Does It Matter What Kind Of Music you Listen To In Recovery?
Is Your Favorite Song Getting In The Way Of Your Abstinence Sober Living?
In a world where drug abuse and alcoholism is hyperactively solicited, protecting your energy is even more important than ever. In fact, this might be one of the most critical moments of your life.
For you are going up against all of your favorite entertainment, music, and media. And while you might not notice it, some of your favorite songs are subliminally promoting the consumption of drugs and alcohol. But don’t just take our word for it.
Take a look at the top 100 songs on Billboard. Now, we know what you’re thinking. “Music…Really?…How?” Trust us! We know it sounds crazy but just consider this:
Music, Drugs, Recovery, Sober Living
If you spend 365 days streaming the same song back to back, this song can have a greater impact on you than you can imagine. For starters, your favorite song can make you experience a wide range of emotions. Even more surprising, music has the power to take you back to certain phases of your life.
And while some moments are great to remember, reminiscing about drug and alcohol abuse can easily trigger a relapse. And to make things even worst, certain music can even train you to have intense thoughts about drugs, alcohol, and depression. And if that’s not enough, singing back certain lyrics can inspire you to speak your words into existence.
Now stop right there! We love music just as much as anyone else. But we think you should be very wise about what you choose to listen to. As we all know, “ music is food to the soul”. Therefore, you should be considerate as to what you consume. For, what you consume can have a grave impact on your sober living conditions.
Let us take a wild guess? You probably think we are exaggerating? If so, let’s take a closer look at how music promotes drug and alcohol abuse.
How Can Music Stop your Drug Recovery?
According to Cheri Lucas from Education.com, “sounds can help to hold our attention, evoke emotions, and stimulate visual images.” In making this comment, Cheri Lucas makes it clear that music has a cognitive impact on how we think and act. This is important to know because music inspired by substance abuse can easily trigger a relapse.
Another interesting thing to know about music is that it has the power to stimulate certain brain chemicals. That’s right! In the article “ Music Releases Mood-Enhancing Chemical In The Brain”, by BBC News Health Reporter Sony McGilchrist, “ levels of dopamine were found to be up to 9% higher when volunteers we’re listing to music they enjoyed.”
According to Psychology Today, “dopamine is a neurotransmitter, one of those chemicals that is responsible for transmitting signals in between the nerve cells of the brain.” In short, dopamine plays a large role in how we view rewards.
Dopamine also plays an intricate part in our day to day moods and behaviors. This is important because, as mentioned before, music has the power to make people recollect on their prior history of drug abuse and addiction. In some cases, some songs can even provide you with the same high that you experienced while understanding the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Can Music Help You Recover From Drugs And Alcohol?
While on the path to recovery, music can help you reach your goal. For years, many holistic drug and alcohol rehab programs have chosen to incorporate music therapy into their traditional treatment program. The benefit of listening to music in Addiction Recovery include:
- Reduced stress, in turn, helping, prevent stress
- Relieves boredom and reduces chances relapse
- Alleviates loneliness for people in recovery
- Improves concentration and focus to helps people maintain a constant schedule
- Relieves depression and creates a happy mood
Positive music can have a positive effect on your drug and alcohol recovery. But, negative music that promotes drug and alcohol abuse can have a negative effect on your recovery.
Stay Clean And Sober With The Best Playlist For Your Drug Recovery
All in all, music is a powerful stimulus. Whether you’re in a drug recovery program or you ’re transitioning into a sober living community, you should always be conscious about the kind of the music that you listen to. While music seems harmless, the long-term effects might be more effective than they appear.
If you’re looking for more ways about how to go about music therapy contact us today. We can teach about all of the benefits of music therapy and help you find your way to a safe and happy drug recovery.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/boost-memory-and-learning-with-music/
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-12135590
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mouse-man/200904/what-is-dopamine
