Finding Your Own Song – Music Therapy in Drug Rehab

When someone enters a long-term drug rehab facility it’s most likely that both the body and spirit are in need of help. Healing the physical withdrawal symptoms is tough enough, but repairing the emotional and psychological damage, however, can be a much greater challenge. Many factors come into play when treating drug addiction; sometimes, something as simple as a melody can be a powerful ally. Music has a magical-like quality that reaches out to kids, teens, and adults of all ages. It has an affect on the human mind and it can impact the spirit, as well, making music an ideal instrument for use in drug abuse therapy.

The Benefits of Music during Rehab Therapy

If you’re learning about music therapy for the first time, it might sound like an experimental, new age holistic treatment. In actuality, the affects of music on the body and mind are grounded in science. Research has shown that the pitch and rhythm of music, the sound waves themselves, impact the human brain. According to a study conducted at Stanford University, “Music with a strong beat stimulates the brain and ultimately causes brainwaves to resonate in time with the rhythm, research has shown. Slow beats encourage the slow brainwaves that are associated with hypnotic or meditative states. Faster beats may encourage more alert and concentrated thinking.”

Music and rhythmic therapy have been used to help ease the suffering of numerous conditions. Cancer patients use music to help ease the pain and anxiety resulting from chemotherapy treatments. By increasing the blood flow to the brain, music helps stimulate and motivate the elderly. Music has also been used to help patients suffering from brain damage, mental illness and other psychological conditions, such as schizophrenia. When it comes to music, nobody can say that it is a cure for any disease or illness; but, as the American Cancer Society has said, “. . . medical experts do believe [music] can reduce some symptoms, aid healing, improve physical movement, and enrich a patient's quality of life.”

Music at Gatehouse Academy

Many young adults who enter long-term drug rehab say that abusing drugs was a way to escape their feelings and emotions, giving them a false sense of freedom. Music taps into the psyche and has the potential to resonate with the listener. Creating music gives a person the ability to embrace their feelings, thoughts, ideas – their overall life experience – and express, instead of suppress, who they are.

The Music Room at Gatehouse Academy gives residents opportunities to not only listen to music, but to make their own. The process shows recovering young adults that ethereal sensations can be a positive, constructive part of life without drugs or alcohol. Through guitar classes and private guitar lessons, residents can learn how to express themselves at their own pace. As added motivation, residents can also work to earn their own musical instrument. It teaches the value of working hard to achieve a goal – a valuable lesson that is highly relevant as they strive for sobriety on their personal journey to achieving sustained, long-term recovery.

In the first issue of the Gatehouse Academy Reporter, Zach H. shared how music has helped him progress in a substance abuse treatment program. “After watching all of my friends play guitar, I began working towards earning one for myself. I got my guitar and I began to do much better in the program. Playing helps me to stay positive, helps me to make friends, and gives me something fun and productive to do during free time here. I absolutely love playing guitar now, and hopefully, it’s a skill that I will develop for the rest of my life.”

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