recommended music

Chronic abuse can have profound effects on the nervous system, particularly through prolonged activation of the body’s stress response. This repeated exposure to stress can dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to heightened arousal, hypervigilance, and difficulty regulating emotions. Over time, these changes can contribute to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, as well as impairments in cognitive and emotional processing due to alterations in brain regions like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex (McEwen & Gianaros, 2011).

Research shows that calming music can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which counterbalances the stress response by slowing the heart rate, reducing cortisol levels, and promoting relaxation. Listening to slow-tempo, soothing music has been linked to improved heart rate variability and decreased perceived stress (Thoma et al., 2013). Incorporating calming music into therapeutic practices may provide a non-invasive, accessible tool for supporting nervous system regulation and emotional recovery in individuals recovering from long-term abuse.

References

1. McEwen, B. S., & Gianaros, P. J. (2011). Stress- and allostasis-induced brain plasticity. Annual Review of Medicine, 62, 431–445.
2. Thoma, M. V., La Marca, R., Brönnimann, R., Finkel, L., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M. (2013). The effect of music on the human stress response. PLoS One, 8(8), e70156.