Kylie Stojentin
Substance abuse is an ongoing global phenomenon that many
individuals fight against unsuccessfully each day. Rehabilitation programs use
a multitude of unique therapy sessions to aid patients in recovery, but many
times these sessions can be tedious and non-engaging. Many patients decide to
discontinue treatment for this reason and do not complete their programs. Music,
however, has been found therapeutic in many cases and today is being explored
as a major aid in substance abuse treatment programs. In a study conducted by
Dr. Genevieve Dingle, Libby Gleadhill, and Felicity Baker of the University of
Queensland, music’s therapeutic abilities were researched in great detail on
patients admitted for substance misuse. Compared to other treatment methods,
music therapy sessions are highly effective and an essential agent in substance
abuse treatment and should be incorporated into every rehabilitation program’s
agenda.
Currently, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is the most
common practice in the treatment for substance use disorders. CBT analyzes and
identifies the patient’s addictive behavioral patterns in order to train the
individual in avoiding high risk situations for substance use as well as
developing healthy coping strategies when certain situations cannot be avoided.
CBT sessions take on an instructive and scholarly style, much like that found
in school teaching. Group members are expected to sit and learn for prolonged
periods of time and do not feel as though they are part of a group. Though this
method is an effective part of treatment, the style in which it is taught keeps
each patient individualized rather than incorporating them into a group.
Therefore, most patients attend a single session and discontinue with the
program. On the other hand, cognitive behavioral music therapy (CBMT) allows
flexibility with its loosely structured sessions and give the patient’s a small
amount of control and choice over the activities they participate in. This
little bit of freedom attracts patients and has them returning for multiple
sessions, with a smaller dropout rate than standard CBT practices.
Additionally, early trials of music therapy in substance misuse treatments
proved to help patients overcome the social isolation that is a major
characteristic of addiction. With music breaking the isolation barrier,
patients begin to collaborate on tasks to create a healthy learning environment
that is also enjoyable, making them more likely to stay involved in treatment.
Young patients under the age of 25 have been shown to be
the most difficult to keep engaged in treatments. Establishing trust with young
people typically takes much longer than with those over the age of 25, and for
a simple reason. Developmentally, young adulthood consists of growing
independent from authority figures, discovering one’s identity, testing rules
and taking risks. The likelihood of patients dropping out of treatment programs
in this stage is much higher than that of any other patient, and until music
therapy no alternatives to rectify this issue have been proven effective. CBMT
managed to transcend through the differences in age and substance of choice for
the patients, and in the end survey yielded the highest results of regular
attendance and overall patient satisfaction. Rather than simply going through
the motions, a staggering 83% of the patients surveyed said they found the CBMT
sessions extremely enjoyable and also surprisingly stated that they would come
to another music therapy session. Results this successful have not been found
in any other therapy to date, and has allowed for many patients to continue and
complete their treatment programs.
Music has proven to be highly effective in aiding
patients through substance abuse treatment programs and should be considered as
an essential part of a successful recovery. Rehabilitation centers should not
only offer, but recommend CBMT sessions to each patient since they have aided
individuals of any background into recovery.
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