{Research Made Real} Music Therapy & Eating Disorders

This is part of a series that makes music therapy research more accessible to everyone. In each post, we will highlight some of the recent research being done in various areas of the field. Is there a topic you would like to read about in the next Research Made Real? Let us know!

Many people believe that eating disorders are a choice. In actuality, eating disorders are considered a mental illness, and can have a serious effect on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Studies have shown that 1 in every 20 people will have an eating disorder at one point in their lives. While both genders are affected, it affects females 2.5 times more often than males. The three most common forms of eating disorders are: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is a disease where the diagnosed individual starves himself or herself in order to lose weight. This disorder causes the most fatalities out of any mental disorder.  Bulimia nervosa is a disorder in which the diagnosed person eats unhealthily large amounts of food and purges the food from their body by vomiting, abusing laxatives, and/or exercising to an extreme. Binge eating disorder, like bulimia nervosa, causes a person to eat food in excess. But, unlike bulimia, the individual does not attempt to purge the food from their body. While medications and nutritional counseling can help treat these disorders, music therapy can also play an important role in recovery.

Music therapy focuses on many goals to help those affected by an eating disorder, including but not limited to: self esteem, body image, control, relationships, and empowerment. Many times, people with eating disorders have another diagnosis, such as depression or anxiety. Music therapy is able to help both disorders! Some interventions that may support individuals in their recovery include lyrics analysis, song writing, and clinical improvisation.

During a lyric analysis session, clients choose a song to share with the group and discuss the lyrics of that song. The themes that come up during the group relate to the individual’s treatment. This allows people to express themselves in a safe and supported environment. With a song-writing intervention, clients are able to express themselves even more than in a lyric analysis experience. Clients are able to convey their feelings by writing their own lyrics and even their own music. Clinical improvisation gives each individual the freedom of choice. They are able to play any instrument they would like and in any fashion they feel suits them at their current state. This freedom allows individuals to recognize that their eating habits aren’t the only thing they have control of in their day-to-day lives. Music therapy is a great addition to any eating disorder treatment in order to assist the recovery process.

Written by: Jacqueline Holtzhauer, MT-BC

If you or someone you love would like more information about eating disorders, and where to get help, check out the NEDA website. They have educational information, online eating disorder screenings, and ways to find help in your area. Do you want some more information about how music therapy could help you or someone else with eating disorders? We would love to talk with you! Give us a call at (240) 394-9399 or email Darcy at darcy@noteableprogressions.com.

Sources:

NAMI. (n.d.). Eating disorders. Retrieved from http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Eating-Disorders

NIMH. (2016, February). Eating disorders. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml

Quick, D. (2015, June 19).  Music therapy in the treatment of eating disorders: Part 2. Eating Disorder Hope. Retrieved from http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/recovery/self-help-tools-skills-tips/music-therapy-in-the-treatment-of-eating-disorders-part-two