Is it possible for music to act as a real treatment to cure mental health disorders?
Since time immemorial, music has been used as a therapeutic tool by shamans and witches; the Greeks gave music a reasonable and logical use, making it a preventive measure and a healing option for physical and mental illnesses.
Today, there is a widespread interest in the use of music therapy in treating psychiatric disorders; so it is accepted as a universal means to express one's emotions.
Music has certain components that act beneficially in our brains. Upon hearing it, your brain stimulates parts of glands to secrete Serotonin, which is the hormone of good humor and happiness.
The complex brain perceives music as a prize, which can vary heart rate and breathing. It releases a neurotransmitter, dopamine that is related to the pleasure we're feeling at the time.
Music causes our pain resistance to increase or that we can have a feeling of reducing tiredness, fatigue or stress; Songs offer people solace in adversity and joy in prosperity and for this reason the applications of music to various types of pathologies is becoming more widespread.
Music directly influences our health and is beneficial for multiple applications for our body and we are also carriers of music since our breathing or heartbeat are rhythmic activities.
Almost all forms of music might have therapeutic effects, but some others are the opposite way, increasing the chances for people to experience more stress. Music is linked to mood because it can have such an impact on mindset and well-being; therefore, it should come as no surprise that music therapy has been studied for its applications in managing numerous conditions.
Meanwhile, the answer to your question should be positive, with such an extensive historical background and scientific evidence, music therapy is an amazing way of helping people for mood enhancement and stress relief.
Music therapy has been studied for conditions such as autism, dementia, Down syndrome, depression, anxiety, pain treatment, sleep quality, and oncology.
Despite the time music therapy studies have evolved so far, since the first published study in music therapy appeared in 1789 and was called “Music Physically Considered”(author unknown), it's likeable to believe that this is just the beginning of the power and impact capacity sound waves may have on the human brain and the benefits they can foster.
Citation:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/music-therapy#:~:text=The%20first%20published%20study%20in,in%201806%20by%20Samuel%20Mathews.
