I Survived Depression - so can YOU!

When it comes to depression there are only two therapies that receive any recognition.  They are talk therapy and medication.  Unfortunately with medication it can be very difficult to find the correct one, there may be side effects and many of the latest medications only work for a limited amount of time before they stop working.  Talk therapy is useful, but takes a long to show progress.

Here is one strategy in the battle against depression that you may have overlooked. 

Although not yet mainstream, Music Therapy has shown some very impressive results.  Research is still limited, but a review by the Cochrane Collaboration, a not-for-profit group that reviews health care issues has given great hope to the treatment.

The current studies indicate that music therapy may be able to improve mood and has low drop-out rates,” said lead author Anna Maratos, an arts therapist for the National Health Service in London. “While the evidence came from a few small studies, it suggests that this is an area that is well worth further investigation….We need to find out which forms have greatest effect.”

For centuries people have been inspired by music. Music has always been a great healer.  Even the Bible mentions how David played the harp to relieve King Saul’s depression. 

It works on the principle that music is capable of controlling the processes and chemical balances within the human brain.  Experts agree that it’s the rhythm or the beat of the music, that although we are not conscious of it, has a calming effect on the human mind.  They point out that this calming affect many have originated way back in our mother’s womb.  It was our mother’s heartbeat that we associate with as a safe protective place.

Even though music has been used therapeutically for many years, music therapy did not appear as a profession until 1950 when the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association For Music Therapy came into being.  In 1998 to two associations merged and became The American Music Therapy Association or AMTA. 

A music therapist usually holds a bachelor’s degree as well as a master’s degree in music therapy.  They also receive specialized training in behavioral science and basic medicine as well as music.  A music therapist has to be certified by the Certification Board for Music Therapists.  Then once they pass the national music therapy certification examination are considered Music Therapist - Board certified, (MT-BC).
 
Once the therapist accesses the individual client’s situation, the therapist provides treatment which includes creating, singing, moving to, and listening to music.  In cases of depression music therapy also includes spoken words to provide inspiration. 

Even though the results have been mostly positive there are some drawbacks with music therapy.  There have been some cases where by resurfacing old feelings music therapy has increased depression instead of alleviating it.
 
There is also another drawback in the fact that music therapy is very expensive due to the lack of general awareness. 

With all the side effects of anti depressants and the drawbacks associated with talk therapy, alternative treatments may be the way of the future.  Although much more research is needed, the use of alternative therapies such as art therapy, aroma therapy and music therapy may be very helpful in treating a wide range of illnesses including depression.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 5th, 2008 at 3:02 am and is filed under Depression | . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.