Music Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment

Addiction is a disease that can be treated in a variety of ways. Most often, it requires a combined approach of a few different treatment methods – one such method is music. Music therapy for addiction cannot be the only form of therapy that will be the sole focus of your treatment plan, but it can be a great addition to it. At Little Creek Recovery, we recognize and celebrate the importance of music therapy in substance abuse during addiction treatment. That’s why we make it possible for you to express yourself through singing, dancing, and producing music, all with the goal of achieving long-term sobriety. Feel free to give us a call and let our experts tailor the best treatment plan for your addiction.

What is Art and Music Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment?

Art and music therapy is the use of music and other forms of the creative arts such as painting, drawing, writing, etc., to improve one’s health and well-being. Art and music therapy can help improve people’s health and well-being by giving them a healthy way to express themselves.

Without such healthy avenues for self-expression, many people will turn to unhealthy ways to express their thoughts and emotions. For example, many people that don’t have a healthy form of self-expression exhibit anger, depression, and/or anxiety.

Others may even turn to substance misuse. Because art and music therapy in substance abuse is a tool that can help prevent people from turning to unhealthy behavior patterns such as the misuse of substances, many rehab centers incorporate art and music therapy into their addiction treatment programs.

Sparking the creative process without the use of drugs or alcohol is a very important step in early recovery. Restarting the imagination takes internal motivation, work, and coaching. One of the by-products of addiction is poor self-expression. Coming out of this thought pattern is difficult, so discussion and encouragement are needed to begin the process of playing or writing music.

Playing music in a healthy environment is a new experience, and practicing self-expression while allowing thoughts to flow freely without fear can feel quite foreign at first. Once individuals that are recovering from addiction do get the hang of expressing themselves through music, though, it can take them to a whole new level in their addiction recovery journey. That’s why art and music therapy are great tools to use during addiction treatment.

Self-expression Through Art and Music Therapy in Substance Abuse Treatment

Many people may assume that drugs and music always coincide due to pop culture and the misuse of drugs by rock artists, rappers, etc. In reality, though, music is a great tool to use to deter substance use. This is because music is a therapeutic tool that can help individuals express themselves and find their own identities.

Finding one’s own identity through music and self-expression can help deter someone from using substances for several reasons. One of these reasons is that healthy forms of self-expression, such as playing, singing, or making music, can be used as coping skills to help manage addiction triggers.

Finding one’s own identity through music and self-expression can also help improve a person’s mental health. This is because playing, singing, writing, and/or creating music can build a person’s self-confidence and sense of purpose.

Poor mental health is one of the top reasons why people start using substances. Music can improve a person’s mental health which will, in turn, deter an individual from substance use. The same is true for other forms of art.

Not only can art and music help deter an individual from using substances, but they can also help treat an individual that is recovering from substance addiction. This is because art and music can act as therapeutic tools. In fact, art and music therapy in substance abuse treatment are well-known forms of holistic addiction treatment in Pennsylvania. This is, once again, because art and music provide people with a form of self-expression that can help them cope and manage their addiction triggers.

Self-discovery Through Art and Music Therapy

Art and music therapy can help people face the underlying issues behind their substance addictions. This is because it’s often easier for people to open up and express their inner thoughts and emotions through art and music.

Music is one of the healthiest ways through which you can express yourself.

By opening up one’s deep inner thoughts and emotions through art and music, people can also have other moments of self-discovery that can help them treat their addictions. Some people struggle to open up through traditional forms of therapy. Art and music therapy is often the only way such individuals can reach a level of self-discovery that will allow them to truly treat their substance addictions. This is significant because many people lose themselves, their identities, and their purpose while suffering from substance addiction.

Benefits of Music Therapy for Addiction

Outside of allowing people to express themselves and giving people a sense of purpose and identity, music therapy for addiction has many other benefits. One of these benefits is the fact that art and music therapy can be easily used in all forms of inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment. Other music therapy benefits include:

• Its ability to enhance positivity
• Ability to increase attention and concentration abilities
• Its relaxing nature
• Its ability to improve communication and interpersonal skills
• It shows that there are fun activities that people can take part in that don’t involve substance use

Create Music in Our Music Studio

Here at Little Creek Lodge in Pennsylvania, we encourage and support our residents in their creative endeavors. Through such encouragement and support, individuals are able to find their own voices and identities.

To further help individuals find their own voices and identities through music, we have a music studio that our patients can use to record and make music. Our music studio here at Little Creek Lodge offers a fun and unique way to create something beautiful and meaningful, in a safe and secure environment.

Our residents are encouraged to try new things and experience the joys that come with creating music. The hope is that by allowing such music and self-expression, our male residents here at Little Creek will relax, open up, and discover more about themselves.

Getting male addiction treatment patients to open up and discover things about themselves is often difficult. This is partly due to the social constructs that society has created that make men feel the need to not express their inner emotions.

Art and Music Therapy in Substance Abuse

We aim to build a strong foundation and integrate internalized recovery through therapeutic and 12-step models, with a focus on the spiritual paradigm. We also aim to help our residents accept their diagnoses as they manage their daily recovery.

Few things move the soul like art and music. At Little Creek Recovery, we encourage our residents to let themselves be moved by the musical creative process and by the results. By allowing this, we hope to help treat the minds, bodies, and souls of our residents.

Another thing that we use to treat the minds, bodies, and souls of our residents is adventure treks during times of recreational programs. This is on top of the various resources and addiction treatment programs that we offer that are individualized and specialized by substance.

Contact Little Creek Recovery and Start your Journey to Sobriety

Every addiction is difficult, regardless of the circumstances that are surrounding it. Whether you are battling a mild or severe addiction, you need professional help. And you can find such help by contacting Little Creek Recovery. Our experts are going to use a number of methods and treatment options to provide you with the best care. Music therapy for addiction has a special place in all of our treatment plans. We know how important it is to have a creative outlet through which you can express yourself. That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to provide it. One phone call gets you closer to a sober and addiction-free life.

We have created a range of treatment programs in Pennsylvania, and each of them is particularly suited for addiction of certain intensity. Of course, we want you to understand that you are not obliged to take our recommendation into consideration. However, you should keep in mind that our specialists have your best interest in mind. At the end of the day, we both share the same goal – and that’s to help you recover at your own pace and at full convenience.