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is playing guitar is good for your mental health?
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gustavowoltmann View Drop Down
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    Posted: October 19 2020 at 22:33

We see playing guitar as a form of mindful escapism, a way to create space between an individual and their busy mind. Guitar-playing is beneficial to your overall well-being and mental health in other ways, too, including helping you develop a greater sense of personal achievement.
What you say about this?
Gustavo Woltmann : UK based rock band guitarist
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vivoactive View Drop Down
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Most psychiatrists rely on medications when it comes to mental health. Yet all these anti-depressants, including barbiturates, SSRIs, etc, are not only ineffective, but also pretty bad for your health. All they do is make your senses dull etc. If you are interested I can explain this further, psychiatry has become my hobby (really, just a hobby, don't want this as my job).

People deal with stress, past experiences, etc. Thing is that when your central nervous system is busy, a.k.a. working, it's pretty normal for it to overwhelm some of the functions of the body, even if you don't realize it. Playing an instrument, being it guitar, piano, whatever, is sort of a meditation. Anything that lessens the work of the CNS and stimulates the work of the peripheral nervous system, which is responsible for reflexes, intuition, etc, is good for your health. This includes drawing, playing an instrument, sports, yoga, meditation.

I explained this really briefly, especially the CNS/PNS part. This is not a medical lecture, so I used as little language as possible.

But yes, keep on playing the guitar, you won't do any wrong!
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Points: 20031 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 21 2020 at 02:54
I would say it has to be (unless you get really stressed out because you can't play). It certainly helps me to get the guitar/bass out and have a play.
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Playing my electric guitar is good for my mental health, but it might not be so good for my neighbour's mental health when I have the amplifier turned up to the max. Tongue
 
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Playing guitar calms me down. When I was younger, if I'd had a serious argument with friends or family, I used to go and play my nylon guitar, it helped a lot. I still do it today, less often that's all.
So I suppose playing guitar can help for some people. 
Piano, however, has the opposite effect for me! I get really agitated if I play piano wrongly!
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Don’t think so. I’ve played guitar for years and have a very negative turn of mind.
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gustavowoltmann View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Playing my electric guitar is good for my mental health, but it might not be so good for my neighbour's mental health when I have the amplifier turned up to the max. Tongue
 
HI, v funny. 
 your neighbor still living with you after listening your guitar ?
 you know music can make us feel strong emotions , such a s joy , sadness , or fear. some will agree that is has the power to move us. 
Gustavo Woltmann : UK based rock band guitarist
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I think gaining/improving an ability is beneficial for the the mind, in most cases. Some say that playing video/arcade/computer games is a waste of time, but this is not true. I think even consuming horror/fantasy stuff is good for coping with the real evils of the world.

Back on topic, I'd say: Yes.
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I haven’t played my guitar in months, just can’t see the point. And I’ve been pretty depressed the whole time. Just can’t get back into it. If I can’t play with the band, I don’t want to play at all. It just reminds me how much I miss it.
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See the source image
Playing my 6 string has a calming effect but my bass always makes me agitated.
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Based on this...I'd have to say probably not.
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Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

See the source image
Playing my 6 string has a calming effect but my bass always makes me agitated.
Why does the neck look like it has a bit of a twist to it? Optical illusion or innovative design?
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Points: 20616 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SteveG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 29 2020 at 07:03
^ I believe it's straddling two different dimensions. Rod Serling is no longer around to explain it, I dare say.
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JD View Drop Down
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As soon as I saw it my head went to a keyboard and starting seeing the 88 being built in the those ergonomically correct designs of early 2000's computer keyboards.
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Points: 4462 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Argo2112 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 29 2020 at 08:37
I think playing any instrument probably has a lot of mental health benefits. Focus, concentration, stress relief...
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Yes it is.
But it's when you play with other people and form bands that you start having recurring dreams of murdering your band"mates", it gets complicated.
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chopper View Drop Down
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Originally posted by AZF AZF wrote:

Yes it is.
But it's when you play with other people and form bands that you start having recurring dreams of murdering your band"mates", it gets complicated.
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SteveG View Drop Down
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^ I love this because it's so damn truthful! LOL
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Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

Playing my 6 string has a calming effect but my bass always makes me agitated.
I can relate to that. I've been practicing bass more often lately and my playing is very stiff so I try to relax but then I make mistakes which makes me more nervous. It gets worse and worse until I give up and pick up my guitar instead Embarrassed
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Originally posted by gustavowoltmann gustavowoltmann wrote:


We see playing guitar as a form of mindful escapism, a way to create space between an individual and their busy mind. Guitar-playing is beneficial to your overall well-being and mental health in other ways, too, including helping you develop a greater sense of personal achievement.
What you say about this?

Hi,

(... and welcome)

I don't think that most people play an instrument because of it being some form of escapism.

Like any artist, it is just another form of expression, and its consequences are no different than anyone else, having to work full time until they are 70 and then their body falls apart as well.

So, the suggestion might be that working for so long, does not give a person a greater sense of personal achievement and I'm not sure that is true at all ... some folks are proud they stuck around and made it through, even if their body is now paying for it.

My thoughts, as an artist, is that the comment is not on point, per se, however, if we're talking about a person that is in it to be a "star" and relies on the "public" attention to get some this and that, I would think that could become a problem in the long run. And that is something that most "famous" guitarists have to live down and dump as fast as possible or they won't be able to do what they want ... and then go home, and be totally off kilter and out of tune. 

They would not be in their position if that were the case!


Edited by moshkito - October 29 2020 at 10:00
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