Honor the power of your voice and begin your journey with us today!
Honor the power of your voice and begin your journey with us today!

10 Benefits of Music Therapy in Recovery

Music is powerful, it has the ability to transform or enhance your mood, among many other benefits. At Royal Life Centers, we offer music therapy for addiction treatment. 

Royal Life Centers takes a holistic approach, treating the mind, body, and spirit. We believe in the power of music, and encourage all avenues of healing. We use therapeutic activities to promote forming healthy habits that are useful both in and outside of recovery.

Musical Healing in Recovery

Our method of music therapy involves both listening to and making music. We have an in-house recording studio that is fully equipped with a variety of musical instruments for our guests to use. Royal Life Centers encourages our guests to find their passion, what brings them joy and learn to practice more uplifting activities. In recovery, it is especially important for our guests to have a creative outlet for self-expression.

Music provides the perfect outlet to express yourself whether you just want to listen, or if you aspire to write and create songs. In addition to being beneficial, this therapy is a proven effective therapeutic method and an evidence-based treatment for addiction recovery.

Music Improves Brain Function

Scientific research states the effect music can have on our brainwaves. Songs with stronger beats and a faster tempo stimulate the brain to bring concentration and alert thinking; slower songs bring calmness and serenity. Also, listening to songs can improve the brain’s ability to shift the speed of thoughts on its own.

Music Reduces Pain

Listening to music can reduce pain and stress when used as a distress tolerance skill. It is also proven to be effective for cancer patients and people struggling with chronic pain. Musical sounds can have profound physical effects on the body, like easing muscle tension and lowering blood pressure. More specifically, those with high blood pressure or anger issues can benefit greatly from listening to relaxing songs, as it lowers blood pressure and encourages the activation of “the relaxation response.”

Motivation and Positivity

Music can be an excellent way to motivate yourself. Especially by listening to fast-paced songs can provide the motivation you need to get up and move or help you focus. Slow songs calm the mind and benefit guided meditation exercises.

Knowing that musical sounds can affect your mindset, it’s easy to see how songs can be used to change your mood into a positive state of mind. Uplifting songs, and lyrics that resonate, can actually make a massive shift in mood and your level of happiness or stress.

Triggers Positive Memories

When we hear a certain song play, memories can flood our minds. This is because many of us have songs that bring a feeling of nostalgia. As a result, music can help aid in remembering positive memories. For instance, most people can agree that listening to a favorite song can transport them into a positive mindset.

Music Relieves Stress

Music can help manage and treat mental health, in addition to other therapies and medication when necessary. In fact, relaxing sounds can actually have an effect on the autonomic nervous system, causing changes in heart rate and breathing. These changes can actually bring someone into a meditative state just by listening to calming sounds. For this reason, listening to soothing sounds can reduce stress, allowing guests who suffer from anxiety or depression to feel comfortable and find relief.

Self-Expression

Music can be used as a tool of self-expression. Expressing yourself is extremely beneficial in addiction recovery from substance use disorders or alcohol addiction. Any healthy outlet for expressing yourself is something that we support at Royal Life Centers.

In fact, creating music can be a very expressive and rewarding activity, especially for those in recovery who are undergoing inpatient treatment, group therapies, and behavioral therapies. The therapy causes emotions to come up, which may be hard for alcoholics or addicts to process or express. Making songs is a great way for our guests to express their raw emotions, giving them a healthy way to channel their thoughts and feelings. By incorporating musical techniques into addiction treatment, we provide our guests with opportunities for authentic self-expression.

Music Encourages Physical Movement

Music can be used in combination with a variety of physical wellness therapies, like movement therapyadventure therapy, and activity therapy. This is because musical sounds can encourage physical movement and motion, to promote physical health. Our treatment programs are able to incorporate music with many therapeutic activities.

Reach Out For More About Music Therapy at Royal Life Centers 

Royal Life Centers offers music therapy throughout all of our addiction treatment centers. Our addiction treatment services include a variety of programs, designed to follow guests through the recovery process. 

We offer residential treatment programs including medical detox and our residential inpatient program. Royal Life Centers also offers: a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), an outpatient program (OP), sober living and graduate housing.

 

If you have any questions about music therapy, or our treatment options, please reach out to one of our addiction specialists at (877)-RECOVERY or (877)-732-6837. Our team is available to speak with you 24/7. Because We Care.

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