Psychologists are aware of the growing tendency among the people who lose their control and opt for suicide. This unfortunate phenomenon is growing in developing India with the latest figures touching a 28% jump over the previous decade. Some 122,637 persons have taken their own lives, according to an NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) survey. The WHO (World Health Organization) sees suicide as a major public health issue in South East Asia.
Suicide and Music Therapy
Music Therapy here is defined as “the use of the unique properties and potential of music in a therapeutic situation for the purpose of changing human behaviour so that the individual affected will be more ‘able to function as a worthwhile member ‘of today’s as well as tomorrow’s society”. (Hadsell, 1974).
When it comes to music, recent research has confirmed beyond any doubt that music increases expressive emotions experienced by people. Though music itself may have only slight effects on the number of senses, types of images, and the number of experiences that occur in the therapeutic process of working with imagery, its impact in overcoming one’s sense of hopelessness and the feeling of expressionlessness is unquestionable (McKinney,1990).
The therapists who have worked with schizophrenics have also come across similar results. They may not be able to see how they fit into society, which they find hostile to them. They may not be able to deal with their surroundings, like normal persons tackle with alacrity. Here, the music therapist can help in re-establishing them with reality, drawing them away from delusions (and hallucinations). Frequent music exercises help them in opening communication with people around them, besides learning adaptive behaviour patterns which help them slowly gain their confidence levels to tackle the challenges more healthily.
Western classical music with patterns as in Beethoven and Mozart can be listened to by forgetting all their worries and problems for at least 30 minutes, three times a day. This is like taking medicine!
For those who love Indian film songs, they can go for the soft, emotional and romantic songs of the yesteryears, sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey; Talat Mehmood, Rafi, Kishore Kumar, etc. They can prepare a special CD containing their own selection of these songs and keep them readily available like an emergency medicine!
As and when the negative thoughts occur in them, they can use this selection! East or west, music is the best!
The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves.
This article was published in My Doctor – December 2009 – Page 27
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, August 3, 2021