The Individual Effects of Therapeutic Drumming
At the individual level, drumming creates physical and emotional effects which make the person feel better. TDI groups always begin and end with a feelings check, goal setting and evaluation. Often, if a youth checks in with feelings such as anger, depression, boredom, sadness, tension or anxiety. 45 minutes later they will check out with feelings of happiness, energy, excitement, relaxation and or hopefulness. This is a powerful intervention for people in treatment, because they often feel at the mercy of their feelings. They often honestly believe that they cannot control how they feel from moment to moment. Facilitators are able to use this experience to help the person increase their feelings of control over their world-their feelings of self-efficacy. Some youths actually get to the point that they ask for a drum when they are feeling angry or depressed, and use it to help get their feelings under control.
Drumming also has an effect on a person’s ability to be fully in the moment. Many residents suffer greatly from feelings of anger or guilt about events in their past, and have anxieties and fear about the uncertainty of the future. Participating in a drumming group frees them from this, at least temporary. It also can shift their focus from their problems and areas of perceived inadequacy to those parts of themselves which are joyful and powerful. When a group is playing we may see their often sullen, angry, guarded faces relax, become clear, and begin to smile. Their facades of disinterest and toughness give way to excitement and hope.
In a 1999 informal biofeedback study of healthy adults by Dr. Robert Dallas, several physiological and neurological effects of a 20-minute drumming session were noted, The Alpha brain waves of all participants increased dramatically. These brain waves are correlated with the mind being alert and the body being relaxed. GSR (Galvanic Skin Response), which is a measure of emotional response, tended to move towards the center - i.e., participants who were emotionally reactive tended to become calmer, and those who were somewhat depressed experienced a heightened emotional response. Use of the right brain and left brand tended to become balanced, Skin temperature rose, indicating relaxation, centering and opening up the flow of circulation. This serves to decrease blood pressure, strain on the heart, and a lowering of the stress response, allowing a greater sense of comfort and control in life. Dr. Dallas theorized that while anyone doing this once would experience the same effect, which could last several hours, that by doing this several times a week, participants were training their brand to access this state at will. He said that it made perfect sense that this was supportive to people in treatment.”
from Therapeutic Drumming Interventions: A Strength-Based approach by Tom Harris, MS
