Not many people like to face the noise and deal with reality.

At any point throughout your day, it is inevitable to listen to music in one way or another. Whether you throw on your headphones, the car radio, or just listen to the way your own two feet hit the pavement and remind yourself of a song you’ve heard, you cannot escape the sound of music.

Did you know music can also affect your mood?

I bet you answered yes, because it’s practically common knowledge. There is a difference in your mood, whether you listen to Hannah Montana’s #1 hit, or Slayer’s #1 hit. There could even be a difference in your mood between listening to two different songs written by the same artist. If music can alter your mood by the beat of a song, could that mean it’s possible to alter your state of mind?

Think about it, you feel anxious in anticipation when the spooky music kicks in during a horror film. In general, fast-paced metal music has the effect similar to cocaine on your brain, in that it makes everything around you seem to zip by. However, music does not affect everyone exactly the same. For example, a song may remind you of a specific, sad, point in your life, whereas someone else could hear the same song and bring them back to one of the best parts of their life. Personally, the song 'Hemorrhage' by Fuel always takes me back to the when I was a baby, rocking out to this with my mom when I was in my car seat, begging her to play “the hands song” over and over again. To this day, I know every word. But, when I play it for my roommate, she’s never even heard of the song. And for some, it may make them recall a completely different memory for them. So, in one way or another, music makes everyone feel something.

When someone has depression, it’s sometimes difficult for him of her to feel anything at all. There are days, even weeks when someone with depression refuses to get out of bed. On the other hand, those with anxiety tend to feel everything, as opposed to those with depression. Those with anxiety disorders are prone to things such as: panic attacks, tightness in the chest, over-thinking to the extreme, along with several other symptoms. And living with both is just hell. Doctors everywhere prescribe different medications to help these patients cope with their symptoms. Yet, according to surveys conducted by Steven Marcus and Mark Olfson, “about 75 percent of the patients who were treated for depression received antidepressant medications.” Of the other 25 percent, there are is a variety of other solutions to cope with this mental disease, depending on how severe one’s case is. According to Anxiety Centre, an estimated 30 percent of North American adults live with some kind of anxiety disorder. However, only one-third will receive treatment, and a minuscule 10 percent of those individuals will be properly treated. (Folk, 1)

Whether it be because of morals, symptoms, or the cost of treatment that hinders these individuals from medicating, or even seeing a therapist, there are still almost 67 percent of those living with anxiety, and 25 percent with depression, still going untreated. As an alternative, this writer proposes music as a coping mechanism. It’s generally free, and extremely patient-oriented; whereas medicine affects everyone differently, needs to be tested, and could potentially do more harm than good. Although, just as certain medications affect specific parts of the brain, music does the same thing. For example, when you listen to a particularly enjoyable song, don’t you get a little “feel-good” buzz in the back of your brain; maybe you get chills down your arms. Thus, I support the sprouting research behind utilizing music as an antidepressant, as well as an anti-anxiety remedy. Moreover, I’m not suggesting the abolishment of all other remedies regarding mental health issues. Just that patients who have found little or opposed results in medication could definitely see a change in behavior and feelings within music.

I, as a Psychology major, am interested in the way the brain works, how to potentially treat patients and figure out more about behavior of individuals. I, as a compassionate human being, find it in my best interest to help those around me cope and deal with their problems. With that being said, music seems like a reasonable solution to this problem across the country. If it’s just listening to a few hours of music each day, or learning to play and rehearsing their favorite melodies, many people will feel emotionally better through the power of music. Honestly, what is the worst that can happen if patients are informed to cope with songs and such, rather than drugs or going completely untreated? It’s not like the world is going to run out of music to play or make. Alternatively, making music is found to be more therapeutic than simply listening. In addition, that rings true for just about anything in life. The best way to learn is getting involved, right? Teachers always taught students to participate and actively learn. Therefore, this plot for healing is virtually fool-proof, with the right research and testing; mainly focusing on specific properties of different genres and parts of music itself to help these people.

In conclusion, I feel as though this would be a much safer alternative to various medications. Music is already a part of our everyday lives, so it would be relatively easy to manipulate it to our benefit. Lastly, hundreds of Americans would benefit from this utilization of music as an additional coping method and should be researched more to do so.