It is not unusual to hear a song and recall some good times. Could be memories of a trip, a friend, or an important moment in life. It is using these positive memories that music becomes a tool in clinical psychology for cases of depression and anxiety and this usage has attracted more and more followers. The idea is to take the patient to another place, where his problems are forgotten and the mind can relax.
The rock group, Lyria, often write about psychological problems, bringing messages of overcoming and advice, addressing topics such as anxiety, depression and even autism in their lyrics. Not by chance, fans around the globe send testimonials that report overcoming adversity thanks to the positive messages of their songs. Vocalist Aline Happ says that it is very gratifying to receive this response from the fans:
“We have many fans who deal with different problems, anxiety and depression for example, and tell us that our songs help them move forward. It’s great to know that we can help people by doing what we love most. We feel somehow responsible for our fans and that also serves as motivation to continue our work”.
But clinical therapy through music is not for everyone. It needs to be an accepted alternative on the part of the psychologist and the patient who comes to the session with an interest in music. Therapist Cátia Guimarães explains that the professional can not opt for therapy without a partnership with the patient. There must be an interaction where one discovers the patient’s aptitude for music as a source of relaxation.
“Generally, patients at a certain point in therapy report that they heard a certain song and that at that moment, they felt nice. It is in these moments that the therapist manages to introduce music as a source of therapeutic help”.
Thanks to social networks, fans can get in touch with the musicians and bands that they most identify with, and it is on these social networks that Lyria receives fan testimonials about overcoming adversity. They are influenced by the positive messages of the songs, which always talk about being strong and give some life advice.
“They have already told us that they felt as if our songs were talking directly to them, making their feeling of loneliness disappear. For example, a fan from Canada told us that he was in deep depression for almost two years and that he had no more hope. He explained that the people around him saw his eyes were full of life again when he was listening to our songs. Fortunately, today he is improving and he has even gone back to work “recalls Aline.
This strong relationship with the fans generated two songs from the new album, “Immersion”: “Get What You Want” and “The Rain.” The first was composed by Lyria for a fan who, despite a serious degenerative illness, tried to be as positive as possible and live life to the fullest.
“He was a fighter. Despite an extremely limited living condition in a wheelchair and a respirator, he was always in a good mood and tried to live to the fullest. He is an example to follow. The song was a reward from our first crowdfunding and was inspired by a song he liked very much. The lyrics talk about chasing your dreams, taking responsibility and working hard to achieve what you want”, explains Aline.
Now “The Rain” was inspired by a poem of an autistic fan who overcame adversity. Both the poem and the lyrics of the song can be found in his book “Human: Finding myself into the Autism Spectrum” (Warren Mayocchi).
Strongly allied with clinical therapy, music is not an imposition on the patient. When Music is inserted into treatment after a therapist perceives that the individual is prone to gain from it, one genre of music is not better than another, it depends on the patient what genre would have greater effect.
“In clinical therapy, the therapist works with what the patient brings. Thus, the treatment develops over the style of music in which the person identifies himself. There is no song of its own that will bring someone out of depression”, explains Cátia Guimarães.
It is important to have an outlet to escape the stresses of everyday life. There are those who find themselves caring for animals, others feel better practicing exercises, and still, there are those who relax listening to music. “Sometimes, there is nothing better to get out of a picture of depression than to listen to a song written by someone who was, at that moment, going through something similar to what you are living,” concludes Cátia Guimarães.
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!