Can music cause anxiety?

Marielle Miguel

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Hey guys I've searched up online if music can cause anxiety but the answer seems to be no, in fact, it can lower anxiety according to my research.

I've been listening to rock music most of my life and usually, I listen to the same songs over and over again because I'm bored. However, there have been moments where I've found a new song and loved it and am in a state of trance and bliss and I've listened to the song constantly over a few days until it gets boring as well...

Recently I've noticed that all the times I've experienced extreme anxiety I had found a new song which I began to like a few days earlier. My guess is that the music causes chemical imbalances? Due to my personal experiences, I believe music causes me anxiety but since there is no scientific evidence to support this I feel like I'm just being silly by avoiding music.
 

Frog

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I believe the type of music also has a bearing on how anxious you feel too. Something more soothing like Gymnopedie by Satie will have a different effect than say Sober by Tool. There is also trance inducing music that is played at a specific hertz to calm the mind. Personally I feel anxiety can be combated by forcing your mind into a numbing state to bridge the gap to where you want to feel. Music is just a tool, you can use to it enhance or degrade any emotional state.

Music at 432 Hz

 
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E-Z

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The movies have used music to raise or build anxiety levels since the early 1900s onwards take the movie Jaws for example.

These days I mainly listen to US heavy rock bands like Mountain, Montrose or Johnny Winter (1970-75 era) from the 1970s which always 'blows my mind' every time and keeps me on a permanent 'high' with those great songs and mouth watering guitar riffs!!.
 
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Marielle Miguel

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Hello, thanks for the replies and suggestions. So I wanted to clear up a few things, sorry for my further intrusions.

Emotions may play a big part as I am generally not a very emotional person but while listening to music depending on the song I have experienced strong emotions of motivation sympathy etc. Furthermore, I don't get bad anxiety while listening to music but get it afterwards and have noticed that I tend to get a bit restless (maybe fight or flight?) but it's not too bothersome and the overall experience is still enjoyable. And does my anxiety go away when I stop the music? Well, I have an addiction which was largely responsible for my anxiety but I've mostly overcome that now. Last year I was very sick for a month and was mostly bedridden for that month and had no desire for music and afterwards realised that my OCD and insomnia had reduced significantly.

I hope this information allows my situation to be better understood. Thank you all. :/
 

Frog

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Hello, thanks for the replies and suggestions. So I wanted to clear up a few things, sorry for my further intrusions.

Emotions may play a big part as I am generally not a very emotional person but while listening to music depending on the song I have experienced strong emotions of motivation sympathy etc. Furthermore, I don't get bad anxiety while listening to music but get it afterwards and have noticed that I tend to get a bit restless (maybe fight or flight?) but it's not too bothersome and the overall experience is still enjoyable. And does my anxiety go away when I stop the music? Well, I have an addiction which was largely responsible for my anxiety but I've mostly overcome that now. Last year I was very sick for a month and was mostly bedridden for that month and had no desire for music and afterwards realised that my OCD and insomnia had reduced significantly.

I hope this information allows my situation to be better understood. Thank you all. :/

It sounds like music is tied to experience surrounding your addiction too Marielle; this is why it brings on anxiety. I'd try genres you aren't accustomed to which could bring forth a different experience. Fight that addiction as much as you can, it will be a self-destructive cycle that is never resolved.
 

Vehicle

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Of course. Music is magic, man. If there's a feeling to be had, music can stir it in a person.

The entire reason music exists is to evoke thoughts, emotions.

Elation, sorrow, melancholy, anger, happiness, longing, jealousy, etc, etc, are all emotions brought on by music.

Why not anxiety? It's just as legit an emotion as any other.
 

E-Z

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Back in 1989 I was working in a isolated place but had a tape deck and a copy of DEEP PURPLE at the California Jam in April 1974 with me so I put the tape on and turned the volume up to 11 and proceeded to 'blow the roof off the place' and actually became 'HIGH' on the excitement of hearing Purple blasting out Burn, Smoke On The Water & You Fool No One amongst several other numbers and I was in hog heaven man!!.
 

Frog

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Back in 1989 I was working in a isolated place but had a tape deck and a copy of DEEP PURPLE at the California Jam in April 1974 with me so I put the tape on and turned the volume up to 11 and proceeded to 'blow the roof off the place' and actually became 'HIGH' on the excitement of hearing Purple blasting out Burn, Smoke On The Water & You Fool No One amongst several other numbers and I was in hog heaven man!!.

Without music where I live you'd be in a road rage incident every day lol.
 
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suzannemg1234

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Your state of mind has a lot to do with Anxiety. Maybe at this point you have yourself talked into Anxiety before you even listen to the song. Just a thought. Music has always relaxed me.
 

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