Music Therapy: Quick and Easy Help for Depression

If you are looking for help for depression, music therapy can provide the stimulation your brain needs to elevate your mood and ease your symptoms.

Depression is a condition which is effected by a fluctuating neurotransmitters in the brain responsible for mood changes.

For some people, these chemical imbalances can be treated with medication. For others, however, drug therapy is almost as uncomfortable as the depression, itself.

Music therapy is a useful alternative to medication as it has been shown to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of mental conditions. Music therapy promotes successful outcomes as a result of stimulating healthy changes in the brain.

Not only are symptoms of depression improved, but this new field of healthcare continues to show promise in helping to manage pain, and treat conditions like autism, ADD and certain types of cancer.

Why is music therapy so effective? Well, if you've ever listened to music you know how it has the power to stir your emotions.

Think about the music heard during a movie. If you've ever watched a horror film, you know how deep, pulsating, foreboding background music can cause your blood pressure to rise, your heart to race as you anticipate something scary about to happen.

Sad or romantic movies can effect you even more strongly by the slow, dulcet tones of the music played during emotional scenes. You can feel sexually aroused, romantically attracted, or sad and tearful. There is a reason this happens.

Specific types of music are composed in specific ways. The notes which make up this music stimulate changes in your brain waves.

The way certain tempos resonate lead to brain waves resonating at the same frequency. These brain waves directly effect heart beat and breathing functions. When a piece of music has a quick, exciting tempo, your heart and breathing rates speed up to match quickening beat.

Conversely, listening to slow musical tempos tends to lower your heart rate and slow your breathing. As a result, your body and mind become more relaxed and serene. Stress levels are lowered, and their negative effects on the body are reduced.

There is a quote which states, ""Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul."

Just as depression puts you in a particular state of mind, so can listening to music. Think of some of your favorite songs. What images and feelings do they bring up? By using familiar songs which bring about a relaxed, happier state of mind, you can immediately counter your suffering from depression. Music therapy can give you results much faster than many medications.

So how do you use music therapy as help for depression? You can consult a trained music therapist to help you develop your own therapeutic regimen. Or you can just listen to the music you already know has a positive effect on the way you feel. The great thing about music therapy is it is free, and as easy as turning on your stereo, iPod,or radio.