Music Therapy For Sober Living in Tucson and Scottsdale

Music in recovery is one of the things that has made staying sober more enjoyable and inspiring at times as well. There are certain songs that remind me of specific times in my life that are directly associated with recovery for me in particular. When I was in rehab the first time I remember we were allowed to listen to the radio on a patio that we smoked on. I remember that sometimes at the nurse’s discretion some of us were allowed to have a late-night cigarette and we’d play music. One song by The Chainsmokers called “Paris” is a song I remember dancing to one night with a friend who ended up leaving treatment against medical advice and it hit me hard. I listen to that song and it can remind me of the wonderful times we danced to it or it can remind me of how easily someone can give up on recovery and at times walk away from what’s best for them at that moment.

There are other songs specifically about recovery that I hold particularly dear to my heart. For instance, “Sober” by Demi Lovato. This song talks about relapse and the pain of going back out in your recovery and the feelings felt explaining that to people who were rooting for you. In the song, Demi expressed not understanding why it happens but associates it with loneliness. I can remember relapsing multiple times and feeling like I’d let everyone down and even feeling embarrassed to come back and work my program of recovery again because of what people might think. The truth is that all these feelings are so relatable but coming back to recovery is really something I’d want anyone to keep attempting until they got it. Most people will tell you that recovery isn’t for people who want it, or people who need it necessarily but for the people who work for it. This feeling that people hold onto how many times you’ve gone back out seems silly in the scheme of things but only because the only places it could lead are prison, institutions or death. Everyone deserves a second, third or even hundredth chance at life if they really want it. This song cuts deep because that disappointment I felt in the past for relapsing was so hard to face and felt like an absolute defeat. Another song that speaks on the hard reality of relapse is “Otherside” by Macklemore. He describes withdrawal and still having people approach him about recovery when he only had a few hours of sobriety under his belt and the guilt he felt not being honest and coming clean about his relapse. This is also a common feeling because when people relapse there is an amount of shame that can come with it. The courage it takes to put out this kind of music when you’re someone looked up to for their recovery is uplifting. It can inspire people to be brave and take action and own their side of the street and that’s such a beautiful awakening to honesty.

Not all music about recovery is about relapse but some can refer to overcoming addiction and coming out on the other side stronger. “Sober” by Kelly Clarkson is a song about continuing on a hard road and not giving up and how things do eventually get better as you’re working on you. It’s helped me on days when I feel like giving up and I hope all these songs could potentially do that for you.

Whether songs in recovery just remind you of good times you’ve had, experiences in your life or potentially where you will go they all serve the purpose of being in the here and the now. Take a moment and listen to music and really hear what it means and you’ll realize almost any song can be compared to recovery or at least give you feelings you’ve felt in recovery and that’s what it all comes down to, the connection we have as humans with music. I like to listen to music and think about why I enjoy it and how it relates to my life, my addiction or my recovery and you can too. Use this to your advantage and you’ll be surprised the change music could make in your life.

About Camelback Recovery

Camelback Recovery provides sober living homes in Scottsdale and Tucson where recovery coaching in a structured and supportive environment that promotes long term transformational changes in our clients by focusing on 12-Step fundamentals, human connection, and accountability.

Written by Dani Maldonado