The Benefits of Music Therapy For Addicts

 

There are a great many types of treatment techniques that drug rehabs and addiction recovery centers employ in order to help those addicted to drugs and alcohol stop using substances, and continue to pursue lifelong sobriety.

The benefits of using this form of addiction therapy, are wide and varied. One great benefit of music therapy is that it does not feel like therapy -- it simply feels like listening-to and enjoying music. It has long-been known that music is tied very closely to human emotions, and has also been-shown to have a direct connection to human health. Using music to access the mind and influence emotional responses has had much success in the treatment of mental and behavioral disorders, so it is only natural that it would be equally as helpful as a tool against addiction and chemical dependency.

Music Therapy Programs basically involve not-only listening to and playing music, but also deep discussions about the music and the emotional responses that the individual receives from hearing the music. In these group music discussions, all of the recovering addicts attending the group begin to form bonds with eachother based on the mutual love of music and the continuing strive for sobriety.

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Alcoholism Could Be The End Of It All

Some people drink moderately or only in social settings, but sometimes, it can all get out of hand. Most people who cross the line to alcoholism don't even know that they have done so. Those who have problems coping with negativity are the ones that are coasting dangerous waters. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are often present genetically in families or certain racial groups.

Many often find solace in alcohol due to mental health ailments. Those who suffer from anxiety, depression or even bipolar disorder are often affected deeply by alcohol. Most people will often head straight to denial and refuse to accept that they suffer from alcoholism. However, if you or a loved one exhibits any of the signs below, you could be at risk.

You could have a drinking problem if:

- You feel any form of guilt after drinking
- Try to hide your drinking habits from people you are close to
-Need a certain amount of alcohol in order to feel at ease
- Drink more than you normally allow yourself to
- People start to show concern towards your drinking habits
- You often forget what you did when you were out drinking

It is not easy to deny that those who suffer from drinking problems will also suffer from health ailments such as heart problems, cancer, and even liver damage. What most alcoholics often overlook is the fact that their health may not be the only thing at risk. Alcoholics often get divorced, experience poverty, destroy all personal relationships and may even turn abusive towards family members.

The most important thing alcoholics can do is to check into an alcohol abuse treatment center. Alcoholics need a wide network of people who care about their well-being. No one can deny that the journey away from alcohol is not easy, but when someone with a drinking problem gets help, the effects can only be positive in the future.

Finding Faith in Rehab

Christian drug treatment programs help restore your body and mind as well as your spirit. They work to combine the best of the science of recovery alongside the spiritual element and they recognize the importance of both. Throughout your time in this type of treatment program, you will develop a sense of your addiction as well as the role your faith will play in recovery.

Understanding Addiction

As an addict in the midst of recovery, you know how crucial understanding the question what is addiction is and how it relates to your life. Viewing addiction through a spiritual lens only deepens your understanding and leaves you ready for true healing. Addiction affects more than your body, or your emotions and your relationships; it also affects your spirit. It is the void you feel when you are separated from God. This void, this emptiness, can be so overwhelming that you seek to fill it in a variety of ways, including drugs or alcohol. But working to fill this void with anything other than what it is meant to be filled with is like trying to put a square peg in a around hole—parts of the hole may be filled, but never completely. Your addiction is a separation from God that cannot be completely filled by anything other than restoring your relationship with Him.

Finding Spiritual Recovery

Spiritual recovery is one of the simplest portions of your recovery process; yet it seems to be one many people struggle with. Throughout your recovery, you have already acknowledged you are powerless over your addiction. You have also acknowledged the restorative power of a greater being. This acknowledgement is not about religion, nor is it about church; it is a personal statement, just like your faith is personal. True spiritual recovery occurs in the midst of those statements. It is about moving from being self centered to being God-centered.

Relying on Faith

Once your spirit has been restored, once that God-shaped hole is filled with Him and nothing else, you stand on solid ground to move forward in your life of recovery. But that filling can become dislodged if you do not renew it on a daily basis. Just as you will choose to stay sober every day, you must also choose to keep your focus on God. He will never leave you, never forsake you; however, He will not make choices for you. Instead, you must learn to rely on His strength and power, on His word and guidance, and on His love and grace each and every day. This occurs through daily prayer and Bible study.

Recovery is a lonely process. You may have tons of support from family members, even counselors and group members in your treatment program; but at the end of the day, your recovery is up to you and you know you cannot do it alone. This is where faith comes in. Faith in recovery from addiction is the component that reminds you recovery does not have to be a lonely process. With a strengthened faith, you walk day-by-day, moment-by-moment, with a God who is willing to be there every step of the way.