The Music Matters: How Recovery Unplugged Saves Lives

Kourtney Stefanu remembers the moment well. The 28-year-old gay kid who came into her office at Recovery Unplugged had been using opioids for more than a decade. His long run of stints in various rehabs had left him jaded and nearly without hope.

But then she played his favorite song, "Changes," by Tupac Shakur, on her computer. His whole demeanor shifted.

"He just sat there saying, 'Oh my God I love this song!' At that moment he was able to identify with me," notes Stefanu, a case manager at Recovery Unplugged's new Lake Worth, Florida, location. "Even if I weren't part of the LGBTQ community he'd have been able to relate to me because I was playing this song. In that moment he was home, he was in the right place, he was safe."

Music As Medicine

A bold step forward in addiction treatment, Recovery Unplugged harnesses the power of music to help clients through every step of the healing process, from the pre-assessment phase of their intake, when they're asked to name the song that most inspires them, to post-care.

According to Stefanu, "Recovery Unplugged uses music as the catalyst to get clients to participate in therapy, as opposed to a therapist sitting in a group room, hoping that they'll open up. Music engages clients from an emotional standpoint and starts the process."

As treatment continues, clients explore and express their deepest emotions through writing, performing or simply listening to music under the guidance of Director of Recovery Richie Supa, who has penned songs for everyone from Pink to Bon Jovi. Occasionally, rock royalty like Steven Tyler of Aerosmith drops by to provide encouragement. Walls come down, connections are built and sobriety becomes not just a lost dream, but the promise of a new life.

Not a Moment Too Soon

This innovative therapeutic paradigm couldn't have come too quickly for the queer community.

While there has been little research into substance abuse in the LGBTQ population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report "that when compared with the general population, gay and bisexual men, lesbian and transgender individuals are more likely to use alcohol and drugs, have higher rates of substance abuse, not withhold from alcohol and drug use, and continue heavy drinking into later life."

If addiction can kill, music can save. "I remember the day I came out," recalls Stefanu, who has struggled with substance abuse herself. "I was getting married to a guy and I broke off the engagement. My family wasn't happy with me... it felt like everything was falling apart. But I was driving to a recovery-based event, and "Secrets," by One Republic came on the radio. It was talking about "I'm putting all my secrets away this time," and it made me feel like was going to be okay. My secret's out, you know, and I'm going to be okay."

It works, says Stefanu, who watched that broken, despairing 28-year-old stick it out through a 45-day stay, leaving Recovery Unplugged feeling strong, eyes set on the future, hope renewed. As with every client, he was discharged with an MP3 player stocked with the songs he listened to during treatment. "He left with his family," Stefanu says, "and listened to the MP3 player the whole way home. Recovery Unplugged has a way of healing through music different than anything else I've seen. People open up. It's like their heart is singing."

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