Singing as Therapy

Singing as Therapy 

It’s easy to imagine that for those suffering from mental illness most days are the same, always on the edge of crisis. Maybe for some, this is true, particularly when at their worst.  For many of us, our lives are a roller coaster of emotions with good days and bad days, depending on what is happening in our lives and how well we are coping with it. It helps my morale to congratulate myself on surviving a difficult day and I can feel optimistic on good days but there is a continuity of emotional turmoil that remains with me whatever is happening.

I only escape from this when I am distracted and involved in something that engrosses me. I have found singing in a choir very therapeutic. Chatting to people, singing uplifting songs, mastering the nuances of the music and learning words, all keep my mind focussed and away from destructive thoughts. I feel the knot in my stomach lift into my chest and then into the air as I sing. On these nights I go home feeling relaxed and sleep well. I have always sort to find a cure for my illness but now understand that learning to manage how I feel is the real success. Singing is a joy and one of my coping strategies and I look forward to concerts when I can pour my emotions into each song and feel the audience respond. Not everyone in the choir has this approach. Many people like to sing with gusto and need a conductor to direct them through the song. For me, each song is a poem with meaning and expression that needs to be conveyed to the audience. There is no emotion or expression that can’t be engaged, through song but everything begins with the poetry of the music. Many people with anxiety make plans but then cancel at the last minute. No matter what type of day I am having, I go to my choir because being a bit brave allows me to overcome the bad feelings and step into a different world where there is no room for dark thoughts. I have not told anyone in my choir that I suffer from mental illness because it is a time I can feel free.