Thursday, May 28, 2015

Mental Health Awareness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to celebrate I have compiled a list of songs that are inspired by the patients I work with everyday. As most of you may know, I am a Board Certified Music Therapist, and work at an acute psychiatric hospital specifically with adolescents and children. A lot of my patients are hospitalized for self-harm or suicide, and many of them have a history of trauma and abuse.
Because of their history and current fragile or labile state, I take great care and consideration in the music that I choose to present to them in therapy groups. My training allows me to be mindful of the music I bring in, opting for patient-preferred songs, but also filtering out those that might be triggering or overwhelming. However, my patients often identify with many of these songs, and ask for them persistently and repeatedly.
So for this month's playlist, I am featuring those songs that I probably shouldn't play for my patients. (Although in certain appropriate contexts, I have used them in group!) A lot of these songs feature themes of suicide, self-harm, and low self-worth. Use with caution!

Playlist
Mental Health Awareness

Highlights
- Songs About Self-harm
Bleeding Love (this one is here mostly for the imagery)
Cough Syrup
Hurt
The First Cut is the Deepest (also imagery)
Knives and Pens

Songs About Suicide or Death
Killing Me Softly
Grenade
Adam's Song
Worth Dying For
Suicidal Thoughts
If I Die Young
Born to Die

Songs About Feeling "Crazy"
Basket Case
Crazy
Insane in the Brain
Institutionalized
Rehab





Thanks for listening (mentally aware)!
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