is playing guitar is good for your mental health?

[gustavowoltmann]

We see playing guitar as a form of mindful escapism, a way to create space between an individual and their busy mind. Guitar-playing is beneficial to your overall well-being and mental health in other ways, too, including helping you develop a greater sense of personal achievement.
What you say about this?

[ch willie]

I'm 58, and 40 years ago, I had a breakdown, the first of quite a few over the years. I have been markedly affected by bi-polar depression and general anxiety disorder my entire adult life. In the beginning, lithium was about the only effective drug, and it did nothing for me.

I live in a cycle--I have a breakdown; docs find a medicine that works, and I'm usually good for 2 years before my body adjusts to the medicine and negates its effects. So then I have anywhere from 3-6 months to feel normal again. During those lows, nothing helps. However, for daily maintenance of my mind, playing guitar is only a positive. When I'm moderately anxious, time passes by so slowly that 5 minutes feels like an hour, but with the guitar in my hands, 30 minutes or an hour pass quickly. I lose myself in the guitar; the anxiety is still there but my mind concentrates on something else. If I get "in the zone", the guitar is like anti-anx meds.

Each time I begin to emerge from a bad bout of it, music, listening or playing, always helps to keep me alive. I mean that literally. Paul McCartney's "How Kind of You"; James Taylor's Hourglass album, Cat Steven's Tea for the Tillerman album, Simon and Garfunkel's catalogue, etc. And playing has given me joy when nothing else could give me joy. Music literally heals, literally helps to rescue the mind from a dark dark abyss, helps to keep me from taking a knife and cutting my own throat.

So, Yup.

[OldStrummer]

Yes!

[dirtdog]

I'll be the contrarian. ;-)

I think performing music as a musician - and probably being an active listener - is generally good for our cognitive faculties, but I won't agree with a blanket statement that music is good for mental health in all cases and all manners.

Reason I say this is that I can point to "music" (e.g., being involved in a music making enterprise) has directly led to negative mental health outcomes for me in the past. One factor amongst many to be sure. I'm now old enough and wise enough (cough, cough) that I can recognize the early warning signals that something I'm doing musically is about to become "not good" for me and I'll change my direction. I have a ton of personal anecdotes ranging from causal to correlation.

Now, that said, the vast majority of what I've done has been on the positive or neutral side of mental health, so I'm not a complete naysayer here. Just that, for me, music is not a panacea.

This is a good read if you're ever interested in exploring this further: https://www.amazon.ca/This-Your-Brai.../dp/0452288525

[ch willie]

I stopped performing because it made me too anxious. I was okay when I switched back to bass and stood as far away from the spotlight while performing as possible.I never want to perform live again unless it's for a very few friends at an informal get-together, and even that is questionable. You're right about this--it is too much pressure now, and I cannot take the pressure of being lead singer and guitarist and now not even as a bassist.

I can play alone when my anxiety levels point to significant but non-crippling anxiety. I get lost in melody, not so much techniques and such.

[gibsonjunkie]

I have always had a hard time sleeping - my mind races well into the night. Stress, anxiety,... you name it keeps me up watching the ceiling for hours every night. Lately I pop in a good pair of earbuds, put on an album (Tea for the Tillerman" works great for this) and I just drift off to sleep. It definitely helps me recenter myself. There's probably some science out there that explains that music triggers endorphins which make us feel better...

[OldStrummer]

Reading through the replies, my sense is that I find music good for my mental health because I'm a "bedroom soloist," and don't have the anxieties of performing or the stresses of having to earn a living through my music. Any job that causes personal discomfort or upheaval will be detrimental to one's mental health. I play music solely for personal gratification and comfort, and as a result, feel my mental aptitude and health is much improved.

[vinyl]

Music in general, and guitar specifically, coming from someone who plays multiple instruments, I agree wholeheartedly. Music has been my salvation... The only constant in my life, for as long as I can remember, and I'm 60...

Some of us have no other way to express ourselves. For me personally, I can't really do it with words, art, or anything else, though I dabbled in photography for a while. I think what attracted me was the technical aspect of photography during the film days.
For me it's through a musical instrument, if it's a guitar or some other musical instrument. Even if no one is listening, I'm still expressing myself. You can pile on other shit, like anxiety, or the possibility of ridicule.

In my opinion, playing a musical instrument is good for your mental health. Not just a guitar, but any instrument.

Cheers,
vinyl

I also think it is a shame that this post ended up in the "other guitars" subforum.

[ch willie]

vinyl, I'm glad you have the guitar to express yourself. My songwriting and other writings give me a means to express myself in ways that I can't otherwise.

Perhaps we could get the thread moved to The Whammy Bar if the thread seems to stay alive.

[pc]

I also think it is a shame that this post ended up in the "other guitars" subforum.

Good call Vinyl! I moved it to the Whammy Bar.

And, for me, good gravy yes! Playing is incredibly good for my mental health. I have a very stressful job, and without music in my life, I don't know what I'd do.

[vinyl]

Here is a story of one of my ancestors. My great-grandfather came here from Germany in 1865. Little command of the English language. But everyone played an instrument, and that's the way they "entertained" themselves. No TV, no radio, stressful jobs, (in this case, imagine attending school is a job) my great aunt didn't start speaking English until she started kindergarten.

My point is we all have stress. Even when and if you retire, your stress may change from your job to your health, or just simple grief over the loss of a wife or other loved one.

Thanks to chwillie for suggesting this thread get moved, and pc for actually moving it.

[S. Cane]

My story with music is too long for me to tell it here but I can certainly tell you that playing guitar in a band is probably the best thing in my life, and my life ain't a bad one in general.

I like being a lawyer, I have enjoyed well my bachelor times, am about to get married to a lady I really love and being in my 40s I am lucky enough to still have family around me, both my parents still being alive and ok.

But I would never be really ME if I had never picked up a guitar, jammed with friends and stepped onto a real stage, with people paying to see my band play.

No matter how tough the times are, picking up a guitar will soothe me, it's a relief and a painkiller.

pre-gig tension is there and even makes my tendonitis come and go, but the act of playing guitar and being in a band is something that, in simple words, makes my life better.

[S. Cane]

I stopped performing because it made me too anxious. I was okay when I switched back to bass and stood as far away from the spotlight while performing as possible.I never want to perform live again unless it's for a very few friends at an informal get-together, and even that is questionable. You're right about this--it is too much pressure now, and I cannot take the pressure of being lead singer and guitarist and now not even as a bassist.

I can play alone when my anxiety levels point to significant but non-crippling anxiety. I get lost in melody, not so much techniques and such.

I can relate to that. But not necessarily in an identical way.

Anxiety is a bitch and I know it well. Been there, done that, still do. A lot.

Pre-gig stress still hauts me and enhances my tendonitis pretty badly. I thought of retiring, many times.

But I need the thrill of playing professionally. I really can't picture myself away from stages and crowds. I know I will stop gigging, eventually. Probably sooner than I'd like to. But being in the local scene and being a "working guitarist" is kind of an obsession to me.

I confess: I probably will be happier when I am ready to leave the duties behind and just crank my amp and play for myself in my garage. No doubt. But I'm not ready to leave all that adrenaline behind, yet. Not just yet.

[jrgtr42]

This is a yes and no. To those of us here, the LPF and so on, yes, playing guitar is good for mental health. For someone else, it may not be.
I'll say that a person's hobbies and pastimes are good for the health. So for some of us, it's playing guitar, for someone else, maybe golf or boating, knitting, and so on ad nauseum.
Someone who claims to have no hobbies or anything would likely be the most tense person out there - they go to work, come home and what, sit in front of the TV all night? maybe that would be considered a hobby?
But for me, yes, I like sitting down with a guitar and just strumming - whether it's playing a song or not, just the action takes me away.

[gustavowoltmann]

as you know we can all think of at least one song that, when we hear it, triggers an emotional response. It might be a song that accompanied the first dance at your wedding, for example, or a song that reminds you of a difficult break-up or the loss of a loved one.

[gustavowoltmann]

Yes!

one of my friend says that playing my electric guitar is good for my mental health, but it might not be so good for my neighbor's mental health , when i have the amp turned up to the max.

[ch willie]

Ha ha. I've learned that the louder you play, the nicer you need to be to the neighbors.

[Offshore Angler]

To the original question, in my experience no.

I've met seemingly reasonable and rational people who once they get int a band become obsessed and just plain crazy. I've seen and met people who get emotionally unravelled just debating things about playing.

I'm sure with not a lot of effort you can find forum members here who have come and gone who have all written basically the same thread about how it's everyone else in the band who's wrong and they're all jerks.

When I (rarely) audition somebody one of the warning signs is when people get all emotional about "how they have to play, it's part of their soul." No it isn't, it's a chance to get together with the guys, make some fun music and a few bucks on the side.

I also gage how crazy a person is by how many minor chords they have in their original songs. If it starts on Em, they crazy! More than 2 minors, they crazy! Minor chords and the pronoun "I" and they be crazy crazy.

Chuck

[gustavowoltmann]

agreed with you . as you know listening to sad music at a high amount, has a negative effect on your thinking or thought process. The obvious notion that “happy music makes you happy and sad music makes you sad” can contribute to the fast decrease and increase of emotional stability.

[Toast]

Combine playing guitar (especially singing and playing) with regular exercise, along with a reasonable diet, and I believe you are on the path to remaining lucid and sharp into your old age.

[Offshore Angler]

The other thing that happens is for some reason when you get to be known as a decent guitar player you'll attract sycophantic hangers-on and wannabes that aren't good to have around you. They can be facilitators for unhealthy behavior.