5 Ways Music Affects Anxiety and Depression

When someone is diagnosed with a mental illness, there are many forms of treatment they can choose from. They may take medication or go to counseling or therapy. Some may also find that music helps them.

Research has shown that music can have a strong effect on us. It can alleviate anxiety and depression, increase spatial awareness, and enhance mood.

Interestingly, the genres of music can be important as well. Researchers from the University of Utah Pain Research Center have found that listening to music helps to reduce pain in those who were highly anxious. 143 participants listened to music while receiving electric shocks. It seems, therefore, that music is good at helping with pain by activating sensory pathways to compete with the pain pathways.

Another study looking at anxiety and music was conducted by David Elliots and his colleagues. They wanted to determine what characteristics of music actually help lower anxiety. The study had 84 participants, and it was found that harmonious sounds were the most relaxing. They even led to a decrease in cortisol. However, it was also found that listening to fast-paced music increased anxiety. So it would seem that the tempo and type of music are very important.

Another way music can affect anxiety is through the process of writing it. Writing down can help alleviate the anxiety around them. It may also be easier to talk about feelings through lyrics and songs than in other ways. Also, reading lyrics that mean a lot to you can help you feel better if you can analyze why those lyrics mean a lot to you.

So we've seen how music can affect anxiety, but does it also have an effect on depression? Listening to music can change your mood, so it's probably not surprising it can influence people with depression. Jun Cellini states that music helps you to express emotions and can help encourage you to let go of suppressed ones. Positive upbeat music can help lift your mood, while slow and sad music may increase your depression. Also, listening to music associated with bad memories may make your symptoms worse. This depends on the individual, of course. Sometimes listening to sad lyrics can help an individual feel better as they may feel less alone.

Like with anxiety, writing music can also have an effect on depression. Writing down your feelings can be very helpful in fighting depression. So writing poems or lyrics about your feelings can help reduce depressive symptoms. Writing out the feelings can be a form of release and has been known to prevent suicide and self-harm.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Sleep Positions Affect Nightmares and Dream Quality

Image
Many people are aware that sleep positions significantly affect sleep quality and comfort during the night, but not everyone knows that certain sleep positions may also increase the likelihood of experiencing nightmares. The Link Between Sleep Positions and Dreams Theresa Cheung, a dream interpretation expert and bestselling author, suggests that sleep positions can indeed influence the nature of our dreams. Although everyone dreams regardless of how they sleep, studies indicate that sleeping on the right side may lead to more emotionally expressive and healing dreams compared to sleeping on the left side, which has been linked to an increased likelihood of nightmares. This is potentially due to the added pressure on the heart when sleeping on the left side, which can lead to poorer sleep quality and a higher incidence of nightmares. Cheung explains that while left-side sleepers might be more prone to nightmares, those who sleep on their backs are also more likely to experience t
Read more

Knife Angel: A Monument Against Violence

Image
The Knife Angel, also known as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression, is a powerful contemporary sculpture created by British artist Alfie Bradley. Standing at 27 feet (8.2 meters) tall, this striking piece is made from over 100,000 knives collected from amnesty bins and police seizures across the United Kingdom. Creation and Purpose The Knife Angel was completed in 2018 at the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry, England. The project aimed to raise awareness about the devastating effects of knife crime and to serve as a memorial for those who have lost their lives to such violence. The sculpture was constructed using knives that were disinfected and blunted before being welded onto a steel frame to form the angel's body and wings. Community Involvement Families who have been affected by knife crime were invited to engrave personal messages onto the blades used in the sculpture. Over 80 families participated, adding a deeply emotional and pe
Read more

The Dancing Plague of 1518

Image
The Dancing Plague of 1518, also known as the Dance Epidemic, is one of history's most peculiar and baffling events. It occurred in the city of Strasbourg, France (then part of the Holy Roman Empire), and saw dozens of people dancing uncontrollably for days on end. The phenomenon remains largely unexplained, but it has captured the imagination of historians and researchers for centuries. This article explores the details of the event, the possible causes, and its lasting impact. Historical Context of the Dancing Plague In July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea began dancing fervently in the streets of Strasbourg. She danced for several hours without stopping, and within a week, dozens of others had joined her. Reports suggest that at its peak, around 400 people were affected by the urge to dance. These individuals danced continuously for days, some even collapsing from exhaustion, and a few reportedly died from heart attacks, strokes, or sheer fatigue. Strasbourg in the Early
Read more