an extent that I felt enormously empowered to give birth to a beauty; this article. I can’t imagine anything other than music to make me feel above and beyond. What is good music to you? The one that makes tears trickle down your numb eyes? Or the one that cheers you up and makes you feel high? Or the one that inspires you to go for that final round and show-up to everyone that you too are strong? Or is it too difficult for you to categorize your adoration for music because, you too have spiraled and curled on the cradle of music, in all your dark nights?

But, music happens to hit different people, differently. Because, the fact remains that none of us were born in bulk; we all have our own sets of exclusive psychological and emotional skills, which is why we all have not-the-same behavioral patterns; we perceive and reciprocate things differently.

In this day and age, dosing music is a part of everybody’s daily life; you can easily notice that while traveling in a metro, you’ll see most people gazing out the window, transporting their minds to a land of musical isolation. Well, whichever career or profession you may pick for yourself, you’ll always get to see that stress and anxiety have their own smart ways to leak into your mind. Unfortunately, due to our ever-increasing stress levels, an awful variety of disorders have come into existence. Depression is these days one of most common health problems faced by people of almost every country in the world.

But, if you try to look for the bright side, you will be amazed to find that today, more and more people all around the world, are coming forward and are building foundations, with the sole purpose of finding not just medical solutions but also the other alternative solutions to chronic health conditions such as depression, which often is seen as a root cause of many other bigger issues; ranging from crimes to suicides.

Music Therapy is one of the most trending ways of dealing with various health disorders like; Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy,  Learning Difficulties, Down’s Syndrome, Epilepsy, Emotional Behavioral Concerns,  Communication Problems, Challenging Behavior, Mental Health Problems, Neurological Conditions, Physical Impairments, Sexual Abuse, Cancer, Life Threatening Illnesses, End-of-life Care, HIV / Aids,  Post Traumatic Stress,  Addiction.

Bruscia (1989) defined music therapy as “a systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to achieve health, using musical experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change” The “systematic process of intervention” refers in part to the rationale behind the use of music as therapy. A basic assumption is that musical behaviors, such as the way a client makes music, reflect and parallel underlying psychological functions. Systematic interventions in music therapy may lead to changes in a client’s musical behavior and that are indications that a psychological change has also occurred.

As per the psychologists, the very notion of music being therapeutic is much wider and deeper than what our minds can ever perceive. Be it be any disorder, music has the capacity to play a huge role in one’s treatment, it cannot only cure but also prevents us from various disorder-possibilities, by auto-suggesting alternative psychological landscape, which can successfully elevate the patients, gifting them the opportunity to think beyond the world they think they are tangled in.

Everything we do; hear, read, watch or write, it all leaves a certain amount of impression on our sub-conscious mind, absorption of which we only realize when at certain situations, it pops-up as an auto-suggestion. Humans aren't machinery, made of flesh and bone, we all are rhythmic beings; the beating of our heart, our sleep cycle, our breathing process, we all have the rhythm in us and as per our mood swing, our interest in the music genre, varies. Today, there are so many centers which help provide Music therapy to the ones in need. You can not only get yourself therapeutically treated but can also become a Therapist yourself, if you have a deep interest in music or are a clinical psychologist.

 So, come let's put Music to a more noble use and make our society a healthier place to be in!