Drumming through trauma: Music therapy with post-traumatic soldiers

M. Bensimon, D. Amir, Y. Wolf, (2008). Drumming through trauma: Music therapy with post-traumatic soldiers. The Arts in Psychotherapy 35, 34–48.

Combat stress reaction is common among soldiers and can develop to a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This distressing
condition embraces symptoms such as feelings of loneliness and isolation from society, intrusive memories, outbursts of anger and
generalized feelings of helplessness. Drumming has been receiving considerable attention in music therapy. Only few references
relate to such activity among those who suffer from PTSD, and even fewer relate to combat induced post-traumatic syndrome, none
of them empirical. The current study presents music therapy group work with six soldiers diagnosed as suffering from combat or
terror related PTSD. Data were collected from digital cameras which filmed the sessions, open-ended in-depth interviews, and a
self-report of the therapist. Some reduction in PTSD symptoms was observed following drumming, especially increased sense of
openness, togetherness, belonging, sharing, closeness, connectedness and intimacy, as well as achieving a non-intimidating access
to traumatic memories, facilitating an outlet for rage and regaining a sense of self-control.