Sound of Healing: Music Therapy and Alternative PTSD Treatments
Plus, how US veterans can learn to play guitar for free.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The author is not a licensed medical professional, therapist, or counselor. Readers are strongly encouraged to consult with a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis, treatment, and advice regarding PTSD or any other medical or psychological conditions.
Here’s a sobering thought: 7,057 US service members were killed in action during the Global War on Terror.
Yet over 30,000 have died by their own hand since 2001 and counting, with an average of 22 veterans killing themselves daily, or one every 65 minutes.
While drugs and therapy provide relief for some, such grim statistics prove we’re not doing enough.
But that’s changing.
Today, we’ll explore alternative PTSD treatments between community building, music therapy, to less conventional methods such as magic mushrooms.
First, top off your canteens because we’re heading outside.
Community-Based Support
For a long time, people didn’t talk about PTSD,
But over the past few decades, we’ve relaxed the social stigma and expanded veteran resources.
Still, we didn’t focus on the significant factors determining survivability: physical health and loneliness. That’s why veterans started helping veterans through community-based support through shared interests.
For example, from Rocky Mountain Retreats to Slope Socials, Challenge Aspen empowers veterans to raise their heart rates and build camaraderie.
Closer to the beach, One More Wave provides customized surf equipment and lessons from coast to coast to keep veterans engaged.
From steep mountain trails to rugged woodland terrain, The Dirt Therapy Project helps veterans heal through mountain biking.
Alternative PTSD Treatments
Even with all this support, it’s not enough due to PTSD’s complexity. Not only is each brain unique, but every traumatic experience and reaction to therapy is different.
To expand the PTSD toolkit, veterans turn to unexpected methods such as poetry and dance therapy, which happen to be two of the most effective alternative PTSD treatments at the Walter Reed Medical Center.
But some find hope in more unconventional and controversial options, such as eating magic mushrooms, but there’s good reason.
Academics at NYU found that psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is a powerful treatment when properly administered. This is why British Parachute Regiment veteran Keith Abraham trekked to South America in search of ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogen traditionally used in Amazonian cultures.
After a healing experience in Peru, Abraham established the Heroic Hearts organization, which provides UK veterans and first responders access to psychedelic options when traditional methods fall short.
Studies also show various forms of cannabis have been effective, from traditional use to modernized versions such as CBD extracts, a way to ingest the plant without the psychoactive side effects.
Some might say such options are a bridge too far. But 22 a day proves we don’t have time to stigmatize alternatives as we did with PTSD, to begin with.
But getting to the slopes, shores, or the Amazon jungle isn’t always easy. That’s why many veterans are turning to an alternative therapy that pre-dates Jesus Christ.
Music Therapy is Biblical
Long before prescription drugs and hourly counseling rates, humans relied on music to relieve stress.
You can even find it in the Bible.
And it happened that whenever the spirit of melancholy from God was upon Saul, David would take the lyre (harp) and play it. Saul would then feel relieved, and the spirit of melancholy would depart from him -I Samuel, 16:23
If you could return to Ancient Greece, you'd find the great philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras prescribing music therapy for physical and mental ailments.
More recently, during WWI, Paula Lind Ayers performed live singing sessions, which proved effective in relieving convalescing servicemembers.
They called her “the girl who could sing away shell shock.”
Of course, PTSD is not exclusive to combat veterans, and music therapy proves effective for conditions from depression to anxiety and may provide relief for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer’s, and stroke patients.
Research shows listening to music excites the brain, increases blood flow, and raises oxygen levels, which can repair damaged areas.
Music Therapy in Action
Darden Smith, the founder of SongwritingWith: Soldiers, helps veterans process their experiences through songwriting.
Harvard University proved it in 2011 when they studied his program and the overall impact of music as an alternative PTSD treatment.
After Smith and the participants wrote their pieces, administrators asked the group to listen to them twice daily for four weeks while monitoring heart rate, breathing, and sleep activity.
At the end of the month, the results yielded a 33% drop in PTSD symptoms and a 22% drop in depression symptoms.
Retired Technical Sergeant Blair Morin, an Air Force veteran and study participant, says that thanks to Darden's work, he can go out in public and spend more time with his kids.
I caught up with Morin and asked him about the long-term effects of his experience and how he was doing.
I continue to listen to my song frequently, as well as others that help me progress a lot. They provide an outlet to let the emotions through in a controlled situation. It’s a way to regulate the release, the song ends, and I can carry on. -Blair Morin-USAF, Technical Sergeant, Retired
You can find the full SongwritingWith: Soldiers library here, which includes tracks like Can’t Break Me Now, Quicksand, and Somebody Else’s War.
Learn to Play Guitar for Free With the Unstoppable Guitar System
Unfortunately, despite the number of support groups and alternative treatments, not everyone has time to get out of the house.
That's why Nashville professional and online guitar instructor Erich Andreas offers US veterans the Unstoppable Guitar System for free.
That includes all fundamental and advanced modules, the 365 Guitar Plan, and specialty series’ such as Master the Blues and How to Play Fingerstyle, with access to the online community to connect with like-minded people or participate in live streams.
Learning to play the guitar, especially as an adult, may seem daunting.
But the more complex the task, the more meditative the exercises can be.
To get started, head to Your Guitar Sage, upload proof of service, and get to picking, strumming, shredding, whatever your flavor.
Not a veteran? You can still get a ton of free training through the Your Guitar Sage YouTube channel, offering videos and regular live streams where Andreas typically does gear and membership giveaways.
22 A Day
The statistics are overwhelming, but thanks to Erich Andreas, Darden Smith, and the countless people working behind the scenes, we have a better shot at saving lives.
To find more resources for veterans and family members, head to Veterans Crisis Line.
Hope is patience with the lamp lit. -Tertullian