“The use of Music4Life Music Medicine helps bring in and manipulate the emotions I have buried inside of me that I have very little experience of controlling. When I start bringing music in, it has a spirit, it has a tone to it, where my mind can check into it and my thoughts are passified by the music. The emotion of the music permeates inside me which changes and puts me in a more stable place. Then I can go back and look at my thoughts from a more stable and sane perspective instead of being lost in this fury of unmanageable ideas and feelings. I now have the presence of mind to use music intentionally when I find myself in a state of mind that I don’t want to be, methodically finding something in my catalog of music to tune in purposefully.”
Music4Life® seeks to change a universal cycle of unsettledness that breeds a leading cause of death: suicide.
This is the cycle we seek to break: Unsettledness creates music, and music creates unsettledness.
Think about what might come first (like the dilemma of the chicken or the egg). Is it the unsettledness that produces the music, or is it the music that strengthens the unsettledness? It seems to be an endless cycle with escalating unsettledness breeding riots, shootings, violence, and suicide.
Unsettledness Produces Music
We know that, more often than not, singers-songwriters of popular bands create music out of trauma to express the hurt in a way that provides relief, to feel better. The music becomes a hit because fans support their favorite bands and identify with their trauma. This forces the singer-songwriter into music industry contracts requiring they relive the trauma by singing their hit song every night on tour. They may stay stuck in unsettledness and seek self-medication.
Music Strengthens Unsettledness
Fans connect to their favorite singer-songwriter / band’s music that is created out of trauma as it reflects their own personal experiences. The music “becomes their therapist,” validating their own trauma, feeling someone really understands them. People prefer music that validates who they are. However, listening to it regularly may keep the person stuck in unsettledness, thereby increasing anxiety, anger, depression or sadness. These problem moods can erupt into injurious behaviors to self or others.
This cycle of unsettledness can lead to self-medicating, substance abuse and possible death.
Chronic Unsettled Comfort Zones
Thousands of Music4Life’s music therapy clinical hours uncovered serious conditions connected to common music listening practices. Discovered by Music4Life music therapists providing treatment to more than 11,000 patients in residential addiction treatment centers, these common music listening practices are identified as Chronic Comfort Zones where mixed features of mood states mask complications connected to preferred music. Anxiety, anger, depression and sadness were found to be misinterpreted and fueled by music that can lead to Chronic Unsettled Comfort Zones which may contribute to suicide ideation, attempted, or death by, suicide.
We are grateful for FOX5LocalLasVegas TV 5.2 and Cable 125 airing this TV commercial during 2023, sponsored (in part) by SAMHSA and/or SAPTA of Nevada.
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DIY Programs are Essential
Because there are not enough mental health providers to prevent suicide, effective music methods are essential and facilitated by music therapists during clinical sessions. When you cannot access a music therapist, music therapy-informed DIY programs and products effectively manage moods through Music4LIfe.
Playlists: Helping or Hurting?
Advocates for the power of music to manage mood, to heal, lead people to special playlists that may provide only short-term relief of an unsettled mood, or temporarily sustain a positive mood. Because problem moods arise if they stop listening to that music, listening escalates with length of time almost nonstop. This cyclical problem of managing unsettled moods with preferred unsettled music requires effective education about common music listening practices, empowering habits that produce cathartic results, and music creation methods for effective mood support.
All of this has been developed over decades of clinical evidence evolving the Evidence Based Practice of the Music4Life Music Medicine Protocol. Now converted into DIY programs and products, Music4Life’s Power Up Your Life collection supports prescriptive playlists and empowering music listening habits applied with virtual and physical products, programs, and trainings, now automated for easier access, to start feeling better – now. Read our new release book “Thriving Through Adversity” to learn through dozens of case stories about turning your life into a thriving lifestyle.
These TV commercial sponsors believe in Music4Life’s ability to change lives.
Improves lives with increased awareness reducing mental health stigma through support, education, and advocacy.
Educates and supports communities about the effects of drug/alcohol abuse to promote healthy behaviors.
Provides mental & behavioral health treatment, autism ABA therapy, training, and community workshops.
Offers individual/family/group counseling, therapy, crisis intervention for uninsured/underinsured, case management, youth mentorship, and workshops.
Delivers detox, inpatient, and outpatient drug/alcohol rehab programs, evidence-based and trauma-focused for addiction and dual diagnosis treatment.
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