People who come to therapy after experiencing a difficult breakup often mention that they have been turning to music as a source of emotional release. They sometimes ponder questions like:
- Why am I drawn to sad music after a breakup?”
- “Is it healthy to seek solace in the same breakup song over and over again?”
- “Is listening to sad songs making me cynical about my love life?”
It is clear that music holds immense power to move us. A 2015 study found that one key reason behind the phenomenon has to do with the ‘default mode network,’ which is a set of interconnecting brain networks involved in conscious awareness, self-reflection, and autobiographical memories and emotions. When we experience emotional pain such as going through a breakup, our default mode network can be thrown out of whack. Listening to our preferred music can flip it back into gear – engendering a sense of familiarity and safety in the midst of a tumultuous period.
The jury is still out, however, on whether matching sad music to a sad emotional state is actually therapeutic. Here are two findings that may help clarify your questions about how listening to sad songs affects you after a breakup.
Source: Forbes