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Sound/vibrational Therapy As Additional Tool?

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Chava

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Have any of you used sound or vibrational therapy as a healing tool along with your regular therapy? I've figured out that sound and sound vibrations are the easiest way to help me out of periods of shutdown (feeling like I'm immobilized or dying...nevermind that on some level I know I'm not...it feels impossible).

Sound seems to be something I can access from almost any state. And it has a direct influence on my jittery or chaotic nervous system, especially if sound is going right into my ears or felt through bones like my sternum (from my sternum I feel it move up to my inner ears, probably the same path as the vagus nerve?). I brought a tuning fork to therapy this week and my therapist noticed it helped me down-regulate, so encouraged me to use it when needed (placing on my sternum or just bonking on the floor and hearing it by my ear).

The science would make sense if I could find anything on it (probably just not searching right...looking for connections to cranial and vagus nerves). It helps me feel like I'm back in my body because I can hear the sound outside but also inside my body. So I'm reconnected and feel safer and less chaotic. Too much on the web is super fruity chakra stuff. Sound vibrations are used to dissolve kidney stones, so I'm sure I'm just not finding the right stuff on nervous system regulation. But as an example, I'll try to imbed or link a couple videos.

I don't dare do massage since I wanted to kill myself a few hours after my last massage. But I'd be interested in trying something like this as a supplemental therapy. I do feel relaxed even watching the videos. I like the lower, slower vibrations. When I feel those internally, I am reminded that I am working (pulse, breathing, subtle vibrations) and am not dead. It's very calming.

Would love to hear if others have similar experience or have tried any sound, vibrational, or music therapies to help them. For me it's not about resolving the trauma, but connecting to internal feelings of safety...being alive and okay in my body...easing out of shutdown or helping activate my parasympathetic nervous system. That seems to take deliberate practice for me.

Sidenote: PTSD, CPTSD, but I probably relate most to lens of developmental trauma, especially really early complex/multiple trauma. I feel powerless in ridiculous situations sometimes, mostly triggered by my own body, like having cramps. :hungover:


 
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It's very old from what I know...sound/vibrations. Goes back to ancient Egypt or before. One reason music so important to people.

Not sure it will help, but I recommend Dr. Jeffrey Thompson and R. Carlos Nakai (Canyon Trilogy). If you find something else for self-therapy let us know or pm me.

Dr Thompson I use to use for meditation. And plan to use again once in environment to meditate. But Carlos Nakai daily listening now. No words just Native American flute and music. Highly recommend.
 
I love sound therapy. Tibetan singing bowls are my absolute favourite. I seek out pow wows because Native American stuff sends me into a place I cannot describe. If you search on youtube and see what sound vibration does to sand/water, it is hard to dispute that it must have an effect on cells of the body too.
 
I use music. Always have. Volume up loud enough I can feel it in my bones is soothing, regardless... But if I can match the tempo to my heartbeat, I can use it to also slowly step down my heartbeat, which stops panic attacks and pulls me out of flashbacks.

First round with PTSD I got really heavy into the underground dance scene. Pure bliss. The total sensory overload was a break from heightened senses, and then I could literally go dance on top of a speaker, or in front of one taller than I am, and be bathed/ wrapped/ surrounded in sound. For a good solid 5-10 hours. Almost as good as sex. 2nd best, would be driving... Again, surrounded by sound & movement, even if I was still.

Married a musician, and had so many amps/heads we used them as furniture (end tables, coffee tables, etc,). When I'd need a bit of grounding? Go sit in front of one. Not as good as dancing, nor driving, but close.

Past few years I've been left with just my car. I blew speakers on a fairly regular basis (evey 3-4 months), but snagging stock replacements from the junkyard made it pretty much a non-issue. Unlike my old sound system (that I installed in my jeep) the little car really needed my leg pressed up against the speaker to feel it... But far far far better than nothing.
 
Thanks for recommendations @Ocean5 ...will look up. Thank @shimmerz for sand/water note. Hard to believe this stuff hasn't been studied more but in general we don't study systematic stuff well. Too much researching drug/medications anyway. I looked at buying a singing bowl online but that seems like the wrong way to buy something like this. I think I'd like to try a session with someone who has invested in a bunch of these or the crystal bowls.

Using my low tuning fork and playing some of my little folk instruments a little more (no training with these, just making stuff up)...in the evening it's helping me cut down on sleep meds. That in itself is super because I started doubling my meds (no, not okay with my doctor) and wasn't seeing a way out...just too freaked out by having to slow down and go to bed, so needing to knock myself out badly like in my drinking days. And the sound stuff doesn't feel hard, like taking care of myself more basic ways does sometimes.
 
@FridayJones I probably couldn't tolerate the volume :nailbiting: but I smile thinking of it because I know you can feel that. That's the good part for me. I just can't do amps and stuff. But it depends on what you're amping I suppose. Did you marry a bass player? That would be the way to go, I think.

Rhythm is a big deal too. Pulse. It's the I'm-not-actually-dead-right-now feeling...but also the way it pulls you right back to the present. Very grounding.
 
@FridayJones. Did you marry a bass player? That would be the way to go, I think.

Rhythm is a big deal too. Pulse. It's the I'm-not-actually-dead-right-now feeling...but also the way it pulls you right back to the present. Very grounding.

Lol... Nope. Guitar. His bassist (6string) was mind blowing. Actually, so was my ex. True genius. But I listened to CD's & records & iTunes stuff through the amps. My ex wasn't around much.

Speaking of rhythm, though... Taiko drums aren't soothing (enervating!) but I grew up with them as a child, and make every attempt to see any local performance. :D :D :D So good for the soul, chasing away demons.
 
Using my low tuning fork and playing some of my little folk instruments a little more (no training with these, just making stuff up)...in the evening it's helping me cut down on sleep meds.
That's awesome Chava! What a great way to get yourself into sleep mode.

For some time I would play the piano late at night. There's enough space around this house, it didn't bother the neighbours. It helped relax me. For a couple of months now for some reason I don't want to play the piano at all. Hmm. Not sure why, though now I say that and think about it, I'm getting that creepy feeling in my hands that makes me shake and flap them. It's my most common somatic symptom, usually connected to some flashbacks and un-freezing. Maybe touching the piano keys would bring it on just by stimulating my hands? Or I'm just having that symptom so much these days, any little thing reminds me of it? But typing isn't a problem. Weird. I just went to the piano to test this out, got my hands in the position to play a C chord, and got a creepy feeling about actually playing it so in between little bits of typing, I'm hand flapping for the umpteenth time. Seriously no idea what that is about.

ETA: No, I think it isn't about touching the keys, it's something about making noise. I think. Maybe. But, but, but... I'm just weird. My mind is trying to make sense of this and make all the pieces fit, and they don't yet.

Sorry to go off topic!
 
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Taiko drums aren't soothing (enervating!) but I grew up with them as a child

Love taiko drumming. Whoa, enlivened! I did a drum group a long time ago where I got to use a couple mallets on a huge drum. It felt somewhat like getting an epi shot! :woot::woot::woot:

@sun seeker I find the piano to be really inwardly organizing. When I'm feeling extremely scattered (don't know what to do because 4,000 possibilities strike me at once, or none at all), I can play piano for a bit and then focus on one thing afterward.

I have some issues with making sounds too (though more about vocalized sounds). If you can't make sounds sometimes, can you access sounds or music through some source like headphones? Through listening or accessing sound vibrations I don't have to make a sound but feel like I can do something internally with the sound.
 
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Hi! I just came across this thread when I posted this one: https://www.myptsd.com/threads/for-anyone-interested-in-chakra-and-sound-healing.59377/

This man is quite amazing. His website is templesounds.net and he sells all sorts of singing bowls. Looks like a good place to purchase them if you don't have somewhere that sells them where you live. I actually just bought one from a shop in my neighborhood that sells very beautiful bowls...otherwise I probably would have purchased one or more of his.
 
You guys reminded me I forgot drumming as a coping mechanism aaaltogether.

Ha. All the grinning this wide & soothed at the very idea. Where youtube's bit behind on eastern Africa, Cubans back up with the West, so all's good on that front.
 
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