How Music Therapy Can Help In Addiction Recovery?

Music can be a tranquil, relaxing, and very beneficial thing. There are so many different types of music out there and every individual has their own preferred type of music. While it can help just about anyone, music can be truly beneficial for those who are in recovery from an addiction. 
 
Addiction recovery takes time, patience, commitment, and motivation. Recovering addicts need a wide variety of tools to help themselves stay clean and sober. As a recovering addict, you may want to have a holistic recovery. Music therapy has been a tool many recovering addicts use to help with their sobriety and recovery. It might help you as well. 
Stress Reduction
One of the most important ways music therapy can help those in addiction recovery is by reducing stress. A wide variety of music can help with stress reduction. There is something about listening to music blaring that clears the mind. Certain lyrics may hit you just right and help you to see that a problem may not be as serious as it may seem. If you are feeling stressed in your recovery, it is important you find ways to relieve that stress. Music therapy might be one of the methods you use for stress reduction. 
Relaxation
Another way music therapy can help in your recovery from an addiction is with relaxation. You can listen to music while lying in bed or while sitting on the couch. You can listen to music while driving down the road or while walking home from work. Many recovering addicts are constantly tense. They are on edge and don’t know what to do about it. In fact, many recovering addicts who relapse, do so because they weren’t able to relax. If you want to bring more relaxation into your recovery, music therapy may help you do that.
Coping
One of the things that causes issues in most of recovering addict’s lives is the lack of healthy coping skills. If you are struggling in your recovery and want ways to stay clean and sober, you can try music therapy for help. This type of treatment has proven to help people cope better. It has been shown to help people let go of their past and live a better lifestyle. It may not seem that something as simple as lyrics or sounds could have that much power, but it can. If you need help coping in your recovery, allow music therapy to help.
Improving Cognitive Functioning
One of the troubles many recovering addicts face is with cognitive functioning. After some time of substance abuse, the mind is affected. The brain structure can even be changed. When getting into recovery from an addiction, it can take some time to rebuild some of the cognitive functioning. While not all of it is always repairable, one of things that can help to improve cognitive functioning is music therapy. Many professionals recommend turning on some quiet music when doing tasks in your recovery. This simple step has been shown to help to improve performance and processing speeds, both of which many recovering addicts need help with.
Boosting Motivation
Many recovering addicts find themselves at a loss for motivation. However, motivation is needed to keep a recovering lifestyle going. Without proper motivation, recovering addicts may go back to their old habits and might even relapse. Music therapy has been shown to improve motivation. It has been shown to help boost energy and release endorphins that stimulate people to get things done. If you are in recovery from an addiction and you need some more motivation, you might want to try turning up the music when trying to accomplish something.
Types of Music to Help in Addiction Recovery
When you are in recovery from an addiction, many types of music can provide you with benefits. Many people think country music is a great option for recovery. You can easily understand the lyrics and so many people connect to what is being said in these songs. Some people believe that inspirational pop music is a great option. There are many of these types of songs that boost and lift people up. They inspire people to be there best selves. A variety of other types of music may help you as well.
 
If you want to improve your recovery from an addiction, consider music therapy for one of the tools that helps you to do that. Your recovery and sobriety is important. You deserve the best possible opportunities for staying clean and sober. It may be a struggle from time to time. However, when you learn healthy tools for your recovery, just like music therapy, you can improve your overall lifestyle and feel better at the same time. Pick out some music that makes you feel good and play it whenever you may need it.
 
 
Adam Durnham is a freelance blogger from Detroit, Michigan who specializes in music therapy for all sorts of treatment including anxiety, depression, addiction and mental illness.