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 PREFACE Here are some of their comments on the importance of music in their lives: • • • • • • • • Sasha (age 25) “... the music never leaves me. Music is always with me” Dima (age 24) “ I can’t imagine my life without music. I see my life and my music always together” Yelena (age 28) “ I’m always with music. I live in it” Nahum (age 43) “I have a relationship with that word – music” Ella (age 29) “Music was like drugs” Zohar (age 20) “If I had to go stay on a desert island , and I could take either my music or my girlfriend – I would take my music. Boris (28) “I grew up with those songs” Yonatan (32) “It’s amazing how the music is half and half – with some of the experiences, like milestones …on my way down, with the drugs. When I first started to work with addicts, 10 years ago, in various rehab. centers, my thoughts on addicts and the kinds of music they listen to – were quite stereotypical. But as time went by, I learned that above and beyond the kind of music addicts may listen to, it’s important to investi- gate the quality of the relationship many of them form with their music – whether it’s electronic music, Russian criminal songs or Janis Joplin. I have come to the conclusion that music therapy with addicts should include, among other things, working with the music in their lives. The music, in therapy, then changes from being a means – to becoming the goal. In our music therapy groups we listen to, discuss, negotiate and re- evaluate the music the addicts listened to in their drug-using past, and their present period of therapy and rehab. For many of the people these sessions enable a first time opportunity to examine their relationship with music, in the secure and containing environment of the group; what emotions it evokes, what memories and life-stories it awakens. How it defines their personal, social and ethnic identity; how they use music in their daily life; how their music relates to their drug abuse and what dan- Introduction 298
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 gers or risks it holds for them; how music can function as a source of relaxation, joy and well being. Drug addicts, addiction and rehabilitation treatment I want to stress that this paper relates specifically to drug addicts, who have undergone treatment in the therapeutic community treatment model. The phenomenon of addiction to a variety of substances and behaviors is widespread; and there are numerous methods of treatment for addicts. Both are beyond the scope of this paper. My clients are chronic substance abusers, undergoing a yearlong, inpa- tient treatment program in the Ramot-Yehuda - Zoharim therapeutic community, in Israel. Men and women, aged 19-50, with a history of drug abuse lasting between 2 to 30 or 40 years. The majority have lived a life of crime and spent time in prison, usually as a result of drug abuse, sell- ing drugs, thefts, violence and prostitution. Many come from multi-prob- lem families, with a history of various addictions, life in crime ridden neighborhoods and easily accessible drugs. Our clients have abused a wide variety of addictive substances - euphoric (cocaine and amphetamines); sedative (heroin, methadone, alcohol, ), psychedelic (L.S.D., ecstasy, cannabis); psychiatric medications. The factors directing ones' choice of drugs are dependent upon age and popu- larity among peer group, geographical and ethnic background, and per- sonality and biochemical makeup (Knipe, E. 1995). 40% of our clients are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, living in Israel for 15 years or less. The rest are Israeli born with a majority of Jews, and usually 5-10% Christian and Moslem Arabs. Drug addicts, addiction and rehabilitation treatment 299
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