How Music Can Be Therapeutic
Music can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by increasing dopamine levels. Some types of music might hurt your mental health.
Music is one of the most universal ways to connect with people. It’s been used for centuries as a form of therapy, and modern research continues to support its therapeutic value. Music can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by increasing dopamine levels. The way we listen to music has also changed in recent years: streaming services have made it easier than ever to find exactly the type of music you want to hear when you want to hear it. However, not all music is created equal when it comes to its therapeutic potential. Some types of music might hurt your mental health if listened to frequently or at certain times. Here are some facts about how music can be therapeutic and which genres are best for your mental health.
How Music Can Be Therapeutic
There are many ways music can be therapeutic, and there are also many underlying reasons why it’s beneficial. Firstly, music is a great way to calm the mind when it’s racing. It works to distract us from the source of anxiety — whatever that might be. Music is also expressive, which can help us to process emotions that we otherwise have trouble expressing. It can help us to feel more connected to the people around us, too, if we choose music that has a similar meaning for others. Lastly, music is also a form of self-care, which can be therapeutic in itself. No matter what our mental health challenges are, we need to be kind to ourselves to grow and change as individuals.
Music Helps With Anxiety and Stress
Music can be a great coping tool for anxiety and stress. Listening to calming music can help us to relax and distract us from whatever is causing us anxiety. It can also help us to fall asleep at night if we have trouble sleeping due to anxiety or stress. The rhythm of music has been shown to have a positive effect on blood flow and heart rate. This can be great for calming an overactive mind and helping people to relax. Research also suggests that music can affect cortisol levels, which are a marker of stress. This can be helpful for anyone who struggles with stress and anxiety, but it can also be helpful for people with chronic illnesses who need to manage their symptoms.
Music Helps With Depression
Music can help with depression in similar ways to how it helps with anxiety and stress. It can help to distract us from the feelings of depression by providing new feelings to focus on. It can also help us to process our emotions and feelings that might otherwise go unexpressed. Although music has been shown to affect serotonin levels, it doesn’t have the same effect on dopamine that SSRIs do. This means that it might have a more beneficial impact on people who find that other forms of therapy aren’t helpful for them, such as people with chronic depression.
Music Helps With Bipolar and Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are both mood disorders. This means that the symptoms of these disorders involve emotional shifts that are often extreme. Music can help with these emotional shifts. People with bipolar disorder often experience episodes of mania, which involve hyperactivity, reduced need for sleep, and a sense of grandiosity. Some research suggests that listening to fast music can help to calm these episodes. Similarly, some research suggests that slow music can help people with schizophrenia to experience a reduction in hallucinations.
Conclusion
Music has many therapeutic benefits and can be a great way to support your mental health. It can help with anxiety, stress, depression, and mood disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia. There are many ways in which music can be therapeutic, and it can be beneficial for all kinds of people. Whether you use music to distract from the source of your anxiety or emotions, to process them, or to help calm your mind, music can be a helpful way to support your mental health. Choosing the right genre of music is important.
