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I'm sitting here nicely mellowed out listening to Irish folk. Somehow its my balm. I think its because its got this sad/lilting counterpoint but its just right for me somehow.
I quit meds since all they did were make me a zombie and took myself out of a bad situation, and the mood swings got a whole lot better without the triggers, and went back to the old premeds methods. Music is primary. A good set of speakers to me is therapy.
Just curious, if you have mood problems or not, is listening to music a part of your dealing with stress and the negative elements of life? Does it matter what kind? What about a kind of music helps?
As an alcoholic I have a few albums I listen to when I am drinking that fits my mood (Roger Waters Live, Blue October any man in America, and Alkaline Trio). Then when I'm not drinking I like Bob Marley, pepper, reggae. When I'm on a fast brisk walk for execize its Dragonforce "Sonic Firesform". If I'm pissed off but not drinking or exercising I tend to listen ti a lot of Slayer. If I'm happy, its old school Buck Owens or whatever. Depends totally on mood and situation. Music is an extension of the spirit/soul, so whatever I feel I play.
If I am stressed or not in a great mood which isn't often I like to listen to dance, hip/hop music or top 40. I put it on in the house and I dance around. I listen to music alot anyway regardless of my mood. I especially like it on when I clean the house because it makes doing housework more fun. I put it on in surround sound and it's great. I am also from a younger generation so my music style/choice may not be for everyone. I need upbeat music.
I was just thinking of depression and whether the music we choose makes us worse. I think for me it can though I most always have a tune in my head. Right now, its, "Breath" by Breaking Benjamin. Sometimes I will play tunes and they link to hard times, I like the music but it makes me think more of the pain and the times. When I get to a certain point a play list is on loop in my head anyway. Funny how much of music no matter what genre has a depressing theme of some sort. Vocal trance, hard rock, etc. I'm a drummer and I used to always be either playing or listening to something. Depression can change ones interest and activity levels, which really sucks. I gotta ptsd, ocd, depression and anxiety gig going, the circle is hard to break. When the depression is bad I try and watch some old comedy show or something, with no links that can take me to thinking of something more I don't want in my head. I like the Irish Folk music too, glad it seems to help you Nightbird47. I used to try and listen to only music without words. But some of the instrumentals need nothing more and are very emotional to me. Like George Winston's music, for example. Take a look on YouTube for Adrian von Ziegler, he has a variety of styles, he does it all himself, he's a very talented guy, you might enjoy some of his stuff. Take care all.
Thanks for the thread. It gives me an opportunity to share my ideas (though not well formed) about jazz and depression ... at least my relationship with both.
I don't know if anyone likes jazz but i find it to be extremely helpful in dealing with both depression and mental imbalance in general.
It seems to positively interrupt habitual patterning in the brain .... for me anyway and something like that. That's part of my theory. I'd explain it better if i could but i'm not knowledgeable enough.
There is, even when a piece is blue or troubled, etc., a brightness to jazz and it the one form of music (i listen to a lot of different music) where i see color in the music.
Also, while much of jazz can either be or seem to be quite chaotic and can be difficult for people to listen to especially when they're not familiar with it, that chaos is i think, part of the reason why it disrupts or interrupts habitual neural pathways (i think that's an accurate way to say it) and helps to create new ones.
I believe that it's accurate to say the depression involves neural pathways that are kind of habitual or "rutted"?
I'm no scientist so i can't be very accurate about all of this but i think the gist of what i'm trying to say is true.
And jazz is such an amazing expression of intellectual / mental and musical freedom and that freedom is supportive for me because, related to what i was saying about neural pathways, i think the most painful thing about depression (and i guess all mental illness / imbalance) is that sense that one is trapped and tortured within a mental "prison".
And i guess most importantly of all, i just love jazz.
Art, in its truest expression, can be truly liberating for the creator and for the one(s) receiving it whether looking or listening.
The best jazz is extremely high art ... imo.
For those who aren't familiar with jazz i posted a few links just to "show" what i'm talking about.
The Dave Brubeck is quite accessible and the Miles Davis link (the entire "Kind of Blue" album) is also relatively accessible.
Eliane Elias singing Brazilian jazz (composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim) is just sunny and bright and wonderful.
John Coltrane is an example of jazz that can be "challenging" and difficult to listen to but i provided a link to it anyway. Another full album!
About 3 years ago, I went through an extremely horrible awakening about my husband. My therapy was long walks by myself and listening to music of the 70's, my era. I was an online group looking for assistance and the coaches thought this was a bad approach and thought it was not facing the problem but, sometimes, we don't have the tools within us to take on the world at any given moment so the music of the 70's soothed my broken soul until I could sort of pull it together. Also, I used to have to attend meetings at the schools trying to get the best placement and keep it for our son with developmental disabilities and they usually had about 6 people against me at the meeting. Before the meeting, I would always play Alice Cooper and Led Zepplin, my warrior music, and then with chin up, I would walk into the room and lock in my heals! I always heard that classical music was soothing but I just found it so boring that my thoughts continued rather than being soothed. For me, it is more than noise and the music sort of just permeates my body and mind.
I think because my mom always had the raido on, and music playing and as I grew up I had it on in my own room constantly, and I learned to read music and have dabbled at it that it simply plays a central part in my life. One of the best times of my life was after I lost my job and didn't know where things were going, but discovered filk music. This is a science fiction/parody/origional version of folk music where people gather together and sing together and share the music personally. I have some of the closest of friends met then. And when I find the stuff on you tube that's no longer available and most of the cassettes are gone, it sends me back. And just having music is to have the room not be empty. Maybe because its such a deeply important part of life, it plays a specially important part in my mind.
Today was a good day, with getting to a 'project' for the house (putting shelves on the homemade 'island') and listening to all the music on pbs with their pledge drive. It reminds me that when I feel sorry for myself or yell at myself that I can cut through the fog and do even if its hard.
When its purely chemical, I'm just 'down' that day, which isn't all that common, then I listen to music to mellow out, or write, and it cycles it out sooner. I think we can be what we want and effect our own chemistry if we know the right things to do.
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