Music Can Help The Pandemic-Created Surge in Substance Abuse
*MaOp Music Has Tips to Ease Overwhelming Angst*
*ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / February 14, 2022 / *Just as the world was starting to believe the COVID-19 pandemic was coming to an end, the Omicron variant emerged, throwing society into a tailspin of anxiety.
A research study noted by the Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDRAP) reports that depression went from 8.5 percent before the pandemic to 27.8 percent in 2021. Research by Lifeworks and The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation found a 29 percent increase in illegal drug use and a 31 percent increase in alcohol abuse.
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says, "people struggling with addiction and those in recovery are prone to relapse. The initial pandemic lockdowns and subsequent fraying of social networks, along with the rise in mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, helped create the crisis."
MaOp Music founder Mary Opara, a 20-year mental health clinical specialist, and Christian singer/songwriter says, "everyone wants to get back to their pre-COVID state of mind. Some lose hope when the treatment regimen does not completely help their situations and sometimes turn to illegal substances or even suicide."
Conventional mental health treatment frequently includes medications and talk therapy which may be effective. MaOp Music has also seen the benefits of music when added to therapy settings in correctional facilities.
Mary Opara spent 14 years working with thousands of inmates at the County Jail in Georgia. Opara says, "I found every opportunity to recommend Christian songs and witnessed its powerful impact on the inmates. Music had a positive effective 7 out of 10 times on those struggling to find meaning in their lives."
Scientific research has documented the power of music. In Canada, a 2011 study at McGill University showed the brain releases dopamine - the "feel good" neurochemical - when listening to pleasurable music. MaOp Music sees a musical roster as a powerful therapeutic tool for those struggling with addiction in these challenging times.
"Music seems to have a pleasing effect on us by penetrating deeply into our souls. When we listen to delightful or soothing music, it can evoke solid and positive, and reassuring emotions. It's something that is very much needed with this lingering pandemic state."
*About MaOp Music*
MaOp Music is a music production and publishing company specializing in contemporary secular and Christian songs. Founder Mary Opara brings expertise in both music and healing, having been Maranatha Music Award-nominated and holding bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in Nursing (Board Certified in Psychiatry/Mental Health for over 20 years). MaOp Music encompasses Opara's singer/songwriter talent that she's honed since the age of twelve, and has been featured on over 30 digital online platforms, sixteen music blogs, and two music magazines. MaOp Music's mission is to be an inspirational catalyst for comfort, hope, joy, and peace through the power of music. For more information, visit MaOp Music on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. For additional information, visit maryoparamusic.com.
*CONTACT*
Mary Opara
770-885-2208
soldiersofchrist101@gmail.com
*SOURCE:* MaOp Music
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