The Bipolar Brain – A Radio Station You Can’t Turn Off
Ah, the human brain. It’s a wondrous thing. It calculates, it categorizes, it makes connections and it remembers the square root of 144. I’m constantly awed by its power.
But one of the annoying things that can happen to a brain is that somehow, a song gets stuck in it. Somehow, even though its great power and ability, the catchy hook of the latest pop song gets stuck inside some errant neurons and plays over and over.
And this causes a lot more trouble in my bipolar brain than it does for others.
I Have Justin Bieber Stuck in My Head; I’m Thinking of Cutting it Off
I find myself with songs stuck in my head all the time. Like, every day, all the time. And they aren’t songs that I like or even songs I have heard that day they are just random songs that somehow fight their way into my consciousness long enough to create a groove there. And once they’re there? Good luck getting them out.
My Bipolar Brain and Earworms
According to Wikipedia, this phenomenon is known as an “earworm,” “musical imagery repetition” or “involuntary music imagery.” In Germany, they have a special word for it – Ohrwurn – “a type of song that typically has a high, upbeat melody and repetitive lyrics that verge between catchy and annoying.”
Earworms are completely natural, of course, and apparently, 98% of people experience them. Women seem to experience earworms for longer and are more irritated by them. Songs with lyrics account for about three-quarters of earworms.
My Earworm Moved In
Unlike the experience that most people have, I have earworms much of the time. Sometimes it’s one song that repeats for days and sometimes it’s many songs in a day, but predominantly they are there.
I have found no research suggesting people with bipolar disorder have more incidence of earworms than others but there is research that says people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do and as I’ve remarked previously, OCD and bipolar disorder may be linked. And earworms on hypomania? That is your brain on extra-crispy-crazy.
Admittedly, it is a very obsessive thing my brain does. It feels like an obsession with the invisible. I can never see it so it never goes away. And I find this highly troubling.
Like, highly troubling. Like I could see someone wanting to ice pick his or herself just to make the blooming song in his or her head shut the heck up. It’s that much of an anxious obsession. It’s crazy-driving obsession. Sometimes I feel like I’m begging my brain to think of anything else but it laughs and carries on with the 30-second loop.
Holy macaroni is it ever frustrating.
So, my question to you is this: How often do you experience earworm? Is it troubling to you?
You can find Natasha Tracy on Facebook or GooglePlus or @Natasha_Tracy on Twitter.
APA Reference
Tracy, N.
(2012, November 23). The Bipolar Brain – A Radio Station You Can’t Turn Off, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 23 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/breakingbipolar/2012/11/bipolar-brain-radio-cant-turn-off
Author: Natasha Tracy
I was diagnosed bipolar approximately 3 years ago. The constant show tunes and upbeat music never stops; it keeps me up all night sometimes. What’s even worse is I sometimes count numbers in the place of lyrics, but rhymically on time. In addition to the slightly-schizophrenic mind, I have severe depression, thoughts of suicide, emotional explosions, usually in the form of anger toward a loved one, and I incessantly pick at my cuticles. I know the music and picking are signs of OCD, but virtually everything else aligns with bipolar. The worst part is that I found a miracle medication that works for me, Abilify, it changed my life for the better, all this things went away, but I gained so much weight on it that I had to come off for medical reasons. It’s funny, I actually didn’t realize the picking or music were symptoms; I thought they were bizarre behaviors that I outgrew, but they came back as strong as before immediately after discontinuing the Abilify. It’s heartbreaking to have to live like this.
Hi I'm sorry to hear about your problems with this strange condition. I have suffered with this (on and off) for about 50 years so, believe me, I totally understand the Hell that you are going through.
I have tried many different things through the years but nothing has really helped. I have never heard of Abilifly and was interested to ask you a few questions. I did some quick research on this recently and it seems there are a lot of bad side effects, one of which is weight gain. I also hear it can produce chronic insomnia.
Anyway I just wondered where you obtained the Abilify and how much it cost? I looked at a few websites and was horrified at the cost of this drug - absolutely crazy. Although I am interested in finding more information I doubt if I will be using this for the reasons mentioned.
Over the years I have been prescribed various anti-depressants but they were not that helpful; usually the side effects were as bad as the actual problem. The worst issue was insomnia, and this is one of the worst things a human being can suffer.
I hope that things will improve for you in the future. Best regards...
Is ur music constant .please answer it it may be very useful
So in ur case does music play constantly or pops up like mine. A song plays in my head in the morning any random song, and then it keeps pops up in my head, dies not play constantly but pops up when I talk or think. It only stops when I am chatting online or watching something.
I'm 54 and have music playing in my head constantly as long as I can remember. It's words and music that often frustrate me because I don't know the words or how a transition goes. It really bothered me in my teenage years but I leaned to at least tolerate it as my personal radio station. I've recently been diagnosed as bipolar type 1, which ever is the most severe, I forget.
im a jazz musician, and have all kinds of wonderful music playing through my head every second of the day, and this really helps with improvise on my instrument. id suggest listening to some good earthy music, something funky jazzy or soulful from the 70s and before and get that music stuck in your head, it will be really good for you rather than bad, and if you really listen to some complicated jazz like charlie parker or something it probably wont get stuck in your head and will ballance out your mind.
This started happening to me about a month ago. I was in a car listening to the radio and a song suddenly just kept repeating itself in my mind over and over again. It now happens constantly from the time I open my eyes in the morning. The only time I get relief is if Im watching a tv show Im interested in and even then sometimes it will keep happening. In my circumstance I will hear a song on the radio or the tv and my mind will instantly start playing it over and over again. I have never had any ocd before what so ever but I do have a very trauma past and a medical condition which causes me stress and anxiety. I just have a hard time thinking its just ocd because it instantly starts the very second I wake up in the morning. Trust me when I first wake up in the morning I'm definitely not thinking about music...... so that makes me wonder if the brain is doing it from some kind of miss firering or something has gone hay wire? I just want peace in my mind !
I have bipolar depression with ADHD and this happens constantly to me. It’s always there under the surface, but will often become incessant. The only thing I’ve found that works for me is to take a break from all media for as long as it takes for it to stop. It’s a challenge in our noise-saturated world, but worth the effort to make it go away. Just a thought. My brain is NEVER off. Ever. So whatever it takes for it to shut up!
My question is,....aside from our symptoms of constant music playing...what else might we have in common with each other? Have you been someone who you can honestly say you've dealt with a lot of trauma...or an isolated incident of teams in your life? Do you have maybe an acute love and ear for music (even before the symptoms came upon you)? Is there a lot of artists dealing with this or people with highly intelligent and overactive brains? Have most of us possibly been on pain pills at one time that could have been a trigger for the brain? I ask these questions to possibly find a similar thread that could enlighten us a bit. I can only speak and ask questions knowing my own life and who I am as a person. My music started a few back. Would love to get feed back. Can any of you let me know if you can relate to any of the questions I just asked? Maybe we can find some similarities and be enlightened. God bless you all. You are not alone.
I'm in tears reading this because I thought I was seriously crazy. It upsets me because it's constant. I sing in my head and dance while I am falling asleep. I don't know what I do in my sleep but I wake up singing also. I need to hear from anyone that has this. It seems so insane to me. I have severe bipolar 1, OCD & PTSD. I'd like to see what others do about this.
Hi Tiffany
truly sorry you are suffering with this strange and awful condition. I have had this for so many years but it doesn't get any easier. I have recently been diagnosed as having "chronic OCD" but knowing that is no real comfort. During those years I have tried about everything you can possibly think of to gain some measure of relief but, unfortunately, nothing has ever helped..
One of the most difficult things is trying to explain to others (be they professional or not) exactly what it means to suffer with this. I'm afraid it's one of those things that is very difficult, if not impossible, for the 'normal' person to understand.
To an extent I have learned to live with this; however I still have many days where I pray I could just fall asleep and never wake up. All I can do is just take each day as it comes and hope that eventually things will improve. All the best
Im sorry to hear that and i know person who has experinced this can only understand you Best bec i m one of this at person time Im of17 and working towards engineering i was usally at of person who loves maths and physics but this thing at one taken my strength from me i was thinking that now i was of no use it affects my academic carrier at its worse and i cant remain in state peace of mind. I usally when woke up find myself that my mind is pkaying music It was really annoying i think that my brain has stopped takung rests
You know, I don't know how many words a poster gets here and I'm wasting them so I'll try and get to the point; with some background. There aren't a lot, 2% ish of people with this condition but I suspect as time continues, we'll see more and more of this and I think it's unfair of doctors (doing what they're told from researchers) to diagnose this so willy-nilly.
I began life as a child fortunately with amazingly wonderful, educated parents and no history or any of these types of disorders listed in our gene pool. Straight A student through Elementary receiving awards for writing/art/computer science and very high test scores when very young. After graduating 6th and moving to 7th grade I took Basic language computer programming classes with adults at the university. I was the only child in the room so that gives me some perspective as I've continued life.
I personally do not believe that anyone "hearing radio stations in their head" is some condition. The entire universe is di-pole, meaning 2 poles and the some people are at least diagnosed as bipolar which also means 2 poles. It may mean that your brain has evolved to a point closer to what the universe is and further from what most people's brains have developed. I.e. it is not a bad thing or something we should diagnose as faulty.
Radio waves are broadcast everywhere. They move through us all the time, every instant. Wireless modems/routers also broadcast signals however those are "digital" broadcasts (read: man made) so that interference isn't recognized (yet) however radio waves are analog and we and all animals/plants are also analog and they work by quantum effects which our brains do too.
It is my belief that we are all types of organic antennas. Some of this is more familiar stating, to people from large families where, similar to worker bees, they take orders from a Queen bee. You know what your brother/sister is thinking or you have the same idea at the same time. If you've had a very close friend this is also true and that because the two of you are "coupled" or similar enough that you start to take on the same attributes. You're on the save "wave length" as is commonly said but never understood. Occasionally when your friend turns to you to say something, they formed a picture in their mind of what they are about to say and you received it just when the formulated it as they turn to you and you look at them and say what they're were going to say. JINX!?!? We don't understand what is occurring. Its quantum communication.
Have you ever been to a large sporting event (most common) and "felt" the energy in the air? Is is just because you're nervous around so many people or is it because there are so many thoughts occurring simultaneously that our brains are on overload with all the signaling occurring.
You can actually create thoughts in others heads as well. Seems impossible by all our understanding of the world. Have you ever been at a large public event and seen someone you don't know across the room and thought, he/she's is gorgeous, or that blue sweater is fantastic! and kind of "exclaimed" it in your mind? And that person turned around some 50 feet or 150 feet away and looked directy at you in that instant?
Radio stations always broadcasting and an individual picking up these errant waves is actually nothing unusual at all. In fact, I'm sure way more than 2% of people do this, have no idea why, and just carry on and think nothing of it. Wonderful monkeys!
I don't know if this helps any of your situations but no I've never been diagnosed as bipolar/OCD/ or any of the above and this seems like common sense to me and yet no one cares or seems to acknowledge it. I think this will be more fleshed out with our understanding of quantum effects in the next few decades. Just look at it as your window on the world that not many people are able to desseminate.
This has to deal with quantum communication and how it works, but we do not know how it works YET but we should hopefully know and make this connection in the next few decades. We monkeys think we're smart but we just aren't that smart and haven't grasped what's causing this as of yet and as a people we do like to put labels on people and things and file them away in This has to deal with quantum communication and how it works, but we do not know how it works YET but we should hopefully know and make this connection in the next few decades. We monkeys think we're smart but we just aren't that smart and haven't grasped what's causing this as of yet and as a people we do like to put labels on people and things and file them away in their cubbys and go on with our lives.
It isn't in my opinion, anything that nutrition can aid unless you eating better would make the effect actually stronger because of brain health being better. Just accept it and find the ways to use it as a tool for social ladder climbing.
I've have a terrible melody stuck in my head for weeks!! It's literally gotten to a point of me struggling so hard to get it out of my head, but I can't at all!! I'll be thinking about something while it's still playing in my mind!! I actually feel like I'm going to lose my mind if I don't get it out my head!! HELP PLEASE!!
Hi, first of all you have my every sympathy because I have had this problem for 50 years. I wish I could offer a simple solution like medications or certain therapies or some sort of healing; unfortunately, so far anyway, nothing has worked for me - and believe me there is little I have not tried over the course of the last 5 decades.
I will continue to look for something that may help whilst I'm still breathing; if I fail then so be it. Fortunately I am an eternal optimist and I always believe that tomorrow may be better than today.
Anyway one of the reasons I'm posting is because of a general misconception that many people have about this strange condition. Everywhere I look - blogs, forums, social media, articles, and so on - there seems to be the idea that having this problem is like having a permanent radio station playing in your mind.
NOTHING could be further from the reality. Of course I'm speaking here from my own perspective and, of course, I accept that everyone's experience is unique; however from the years of research I have carried out, and my own experience having INMI (involuntary musical imagery) it rarely, if ever, is like having a radio station in your mind.
What actually happens is this: a 'trigger' of some sort brings a tune, song or melody to the mind of the sufferer. Once this occurs then that person is COMPELLED to repeat the tune/melody to themselves in a never ending loop. This could continue for minutes, hours, even weeks or months without relief, and this is mental torture of the worst possible kind. For those who suggest that sufferers simply embrace or ignore this compulsion have absolutely no concept (or experience) of how this terrible condition works.
Having this problem is a very individual experience: it can range from mildly irritating in most people to being suicidally disruptive for an unfortunate minority. Although I have never condoned the act of taking one's own life I can state with total certainty this: when I am having a really bad day I pray for the release that only death can bring. All I want to do is to fall asleep and never have to wake again. If I'm having a really good day (a rare event unfortunately) then I am full of optimism and a zest for life and living and I feel as if I could achieve anything.
For those who still think that this is a relatively trivial condition then I hope that they never have to endure the relentless mental torture that some have to suffer with this. I would not wish it on my worst enemy.
I wish you all the peace and quiet of mind that so many seem to take for granted.
You may or may not be a believer of prayer, but I wanted you to know I prayed for you just now. That you will begin experiencing quietness, rest, healing and that you will even be used to help others in this area. I too hear music most of the time. I'm sure you are doing this, but stay connected close to others....let those close to you know what's going on. We are here for each other. Rest and peace upon you. May the love of God breathe upon you and give you peace.
I too have music consistently playing in my head. What's helped me is playing a song of my choosing out loud on my phone or laptop, sort of like having at least one hand on the wheel and deciding what I listen to instead of having my brain repeat something I don't want to listen to. But about mentioning those weird moments and radio waves, this one moment where a song had been p laying in my head and then when I turned on the radio in my car that same song was playing and even weirder, it continued exactly where my brain left off. Like if my brain was singing "momma, just killed a man" and then I flipped the radio on, it picked up at "put a gun against his head, pulled the trigger now he's dead". (Referenced Queen, Bohemian Rapsody)
Wow. This was everything i needed to see and made everything click in my brain. God bless you and i hope your spirit comes to know God the most high holy spirit.
There is a biologic basis for all feelings, thoughts, emotions, OCD, etc. Medical doctors don't know this and could care less. Look for a nutritional imbalance. Supplement with all essential vitamins, minerals, probiotics, fatty-acids, and amino acids. Use multi pills so that is only 5 pills. Your welcome.
Hi, I am from Germany and I am 50 years old. Almost 4 years ago, I got a depression with anxiety. Since then I have been suffering from chronic earworms.
They accompany me the whole day from the moment I get up until I go to bed.
My depression and anxiety is getting better and better, but the earworms remain.
I have also tried a lot of medication, but nothing helps. At the moment I go to psychotherapy and I think it helps a bit. But I still have many days where I think a can no longer stand this. My two children help me to forget the earworm sometimes...
Hi, I'm really sorry to hear about your suffering with this awful condition (involuntary musical imagery). I have exactly the same problem: every day I go to bed with this and, if I'm lucky, I manage maybe 4 or 5 hours sleep. As soon as I am conscious it starts all over again; my only comfort is that I don't dream about it anymore (I did for many years).
I have tried everything I can think of over many, many years but nothing really helps. I tried hypnotherapy for a while; after that I tried psychotherapy but, again, a waste of my time and money. In total desperation I turned to spiritual healing as I had heard a lot of good things about this. Over many years I think I had sessions with 3 different healers but it didn't help at all. In between all of this going on I also tried various medications (mostly anti-depressants). Although these helped a little the side effects were always really bad and I had to stop taking them.
At the moment I am having acupuncture as I was told by quite a few people that this can help with conditions such as OCD and bipolar. After about 2 or 3 sessions I noticed a slight improvement (at least where I felt I could get through a day without feeling completely suicidal) but,unfortunately, I started to get worse again a few weeks ago. I have one more session of acupuncture but I don't think it will make any difference now.
I am 68 now and going through a really bad period with this. It just dominates every waking moment so that I can think of nothing else. I retired about 5 years ago and hoped my condition would improve because I was in a fairly stressful job at the time. For a few years I did feel somewhat better, by which I mean I felt that my problem didn't completely control my life. Anyway, for some reason or other, I started to deteriorate about a year ago; ever since then I seem to be going downhill on a weekly basis.
I don't usually bother with doctors because they don't have a clue about things like this and all they can think to do is to throw pills at you. Anyway, despite that, I recently went to see my GP to explain that I just can't cope with this anymore. She was sympathetic but, as expected, offered no useful help or advice. She did give me a self referral form so that I could apply for psychiatric counselling - you have to wait at least a month in the UK for this sort of help. I don't believe this will help anyway because I have tried before and it was a complete waste of time. Even when I told the doctor I felt suicidal every single day it made no difference. But, to be fair, they are just GENERAL PRACTITIONERS and stretched to the limits.
The only thing I can think to try now is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Again I'm not really optimistic but I'm running out of ideas so I will probably try that in the new year. I have lost count of the money I have spent trying to help alleviate this strange problem. In the end money doesn't really matter - if someone could genuinely help me I would pay a King's ransom to be 'normal' again.
I don't believe in ending your own life but never a day goes by where I don't feel completely suicidal. I would give anything for the peace of mind that most people appear to enjoy. I understand that this is a problem that plagues at least 2% of the population (at least in Western countries) but it doesn't really help.
Anyway I'm sorry if this comes across as negative but, after 50 years with this affliction, it's difficult to be anything else. Hopefully one day science will have a better understanding of problems like this and be better able to help people like us.......
Dear Alan,
I am just having a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, it's the so called Accenptance and Commitment-Therapy.
The goal of this is to accept the earworm and no longer try to control it, because you cannot control it ! I have given my earworm a name (I call him Spencer) and I am talking to him many times. Every morning I get up I say: Good morning Spencer, how are you ? It sounds crazy, but you should try to treat the earworm like a good friend.... I like cycling, and when I go cycling, I ask Spencer if he comes with me ? It takes time, but after a while you will recognize and improvement.
I am a 50 year old woman (very youthful!) and I began suffering from this when I began working as a dog groomer at Petco which has a repeating digital song stream (esp around the holidays) that put a worm in my brain with those awful songs I heard all day every day for a year. Now its one year since I worked there and it hasn't gone away. I've tried box breathing (in thru nose for 5/out thru mouth for 5 etc) and switching to other songs and taking herbal sleep aids to help at night. actually it flips on the minute I wake up and I rarely have a break. I also have Misophonia ("hatred of sounds") where I can't tolerate sounds like open mouth chewing/crinkling plastic/car alarms beeping things like that-- I wonder if any of you also have both these conditions? I love music but it is something that is really driving me mental because its often songs that i hate that get stuck. they can be stuck repeating in 5 second repeating loops for 24-48 hours sometimes. help.
Hi Marni,
I'm so sorry to hear you are experiencing that. It sounds very hard. Unfortunately, there is little to no research in this area. The only thing I can suggest is listening to classical music (without lyrics) as that seems to help some.
- Natasha Tracy
yes you're right - there is little research in this specific area of OCD (I'm assuming it's OCD as nothing else seems to fit the problem). I've suffered with this for 50 years and tried everything I can think of; I'm currently having acupuncture but it's not looking very promising).
Have tried hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, spiritual healing, meditation and medication - just about everything and all to no avail. Listening to classical music is just one of many ways that relieves the symptoms but the problem is still there - like a deep rooted cancer in your brain.
I'm currently toying with the idea of CBT but, in all honesty, I don't really believe it will help. Over the decades so many people have told me that they can help me (especially when paying £40-50 per session), but it always ends the same way.
I'm 68 now and each day is an ordeal - some people want to live forever but, without being morbid, I have absolutely no issues with death and the peace I hope it will bring....
I'm just 20 years old, Alan and i seem to be suffering from the same problem. It does interfere with the calm and concentration i seek for, whenever i'm trying to focus on something. But acknowledging its presence, and thinking of it as a gift, has really helped me in coping with it.
I know it's hard, and might be infuriating at times. But just know that that there just might be a reason you're having this problem. Have you ever tried writing music? Your approach to it might just be outrageously different than others'.
It saddens me to read how this has troubled you over the years. Just know that there are people who exist with worse situations than ours, and still make the most of them. I urge you to take this positively, and stop thinking about committing suicide.
I'm in my 50s and as far back as I can remember, I've had songs constantly playing in my head. I always attributed it to the fact that I'm a pianist and love music. It's not any one song all the time, but I've noticed that if I'm hanging up clothes or getting ready for work in my bedroom, one very annoying Christmas song is the one to get stuck in my head. I read a lot (books) and sometimes even when I'm reading a song will be playing away in my head. I listen to music at work just to keep the other songs out of my head. Fortunately it doesn't happen while I'm sleeping though. I've always thought I was the only one like this; glad there are others out there...now I don't feel so abnormal.
I'm almost 70 and I've had this problem since I was around 19 or 20 so I know exactly what you're going through. I've tried pretty much everything I can think of during those years but nothing really works - at least not for long. I had hypnotherapy; I've seen psychologists and psychiatrists; I've tried spiritual healing (several times); I've tried many different types of medication; at the moment I'm trying acupuncture (not looking promising); you name it and I've probably tried it at some point in my life. And, very sadly, all to no avail. I'm an optimist so I always think tomorrow might bring something better - but I'm not holding my breath. This problem is far more common than you think but no-one has a clue how it can be treated. Hope you have some peace eventually....
I think you mean "pop chart" not "pop tart". Although pop tarts are good, or at least i really like them when I was a kid, especially the cinnamon ones.
Aloha all, I have this too. Since I was a kid. Quickest way to get rid of it for me was to sing another song in my head. Queen, "We will we will Rock you!" Maybe because that was the very first song to ever get stuck in my head. Singing it out loud worked the best. Your own voice is your best remedy for healing.
Anyway other stuff that works is:
-Being barefoot in the forest. Walking slow through the forest barefoot. It is soo quiet!
-Grounding sheets, I am typing on them now. 1 on feet other on wrists. Its the only way to concentrate.
Nutritional help:
Vitamin C powder, like 2-5K/ day
Iodine: either from salt or seaweed
oh and I am a guy/male :)
I also have a song playing in my head morning, noon, and night. It is very annoying and sometimes I have anxiety thinking that something has to be wrong with my brain. I am not bipolar, or maybe I am and I am only on the fringe. I do have Hashimotos Disease so I have an autoimmune thing going on. I meditate and do yoga regularly which does not help. When I read (daily) or listen to music I have a break from it. If i run (long distance) or swim, the song stays in rhythm with my steps or stroke. It is awful. I do have an intrusive thought in my head of piercing my brain with an ice pick when I have an especially bad day. If I ever do find a remedy, (and I will keep searching), I will let everybody know about it!! I wish peace and quiet to you all . . . . treat her better. Gotta let go of all my . . . . .
I wish it would stop! I noticed it gets worse with anxiety or if I'm having an inflammatory flare up. Also seems the lyrics are related to how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking about. If I'm deeply engrossed and focused on something, it temporarily goes away.
Wowowowowow!! I was diabiaed biploae type 2 when I was a teen but later dljbd out I have hashimotos thyroiditis so in went on hormone supplements and it's been 10 years since then and I just chalked up my symptoms or bipolar to thyroid problems. But. When I have a thyroid immune flare up I get symptoms for a couple weeks to a month of a radio playing in my head, anxiety and panic attacks. Mania. What is the link between an autoimmune flare up and these bipolar symptoms. I thought I was the only one. Im blown away.
Ugh new phone that doesn't have auto correct. *I was diagnosed bipolar type 2 when I was a teen
Hi Nikki,
I can't tell you for sure what the link is between autoimmune disorders and mental illness. What I can say is that in my experience, if one gets worse, so does the other.
- Natasha Tracy
I'm in the process of being diagnosed with possibly bipolar. I've been on antianxiety and antidepressants and both caused me harm. I constantly have songs playing in the back of my head. It's very overwhelming and hard to focus in school
I have them all the time but I'm convinced the majority of my brain is occupied by lyrics. I can sing, word for word almost any song on the radio. It leaves my husband in awe.
have it too.
question - how many hours per week do you peeps read a book?
Read a book, specifically a book, reading it. not blogs etc.
Book.
thnks
I have this as soon as I wake up there's a song playing, morning noon & night its driving me insane, I'm going to listen to some classical music I don't mind that so much, it's the music with words that drive me loopy most.
Dee, and Natasha, maybe transcranial magnetic stimulation (or inhibition in your case) can help to stop the music. Also, you can marvel because you have a personal soundtrack :)
I'm not exactly sure when the music started, but I noticed about 10.5 years ago that it was REALLY bothering me!!! My brain is a radio station!!! When I try to shut the music off, it just switches to another song!!! I can't ever just meditate...the music won't stop!!! Even when I try to pray in silence, it's there!!! Sometimes, if I'm preoccupied with something else, it's less noticeable... I've met one other person with this affliction, but she only hears one that gets louder!!! I do have depression and whenever I've mentioned this affliction to my doctors, they are just as puzzled as I am!!! Some days I feel like I'm going to go insane!!! As unfortunate this condition is, I find relief knowing that other people are dealing with this, and that I'm not from another planet!!!
I've been dealing with this longer than I can even remember. Glad to hear I'm not alone. The only relief that I get is when I'm watching TV or concentrating really hard on a book I'm reading. Keeps me up at night ?
I know what it's like.
I've been hearing music play constantly in my head for the past two weeks and I'm exhausted. I can't sleep for more than four of five hours every night. My heart is racing most of the day because of my anxiety. I'm in pain. It all started while I was away on a Vipassana ten day meditation retreat. I was supossed to have come back more alert and calm but now I'm a nervous wreck. ¿Does anybody know of any treatment? I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
I totally sympathize with your situation and I wish I could tell you there's a magic cure for this - but, sadly, there isn't. There are things you can do, and various coping strategies to try but, at least for the moment, medical science is in the dark ages on this one.
I have suffered with this awful condition (on and off anyway) for 50 years and, believe me, I have tried everything I can think of. My life has been tainted with this foul 'condition' and I think I will be taking it to the grave. I have been on the edge of despair so many times; all I can do is get through every day as best I can.
I don't wish to be negative but, after such a long time, it's difficult to be otherwise. For the record I have tried hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, meditation, medication, spiritual healing, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
At the moment I am having a course of acupuncture treatment as I am told it can be useful in treating OCD and similar problems. I don't feel really optimistic but I am still prepared to try anything that offers a glimmer of hope.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful and will keep the blog updated on the acupuncture treatment.