Music and Mental Health
In an online group I’m in about sobriety, someone said listening to music is part of their recovery. I started learning drums after I got sober; a friend started learning guitar after she quit drinking. Not only does recovery allow a different relationship to music; music can aid in recovery and benefit mental health. A […]
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has been continuously sober since the year 2000. He’s struggled with cocaine, heroin, and alcohol use. The song “Under the Bridge,” one of the band’s most popular, is about a time Kiedis used drugs under a bridge in LA. One day during his first attempt at sobriety, […]
The Music Industry and Addiction/Mental Health Disorders
Over decades, quite a few musicians have publicly struggled with addiction and mental health. Billie Holiday, Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato—and those are just the famous people. A 2019 study found that 75% of independent musicians have stress or anxiety related to their music creation.[1] In […]
Music in Sobriety: Meditative Effects
Music activates the same reward pathways in the brain that get hijacked by drugs and alcohol. These pathways are how we derive pleasure from healthy activities like eating, connecting with others, appreciating art.