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Music Therapy

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Submitted By alandau1
Words 1481
Pages 6
ENG122
5/27/15
Music Therapy through Ages Constant irrational fears plaque the mind like the shadows of the night. An automatic switch is turned on in the most inappropriate of moments. Crawling in the overbearing darkness, on hands and knees, panicking, an off button cannot be found. The acknowledgment of what is happening is not enough cause to stop it. A faded melody plays in the background. Slowly, it grows louder and the shadows slowly begin to dissipate. The focus changes gently, taking it’s time to calm the mind. The beat gets louder and eventually all is well again like nothing ever happened. Anxiety disorders are a strong unwelcome force, but with music therapy can be calmed and treated no matter how old you are or what situation you might be in. Anxiety disorders are a form of stress. There are different types of anxiety disorders and symptoms differ from person to person. Of course, there are some basic signs someone with anxiety exhibits, but what they could be anxious about changes depending on the person. A person with anxiety shows signs of nervousness, rapid breathing, sweating, or trembling. While their internal symptoms may include, but are not limited to, powerlessness, sense of panic from false dangers, feeling fatigued, and having trouble concentrating on anything but what they are worried about. A common anxiety disorder called General Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, causes excessive and persistent worry, where the worry “is usually out of proportion to the actual circumstance” and “is difficult to control and interferes with [the] ability to focus on current tasks” (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research). It is not uncommon for a person to have more than one anxiety disorder. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that “40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population)” have some

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