When you are feeling anxious, at times it can be hard to just make it through the day. Fear and anxiety are stifling emotions that can eat away at your time, and your overall well-being. Perhaps you are already under the care of a doctor and are taking medication to relieve anxiety, but it still creeps in.

The good news is that there is a natural, uplifting way to relieve the residual anxiety you are feeling. Music therapy is a positive outlet for your mental health that can really help to remedy the anxiety you are feeling. We at Knoxville Recovery Center in Tennessee would like to take a moment to tell you about the wonder of music therapy and what it can do for your life.

What Is Music Therapy?

The use of music therapy involves using music to bring emotional or mental healing to a group of people or an individual. It is conducted by a trained, certified music therapist who takes into account your specific needs. A music therapy session may be conducted in a variety of different ways.

For example, a music therapy session may be something as simple as listening to a specific type of music, which may or may not include some form of guided imagery along with it. It also may include actually playing an instrument that resonates with you, or perhaps even songwriting. You may also learn or practice a piece of music, or deeply analyze the lyrics of a particular song.

According to the American Music Therapy Association, there are many benefits to utilizing an approved, music therapy program. The first is that it promotes overall wellness through managing stress and granting you an outlet to express your feelings. It improves your communication and enhances your memory. It even has the ability to alleviate pain and promote physical rehabilitation.

How Does Music Therapy Help Improve Mental Health?

Several studies have been conducted to see if music therapy could have any effect on people experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression. Specifically, one study focused on people struggling with these feelings because they have cancer. According to their positive findings regarding the matter, music therapy was found to be an “easy, inexpensive and safe method to reduce anxiety and depression.”

One way that music therapy is able to reduce anxiety is that it has the ability to reduce blood pressure, which has an immediate ‘feel good’ effect.
Evidence shows that immediately following a music therapy session, anxiety levels are significantly reduced. Another reason this might be happening is that music has an effect on the level of stress hormones that the body is producing, such as adrenaline and cortisol. When these hormone levels are lowered, this can help relieve feelings of anxiety.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the benefits of music therapy for improving mental health are abundant. It helps to improve conditions of depression, trauma and schizophrenia, as well as acting as a “calming agent” for anxiety. Music also becomes a way for individuals to process their emotions, traumatic situations, and grief that they may be feeling.

Music Therapy in Knoxville, Tennessee

Now that you understand how valuable music therapy can be to your overall mental health, why not give it a try? Our team of therapists at Knoxville Recovery Center will participate in sessions with you that you are going to enjoy, and more importantly that you are going to benefit from. You do not have to struggle with anxiety alone. We are here to help. A calmer, more centered you is just a phone call away. Contact us today.