Music is My Whole Life - World Federation of Music Therapy

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Horesh, T. (2006) “Music is My Whole Life” - The many meanings of music in addicts’ lives. Music Therapy Today (Online) Vol.VII (2) 291-317. available at http://musictherapyworld.net LISTENING TO MUSIC AS AN ESCAPE - AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR COPING WITH REALITY Almost all my interviewees spoke about listening to music as a means of avoiding thoughts and emotions and coping with difficult situations. Sasha:” I think I can say that I avoid my thoughts, by listening to music…when things are rough, and I want to be alone……..but then it’s hard to sit all by myself and concentrate on whats going on in my life, so I put on my music, and that’s it. I run away……I sort of sit by myself, with my music, don’t have to explain anything to anybody. I got my music. That’s it. “ Music fills the void. HIGH RISK SITUATIONS These are any life situations which may endanger a recovering addict’s obligation to recovery. All emotional and environmental cues and trig- gers which bring about memories of use or weaken one’s self efficacy, which may bring about relapse to substance abuse. Many of my clients, Israelis of middle eastern background, listen to a local genre of popular music. This Israeli Mediterranean music is a hybrid genre created in Israel by Jews from Arabic speaking countries. The music was, in the 1970's, thought to be culturally inferior by the mainstream, European-orientated culture and media. The music devel- oped as an "underground" alternative, giving voice to the themes and musical heritage of the lower and working classes. The music is essen- tially either western music overlaid with middle-eastern "colors", and the Arabic mellismatic form of singing, or authentic Turkish, Yemenite or Iraqi music with Hebrew texts (Horowitz 1999). The strongest connection the addicts have is with the sub-genre nick- named "crying songs". The lyrics and music of these songs evoke feelings of melancholy and despair. My clients relate that in times of depression, they are drawn to choose music that mirrors their mood, and while identifying with the words, and the memories the song evokes, sinking into feelings of self-pity and worthlessness (Horesh, 2006). Functions of music in addiction 310
Horesh, T. (2006) “Music is My Whole Life” - The many meanings of music in addicts’ lives. Music Therapy Today (Online) Vol.VII (2) 291-317. available at http://musictherapyworld.net Zohar Argov is one of the idolized singers of Israeli Mediterranean songs. He himself was addicted to heroin and committed suicide in jail. My interviewee Zohar chose his pseudonym because of his admiration to Zohar Argov. Zohar:” Not too long ago, my girlfriend and I broke up. I found myself listening again to all those depressing songs of Zohar Argov, it really drew me in, the words – exactly how I felt. And I could see myself going down hill, I would listen to the songs, go to sleep sad and wake up sad. so I took all of those c.d.s, brought them to a friend and said – listen, don’t give them back to me till you see that I’m all right. And he said – I’m proud of you. He knew that I never gave my Zohar c.d. to anyone.” Music, as a cue that can bring about memories of drug abuse, can also function as a warning signal before relapse. Like in the above example, an addict going through a crises might, unawares, find himself listening to drug-related music, which he may have stopped listening to as a result of his abstinence and changed life style. The music is not the cause of his emotional upheaval but reflects it. The music may heighten his emotional unstableness. But, if he has acquired awareness of the connection between certain kinds of music and negative emotions such as loss of control, depression or anxiety – the actual act of listening to the music may become a warning sign, or red light – a signal to stop, evaluate his situation and seek help. Nahum:” Even now, I can listen to Pink Floyd, and straight away it takes me to…places of chaos, drugs, grass, alcohol…” Research in music cognition supports Nahum’s experience. Music can evoke emotional and physical responses not just because of the music's properties, but because music recreates a mental and emotional represen- tation of the essence of the moment when it was first heard (Ortiz 1997). The memory evoked can be of negative experiences or emotions, or of actual drug use. The established links between certain types of music and Functions of music in addiction 311
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Music is My Whole Life - World Federation of Music Therapy

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