Music therapy to heal troubled mind

By Ranga Chandrarathne

The Sala Nisala programme which will be launched on July 5, 2008, at BMICH will be a novel experience for Sri Lankans. Though it is a therapeutic programme, it has been titled as ‘a sound mind through sensitive communication’, said Dr. Kapila Sooriyarachchi.

Sensitivity is a characteristic inherent to human being. Men and women are sensitive beings ever since their birth. Perhaps, a child’s first response is to the heartbeat of the mother. After coming into the world, the child responds to diverse sounds and objects that come into contact with through five senses.

However, it is estrange that the same child would gradually become insensitive along the path to adulthood. Social scientists and doctors have been at their wits end to understand this phenomenon which ultimately results in producing stress-prone men.

Though the terminology may differ, it has been identified that the stress, depression and anxiety is caused by persistent worry that would fill up a mind of an individual making them insensitive to the outside world.

The society which makes up of such individuals is tend to be more chaotic and troublesome place than a society of ordinary men and women with sound minds.

Receptivity of the mind is more or less determined by myriads of factors including a sense of being moral, feeling of lightness and relaxation both at home and the places of work and the time and ability of an individual to appreciate art and culture.

Sensitivity

“Troublesome mind is like a pitcher filled up to the brim. Worries of past, present and uncertain expectations virtually fill up the mind so that there is absolutely no space for absorption of information. Such individuals cannot cope with increasing loads of work and tend to get frustrated over a slightest incident.

What is needed in this scenario is to empty the mind of worries by identifying them. One can also explore the healing properties of music in this regard”, pointed out Dr. Kapila Sooriyarachchi on the application of sensitive communication in healing troubled minds.

Insensitivity or one’s inability to respond can be caused by socio-economic factors such as abject poverty, past worries, guilty consciousness and repentance over the objectives that could not be achieved. The very causation of anger, depression and anxiety over the future lies in the troubled mind which is always pre-occupied with not easily definable worries.

Though the worries may not have any bearing on the present, they will keep the mind occupied claiming responsible for drastically reducing mind’s capacity to absorb information and almost diminishing individuals’ ability to respond and to be sensitive to the outside world. This condition in the mind of an individual is incapable of handling stress and tension.

However, it should also borne in mind that individuals are born with tension which helps them to achieve their objectives in life. One should have a kind of tension since one is born into the world. This tension is latent in mind and is present in almost all the healthy individuals, acts a prompt that lead to one’s goals and objectives.

For instance, the expectations of an individual and his or her goals in life are prompted by this tension. Sense of foreboding of a promotion, examination result or a scholarship causes a natural tension which in turn prepares individuals for life. It is so helpful that individuals cannot simply carry on even their ordinary task without this tension.

However, the tension becomes a problem when it is manifested with negative signs. It eventually developed into acute depression causing considerable harm to the well-being of persons, among other things, reducing their productivity and making them incapable of behaving rationally in a tensed situation.

Social cohesion

Guilty conscience is one of the main factors that caused depression. This is caused when a person is in sense of guilty over commission or omission of an act which is expected by society for him to fulfil. Person will suffer from guilty consciousness when he or she is failed to fulfil moral and social obligations to immediate kith and kin and to the community at large.

Both in conservative and liberal societies, individuals are expected to play a societal role which is very often socially imposed on individuals. Inability to fit into that role and to fulfil one’s obligations to parents causes incessant worries. Though it is common knowledge that what is done, cannot be undone, it does not dawn upon individuals and they would suffer for extended periods.

Social values is another factor that causes depression. The very concept of good and bad and right and wrong has made up the core of social values. Though they have not been defined in absolute terms as in the case of rules and regulations, individual’s behaviour is bounded by this undefined code of conduct.

One’s social behaviour becomes morally acceptable or inacceptable by and largely on the basis of existing social values of a society. The term culturally inappropriate has been devised to describe behaviour of an individual which is deemed immoral in a particular culture.

However, the same behaviour may be acceptable in another culture. Sala Nisala provides a way out of this situation. Music therapy will, unlike in a massage clinic, remind individuals of the past and help get rid of worrying memories. For instance, song on father which is included in the programme, remind us of father. His dominating character and sense of security he provided.

The realization dawns upon us that our fathers are the same. What we apply here is community-based music therapy. Through music we try to help individuals to empty their minds of latent worries and mistakes and unfulfilled obligations to kith and kin,” said Dr. Kapila explaining the objectives of the programme.

Although the programme adapts techniques and theories of music therapy, it has mapped out a strategy where songs on social issues would be played appropriate to Sri Lankan socio-economic conditions and specific issues that individuals face in contemporary milieu. One of the principal characteristics of these songs is that they have been designed to suit not only to specific requirements of Sri Lankans but also to culture, social values and identities.

Masterly crafted tool

In essence the songs are so design that they apply to all individuals in society and help improve their general health in addition to acting as an effective antidote for stress and depression.

Amerasiri Peiris and Kolithabhanu who render their soothing voices to the songs will make them effective tools that not only sooth the minds of the listener but also address to the innermost recesses of their psychoses. In addition Dr. Kapila’s carefully selected vocabulary would add -value to the programme. It should be mentioned here that cultured voices of Kolithabhanu and Amerasiri Peiris exploits the clinical properties of notes woven into a tapestry of spell.

In order an individual to be perfectly in harmony with society, he or she should concentrate not only on physical and mental health but also the social coherence which is also a vital factor of keeping the equilibrium in a fast moving society.

If individuals tend to neglect social equilibrium, it will adversely affect the well-being of an individual. This will drastically reduce one’s sensitivity. However, sensitivity is dormant in individuals like water in a well.

There are some wells where water is overflowing while there are others with water on the deep bottom. Like tapping water from a well, sensitivity of individuals can also be enhanced and nurtured. The objectives of the programme are to enhance sensitivity dormant in individuals, emptying their minds of worries and to train them to face reality in life and understand the value of it. The programme would bring about relief to troubled minds thereby improving quality of life.

“What is our approach here is to enhance social cohesion which is vital for overall health of an individual. If person cannot get on with society, he or she becomes cause of his or her disease.

In the long run, it causes hypertension, diabetes and depression. The programme is aimed at creating a sound mind through sensitive communication,” said Dr. Sooriyarachchi explaining the approach that is adapted in the programme.

The concept behind the programme is sound mind through sensitive communication. For instance, the first part of the programme will be on the theme of social values.

The songs highlights on the specific roles played by mother, father, teacher, doctor, husband and wife in Sri Lankan society and in village.

The civilisation in ancient Sri Lanka is the trinity of village, temple and pagoda. Society assigns values on these individuals and social institutions. Individuals can draw parallels with the social values depicted in the song and whether how many of them in individuals and what are the false values that individuals should get themselves rid of.

The second programme consists of songs on social issues and the focus is on counselling. Third programme is aimed at children. There the songs, perhaps, in a dance drama form, would instill in children patriotic feelings, indigenous values and also the role of children in society.

The fourth programme is an especial programme which focuses on a calamity. For the first programme will be a dance drama on tsunami. Already forty songs have been composed and will be launched with assistance from Ravibandu Vidyapathy.

The fifth programme will make up of mix characteristics, again on the theme of sound mind through sensitive communication.

This programme is opened to the public who can appreciate it as they would appreciate a popular performance.

For instance, parting songs (valedictions) with a view to coming to terms with reality of painful separation. This will make persons sensitive and specific programmes will be used to make traumatized person sensitive. Lullaby is the first clinically appropriate and communicative song. Clinically appropriate and communicative songs include ritualistic dancing such as bali, thovil and chanting of pirith.

The programme would re-invent those songs and would be a novel clinical experience as it giants in the field of music like Kolithabhanu Dissanayake and Amerasiri Peiris joined the programme.

A novel feature is that programme offering an opportunity for hidden talent of a musician to come to limelight.

That opportunity will be offered to an artist who is talented but suffers from economic and other constrains.

Music for the most of the songs is composed by Rohana Weerasinghe, Kolithabhanu Dissanayake and Amerasiri Peiris, Victor Ratnayake.

The trio who make the program - Dr. Kapila Sooriyarachchi, Amerasiri Peiris and Kolithabhanu Dissanayake.

Dummy use link to ear infections

Parents should avoid using a dummy in infants who are prone to ear infections, research suggests.

In a five-year study of almost 500 Dutch children, researchers found almost double the risk of recurrent ear infections in those who used a dummy.

Writing in the Family Practice journal they said doctors should advise parents of the risk.

Scientifically known as acute otitis media, ear infections are very common in young children.

Antibiotics do not generally work and the infection tends clear on its own within a few days but some children are prone to repeated bouts.

This is a very useful piece of research that shows use of dummies in children under the age of four who have a history of ear infections is not a good idea.

The researchers from University Medical Center, Utrecht said some studies before had found a link between dummy use and ear infections but they had not been very accurate.

Their research followed 476 children aged under four years, 216 of whom used a dummy.

There was a 90% increased risk of recurrent ear infections in those who sucked a dummy compared with those who did not.

Susceptibility

The researchers said results suggested that the first infection may increase susceptibility to future ear infections.

And using a dummy may allow bacteria to more easily migrate from secretions in the nose to the middle ear, they suggested.

Study leader, Dr. Maroeska Rovers, said: “Paediatricians and GPs can use this information in their daily practice - they can dissuade parents from using a pacifier [dummy] once their child has been diagnosed with acute otitis media to avoid recurrent episodes.”

Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs said there had been previous studies but they had not been put together very well.

“This is a very useful piece of research that shows use of dummies in children under the age of four who have a history of ear infections is not a good idea.

“There’s no need to panic but - in those children - not using a dumm y is likely to prevent recurrence.”

BBC NEWS:

Traffic pollution puts kids at higher risk

A child’s risk of developing allergies increases by up to 50 percent from pollution caused by traffic, a rate that increases the closer the child grows up next to major roads, a new study says.

The findings, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, revealed significant links between the distance to the nearest road and asthmatic bronchitis, hay fever, eczema and allergic sensitizations.

“(Children) living very close to a major road are likely to be exposed not only to a higher amount of traffic-derived particles and gases but also to more freshly emitted aerosols which may be more toxic,” wrote lead author Joachim Heinrich, of the German Research Center for Environment and Health at the Institute of Epidemiology in Munich.

The researchers examined the level of exposure to traffic pollutants for almost 6,000 children, ages 4 and 6, based in part on how far their homes were from major roads at different times during their lives.

The children were tested for asthma, wheezing, sneezing, eczema and food allergies, while their parents answered questionnaires about their child’s respiratory diagnoses and symptoms. Testing for particulate matter (commonly called soot) and nitrogen dioxide was also conducted near 40 high-traffic areas during each season between March 1999 and July 2000.

Pollution and allergies have been linked in previous studies, but the association was often attributed to socio-economic factors, not the distance from major roads.

“We consistently found strong associations between the distance to the nearest main road and the allergic disease outcomes,” Heinrich wrote.

“Children living closer than 50 meters to a busy street had the highest probability of getting allergic symptoms, compared to children living further away.”

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