Could it be that our children are self-medicating with Sound?

I’ve always believed our brains try to find a way to help us out. When clients come to me feeling low, one of the questions I ask is...

“What seems to help?”

The client usually manages to reel off at least a couple of things that seem to lift their mood slightly, quite often to their own surprise.

We as humans want to be happy and healthy, and our brain and body is doing the best it can in the background.

Some people genuinely do already have or create for themselves a negative chemical change in the brain, which can lead to feelings attached to depression.

Others have irrational or rational fears and worries that don’t seem to leave their heads bringing them down in a spiral of depression.

Breaking that cycle of constant woe and gloom is extremely difficult and seems impossible for some.

So what if there was an easy and regular way to actually affect the pathways and chemicals in the brain physically? How much would that give us a boost out of depressive states?

It has been discovered that sounds such as music are capable of reliably affecting moods and emotions by affecting the dopamine in the brain (so they suspect). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter heavily involved in emotional behaviour and mood regulation.

Depending on your genetics though depends on what type of sound or piece of music is most effective at stimulating your individual dopamine.

You may well enjoy listening to heavy rock, when all you actually need to lift your spirits is a spot of Bach!

“We are really excited about our results because they suggest that even a non-pharmacological intervention such as music, might regulate mood and emotional responses at both the behavioural and neuronal level," says Professor Elvira Brattico.

Can you imagine... soon we might find ourselves getting referred by our GP for a ‘personalised music-based intervention’ for the treatment of depression and anxiety rather than taking anti depressant and anti anxiety drugs.

I personally have seen many teenagers walking around with their earphones in, are they already self-medicating without consciously realising it?

I have also had many clients that find music an important part of their relaxation regime. Do we already know this deep down? Perhaps music just didn’t seem to be a viable or strong enough cure?

My son is taking a Music Degree, and is considering taking that work and combining it with psychology to be a specialist in Music Therapy. He believes in the power of music and this has certainly opened my eyes up to it.

Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the cure can simply be right under our nose... or in this case next to our ears!!

So if you haven’t already compiled your favourite ‘feel-good’ music list, it’s scientifically proven to be beneficial. Keeping your music choice diverse is key, perhaps you’ll notice how much more lifted you feel after particular genres of music and then get more of the same.

Task: Try listening to a diverse choice of music twice a day and see how your moods are affected to get your ultimate dopamine affecting compilation.

Written by Sam Crook Director at Therapy for Life.
www.therapyforlife.co.uk

Source : Sciencedaily

Stuck on a Waiting List? Can’t afford Counselling? Really need help?... Sessions from £15 on a new scheme

At Therapy for Life, we can now offer counselling that’s affordable for everyone in Southend-on-Sea.

If you don’t mind having treatment from recently qualified counsellors, or counsellors undergoing the last parts of training... we have found your solution!

Our counsellors are supervised and monitored and are up to date with all the latest techniques and skills in psychology.

For £15-£20 per hour, you will benefit from their expertise in a modern comfortable room. We are a friendly group of counsellors and you will be very welcomed.

Many people have negative preconceptions of therapy, if you’ve never been sure whether it would suit you, or you had a bad experience in therapy... This is your chance to give it a try with us for very little expenditure. You never know, you may really benefit...

We only have space for a few clients under this new scheme, so do contact us and book in as soon as possible... We will start running these sessions from September 2016.

You will be given an initial assessment on the phone with Sam, then your counsellor will communicate with you to arrange a suitable date and time.

Terms & Conditions:

• Cash is to be paid upfront at each session.
• Your attendance is expected unless you ring to cancel (early that morning at the latest if possible in emergencies).
• There will be a minimum charge of £12 if you fail 2 consecutive sessions or more without ringing to cancel (please cancel sessions ideally at least 24 hours before to avoid charges). These failure charges are put in place because room rent still needs to be paid whether the client turns up or not.
• If you fail to attend 2 or more sessions successively without ringing to cancel, or your attendance is very poor, your place could be given to someone else
• You are entitled to have an initial 6 sessions then a review to see if more are needed. You may have up to 12 sessions at this reduced fee, then the session fee goes up to the normal concessional rate at Therapy for Life if long term therapy is required.
• To qualify, you must prove that you are on Income Support, Benefits, Pension Credits or Job Seekers Allowance at your first session. If you are on a low wage and can prove it but don't receive benefits, you can still be entitled to the help, every case is considered.
• Your financial situation will determine your fee, our negotiation on fee relies on clients being honest about what they can truly afford, at the end of the day we'd rather you get the help you need, but understandably bills must still be paid at Therapy for Life. 

Contact Sam: sam.c@therapyforlife.co.uk/ 07546 917252

www.therapyforlife.co.uk

What influence do 'trendy' adverts have on our young people? They stop them smiling... that's what!

Two different adverts aimed at two different generations. Both advertising clothing and shoes. These both appeared in my house this week. 

The top advert shows a brightly coloured image, the model looking seemingly happy and confident. The emotions attached to it are light and easy going for me. 

Switch down to the lower advert for the younger generation. Both models are not only serious, but look shifty and angry. It's set in a gloomy subway, with dark drab colours. The magazine was full of this type of advert, what message is this sending to our youngsters? 

It's cool to be miserable? 

The pair of them look like they've been caught out, or up to something in the advert... does this also project that it's trendy to be hanging around dodgy tunnels getting up to mischief?

Look at me saying 'mischief', 'shifty' and 'dodgy'... I sound like my parents! But things like this do genuinely worry me. I showed the two adverts to my 17 year old son this morning, and it was even an eye opener for him to see the difference in what they project to us.

I asked him, "is it cool NOT to smile around your friends?" his answer was a thoughtful "Yes sometimes".

Science Bit:

Smiling releases endorphins and serotonin. Endorphins are natural painkillers. The more endorphins your brain releases, the more your body can fight off symptoms of illness. Similarly, serotonin is a brain chemical that acts as a natural anti-depressant

Is the media choosing to mimic a teenager's hormonal low points in advertising to get their attention? that would be a shame if they are, when probably all the poor kids want and need is something to lift them out of their low mood. Looking at a magazine full of ads like this will certainly not help any depression or down days.

"I couldn't imagine walking around all day without smiling, yet I see some kids like it constantly."

It's amazing what smiling can do for your health and moods... go on kids, give it a try!

Wear a smile for a day and see how you feel at the end...

If you are struggling to cope with life, don't hesitate to contact Sam or Jackie at Therapy for Life