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The Bipolar Brain – A Radio Station You Can’t Turn Off

November 23, 2012 Natasha Tracy

Earworms are songs you can't get out of your head and they seem to affect my bipolar brain in a big way. More at Breaking Bipolar blog.

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, October 10 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/breakingbipolar/2012/11/bipolar-brain-radio-cant-turn-off



Author: Natasha Tracy

Natasha Tracy is a renowned speaker, award-winning advocate, and author of Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar. She also hosted the podcast Snap Out of It! The Mental Illness in the Workplace Podcast.

Natasha will be unveiling a new book, Bipolar Rules! Hacks to Live Successfully with Bipolar Disorder, late 2024.

Find Natasha Tracy here as well as on X, InstagramFacebook, Threads, and YouTube.

Preston Vance
March, 3 2024 at 4:03 pm

Hey Natasha, I have the exact same thing with my bipolar. Musical earworms usually in a chord sequence I make up in my head but if I hear a song it will replace it with that. Only shuts off when I get distracted. Funny thing is, it didn't start until I started taking Quetiapine with my Lamotrigine.

Jane
January, 25 2024 at 2:05 am

If anyone found treatment/cure (medication, procedure, symptom management, etc.) that works for this syndrome, please do share what worked for you.
Would be very much grateful to hear any solution out of this.

Mads
August, 15 2023 at 8:05 pm

This sounds to me like Echolalia, not an earworm. Everyone can experience earworms, but people with neurodivergent brains commonly experience what you're referring to as a delayed non-interactive form of echolalia or echologia. It's worth looking into it.

August, 16 2023 at 1:17 pm

Hi Mads,
Thanks for your comment. I hadn't actually heard the word "echolalia" before.
I believe echolalia is just repeated words spoken by another person. Earworms are musical in nature. I probably have both.
-- Natasha Tracy

Charles V
August, 11 2023 at 3:00 am

I have different symptoms when I take seroquel. The most annoying one is hearing a voice singing when there is something on causing ambient noise like a fan. It sounds like a soprano singer and it's annoying. The other symptom is hearing radio stations complete with dj's and others speaking, commercials I've never heard and of course music. I am 100$ convinced I am hearing real local radio stations. Sometimes rock music stations , jazz music stations. I also hear a faint female voice speaking in a flat monotone and serious voice. This is where the paranoia is because I believe the faint female voice is speaking about me as if I was being monitored. I also have hallucinations. I have seen faint images of people one time running towards me making me put my hands up but it just went through me and was gone. One time I was getting a call from my now ex wife and I saw a faint outline of a person next to me as if they were shaking me trying to wake me up to answer my wife's call. Then if I am looking at my phone I could see movement all around me in my peripheral vision just lots of blurry movement. But I knew the meds make me hallucinate so I knew to ignore the movements I was seeing. The symptoms have gotten a lot better with time and I don't really have them anymore. But the radio stations are so real and the commercials that I hear with them I am convinced I am picking up real radio stations. They seem to be coming from source of white noise like the air conditioner, or the sound of the ac bouncing off of a door or wall area. I'm used to it now and they don't happen so much anymore.

Kathryn
April, 26 2023 at 8:50 pm

'Joy to the World~Jeremiah was a Bullfrog' sung byThree Dog Night. I have an OCD diagnosis. OCD and I have hung out together for most of my life (60 years) I heard this song when I was a child and it has been rolling around in my head ever since. Much of the time it is a silent partner. I am easily distracted at the best of times. My wonky concentration can lead me down the rabbit hole and that's when I can say "They're playing my song."
I have not discovered how to change the channel, so I have learned to go with the flow. It is my one and only earworm. One is definitely one too many. ;)

Brandon
October, 20 2022 at 4:49 pm

Wow - this describes exactly what I go through. Sometimes it's triggered by a song I heard. On some occasions I dreamt about a song and woke with it in my head. Often I'll hear a phrase that triggers a song. Oddly, the phrase doesn't even need to be lyrics from the actual song, but just loosely tied to a past occasion or mental association. Sometimes one song sounds like another and I'll cycle back and forth between the two.
I used to consider this an asset. After all, I could analyze music and "decompose" it into its component parts. That helped me a ton when performing or writing music. However, with age I find that I never, ever get a break from the "mental radio". And it seems to get worse with time.
Does anyone else have a "sweet spot" with hypomania where things are clear, the mental chatter is actually helpful, and the music is actually a nice thing? I have that for a short time and then it quickly devolves into a cacophony of chatter where I can barely focus on anything else. Ugh...

Emma
September, 19 2022 at 11:46 am

I have this with a little more "spice" i call it. Whenever I have an earworm I connect it to a place/activity/object. So now everytime I'm eating something I have this one specific song in my mind. I have this with every aspect of my life and If not it's another song that's in the background. Been suffering with this for only two months and already feeling like giving up, great...

Beth Shek
September, 5 2022 at 2:32 am

Never thought someone has the same obssessive thing like I have. I have earworms usually in the morning when I am the most exhausted and in a bad mood. The song(s) is stuck in my head and won't go away!! My brain is really tired over these obseessive thinking.

DAvid
September, 3 2022 at 1:52 pm

Hello, please help me. ALL the time i heard music in my head. I want off this .........

Cathryn A Paterson
August, 21 2022 at 11:07 pm

I don't know if you are still reading this in 2022 but I'll write anyway. I've had earworms off and on for years but more recently two songs played in my head for several months. Then my doctor increased my thyroid dosage and the songs mostly went away. Now I'm frustrated because I really miss them and cannot re-activate those two songs.

Alan Leak
August, 23 2022 at 7:57 am

Hmmm,
well, I have suffered with this awful condition for almost 55 years and, believe me, I would sell my soul to have a 'quiet' mind. No offence, but you clearly have not suffered this problem in any really debilitating way, otherwise you would not be saying this. I wish you well.

Laurie
September, 11 2022 at 9:10 pm

Mine is a rhythm that I cannot turn off. I tap my fingers to it and chew to it. It’s easy for me to hide this oddity but I do wonder why I can’t turn it off. I have done this my whole life. I was a music teacher for years and thought it was just my music ability. Lol

Chris
July, 13 2022 at 9:41 am

don't know if this is a bipolar thing --- but then didn't know I was bipolar until diagnosed last month! It suggests we really should pay closer attention to what we are listening to. The good news is all art is art (but is all music, honestly good art?) I used to be able to drown out my thoughts using a journal then listening to a good CD.

D S
June, 24 2022 at 1:39 am

I haven’t gone a single day without a song in my head for as long as I can remember (30 years?). And I tell you, when you go into a room to have a meeting and you have ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’ stuck in your head, where it has been for hours, it is frustrating and suuuuuuper difficult to concentrate.
I do have some songs that help melt some of the loudest songs to a more dull roar that I will try to particularly put in my head. But it switches too fast. Like a child fiddling with a radio.
And it isnt just songs, it is words and phrases with no tune, like words like “archipelago” or “vernacular” or “haberdashery”.
My family doctor had no idea. My psychiatrist was the first to mention ‘auditory hallucinations’ but I am not so sure that is correct.
I have tried so many methods to get rid of the songs, like the shout it out variation. But activities like that usually push my mania, (which is already pushing at the seams with the songs)over the edge.
I can’t focus on reading, I can’t meditate because my brain is having a dance party which just pushes me on edge and diving for my playlist to put on something different.

Amanda Ponce de Leon
February, 10 2022 at 10:14 am

I do this all the time. I never knew that there was a word for it. I never knew that OCD and bipolar could go hand in hand I always thought that I had OCD I have found that wearing my headphones and listening to music constantly all day long helps with the earworms. I really don't hear the music as much it actually helps me be able to focus on what I'm doing at the time people find it strange but it actually helps me normalize my day if that makes sense. I'm glad I found this article because I just thought the super annoying songs in my head which seem to be somewhere over the rainbow and do re mi from The sound of music which as you can tell super annoying which I saw someone talking about the oompa loompa song above in a comment so that's just as annoying. But you should try out the headphone thing if you have this problem and it's severe because it really does help and I know people won't understand but you can actually function and concentrate a lot easier. Thank you for this article.

February, 15 2022 at 8:12 am

Hi Amanda,
You're welcome. Thank you for sharing the technique you use. I know others will find it helpful.
- Natasha Tracy

Chris
December, 26 2021 at 10:43 pm

I too have the ever playing music in my head . Hope it don't get stuck on the "loompa-loompa" song again , there are worse... I also have tinitise that I only notice when it's quiet or I think about it . Once in a in a blue moon it stops as does the music and it seems like somethings wrong . I have found at least a way to change the song playing tho- do what the radio station does when the song ends , announce the stations call letters like 102.5 WDVE Pittsburgh. That usually it . If not - go to commercial...

Emma
December, 10 2021 at 2:37 am

I tried searching earworm and bipolar, and was so surprised to find no research papers. I’m in a hypomanic episode currently. Mine are often triggered by stress and sleep routine disruption. I have been sleeping very little but still feel wide awake, and CONSTANTLY have a couple of songs in my head that just go round in a loop. My mind plays/sings them very fast, over and over and I find it characteristic of a hypomanic episode at this point: racing thoughts, jumping between random topics with certain parts of songs played in a loop in between. I experience earworm at ‘stable’ times too (like most people), but never so intensely. Thanks for this post!

Kayla
November, 14 2021 at 9:50 pm

I have been living for this now for over a year, and as much as it is distressing at first I have found that the brain begins to adapt to it and slowly it seems to fade into the background and just become a more normal thing.
I’ve been to the doctor and had an mri done with normal results. I also see my psychiatrist every three months and have tried antipsychotic and antidepressant medication which neither have made it fade, I am now going lower on my medication since it hasn’t made any difference. Anyways, if you are newly suffering with this awful condition try to keep your head up and hopefully eventually you will just start to adapt to it and it won’t be such a bother, or if you’re lucky enough it will fade completely. But you are not alone in this condition.

Alan Leak
November, 16 2021 at 7:51 am

Hmm, I have had this condition for 53 years and it's just as bad as the very first day. How long do you think I should keep my head up? I'm 72 now so I guess I'm running out of time. By the way I have tried every conceivable treatment you can possibly imagine, and then some. Last thing I tried was TMS which cost £2000. Good money for them, zero help to me. But there you are, we're all unique individuals, and what works for one will not necessarily work for another. I've noticed many people don't seem able to grasp this simple concept. Anyway, it is what it is and we have to keep going as best we can...

Kayla
November, 20 2021 at 7:27 pm

I’m sorry to hear that your situation is just as bad as it was the first day. I’ve just sort of learned to adapt to it, even though it’s still present. I’m sorry you’ve been suffering with this for so many years. Keep your head up as best you can. Wishing you well.

Scott
August, 20 2022 at 8:22 am

Thanks Kayla
I was dozing on a flight to London with earphones on watching a movie and a song from that movie (a 60s) song has been stuck on loop in my head for over 3months - it’s just there almost constantly defaulting. Listen to classical music helps and so am finding it does fade until you remind yourself of it and trigger it off again. It’s gets so debilitating sometimes. I feel your frustration. Just have to try and ignore it and hope it leaves eventually.

Grant
October, 2 2021 at 8:38 pm

I literally had a Justin Bieber random song in my head I’m scared it’s 2021 wtf I don’t even listen to him ughhh wowowowowow

Luis
July, 26 2021 at 7:44 pm

Same happen to me,songs never stop playing

Dan M
July, 8 2021 at 10:43 pm

I can't remember a time in my life, at ANY point in time, where I didn't have some song "playing" in the background in my head. If I'm listening to music its whatever I'm listening to, so I prefer to have music on a lot so I'm not just hearing bits of songs on repeat, but it's constant. It's almost like I'm in a movie or TV show with background music going, my own personal radio station in my head.
Sometimes its great, like when I'm having fun and a perfect song will pop into my head and then its like I have my own personal soundtrack going. Other times it feeds into depression or other negative feelings and makes them worse. The songs tend to be tied to my mood, upbeat songs when I'm happy, sad songs when I'm upset, fast songs when I'm panicked or manic. Sometimes the song causes the mood, especially if I'm listening to music. A song I like can pick me up on a bad day, or a song that my mind associates with feeling down can sink me out of a good mood. Other times the song stuck in my head will change if something changes my mood.
The songs themselves never really bother me, aside from getting annoying sometimes like listening to a song on repeat or if its a song I dislike. Most of the time its just music I know and I don't mind the soundtrack. If the songs change often enough or I'm focused on something else I don't even notice all the time unless I think about it. Usually I notice when a single bit of a song gets stuck in my head on loop or if it's a song I dislike. But it's somewhat comforting to know I'm not the only one with an iPod stuck in their head, haha.

Jennifer
December, 5 2021 at 10:50 am

This sounds exactly like me! I find that when I'm having a disagreement or an unpleasant conversation, the volume seems to go up and it is hard to concentrate on what is being said. I'm assuming it's my brains way of trying to cope with a stressful situation.
I find it comforting to know that I don't suffer this alone.

Alan Leak
June, 16 2021 at 5:51 am

I have posted on this forum many times over the last few years commenting on musical intrusive thoughts. I have tried many different methods to try and help with these intrusive thoughts without success.
Anyway, I have now decided to try a 30 session course of TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) as I have seen many positive reviews about this treatment. I will update this forum as I proceed with the treatment over the coming months. If it proves to be helpful then maybe others might be tempted to try the treatment (although it is expensive).

Stacey
September, 18 2021 at 3:46 pm

Hi Alan wondering if this treatment was a success and how much are the treatments please hope your well

Alan Leak
October, 3 2021 at 8:13 am

Hi Stacey, I started my 30 session treatment on July 12th and completed on August 23rd. I took the discount offer that SmartTMS was offering at that time. Normally a 30 session course of treatment is a whopping £7500 but the offer reduced this to £1800 (plus £200 for initial consultation), so a significant reduction. Even so I had to borrow the money as I am not rich and live on a few small pensions (I'm 72 now).
It's now almost 6 weeks later at the time of writing and, I have to say, I have not experienced any significant improvement as yet. I've had a few days here and there where I had reduced intrusive thoughts but nothing consistent. I'm feeling somewhat disappointed at the moment but, hopefully, things may improve over the coming weeks and months.
Would I recommend? Not really because of the cost mainly. It's like every other treatment out there - works for some and not others. If money is not an issue then it's worth a try otherwise it's a pile of money to gamble....

malcolm farrugia
March, 23 2021 at 6:13 am

I hear bits of songs or even film soundtracks ,the most recent is the Halloween soundtrack ,sometimes it gets out and sometimes comes back and sometimes replaces itself I do not why this happens just the mind chooses what to play on and on ,I try to exercise ,sometimes works out and sometimes doesn't ,I listen to relaxing Tibetan music works out for a short time and the radio station comes back ,funny I did not realize it was so common in people

Lori
November, 17 2020 at 12:49 am

I have taken various antidepressants for years. Sometimes I see to get immune to one and have to switch it up. My insurance i have now I have to go clinic. They are not as knowledgeable as most psychiatrist im used to seeing. So I am suffering during covid, no able to figure out a way to get a better doctor. Long story short. I do not have earworms when my meds are working right.

Dj57
November, 16 2020 at 12:35 pm

Hi
Ive been experiencing the same thing recently for last few months. Any Era of songs , im 63 , so a vast variety! I had a Brain Tumour 16 years ago and have been having frequent headaches and i have 2 children with Mental Health problems too.
However, i find if i just sing along to whatever appears , it will eventually give up after awhile , even if it takes a few hours of singing to do it!
It is just conditioning your brain to say " No " i dont want to play your stupid games! Good Luck 😁

Amanda
November, 1 2020 at 1:15 pm

I’m 49 and have songs, different ones and only a few lines, pop into my head at least 10 to 20 times a day. This has been this way for over since on and off since I was a teenager. I also have severe tinnitus but I’m positive it’s not related. Finding these comments has made me realise I’m not alone as my psychologist was clueless.
The songs annoy me and frustrate me when they won’t stop to the point of yelling at them in my head but most of look at them like I have a subconscious “Bumblebee “ ( from the movie transformers who could only speak via songs from the car radio )who sends me messages in the form of music. I’ve learnt to listen to my songs and try and tap into my emotional state at that moment to see if my mind is trying to tell me something.
My songs are from every era, every genre and sometimes songs my conscious has never heard. Normally in the form of repetitive few lines and never the same after the situational “loop” has ended.
I have severe anxiety, panic disorder and ocd and I am not medicated as I believe drugs don’t work. I do take CBD oil from my anxiety which is marvellous and I find my musical brain sends me songs more and more when anxiety and worry are higher ( even if outwardly I don’t feel anxious I did deeper to find the root cause )
I relied on music as a teenager to get me through my parents messy divorce, I used it to stop hearing their yelling. I use to to make me feel good and I’m positive my brain is using it in a way to self medicate when it thinks I need it. So I listen, accept and it goes away until the next moment in the day I need it.

Shayla Maxwell
November, 27 2020 at 4:12 pm

This is so refreshing! You guys have no idea how normal this makes me feel. I stumbled upon this feed while researching songs being stuck on repeat in my mind all day everyday. I do also have tinnitus which I thought was the culprit! But I full heartedly appreciate everyone here who stopped in and commented with tips and advice on how to handle this annoying problem, and even ways to possibly overcome it altogether. I’m so grateful to have like-minded people in this big world. Thank you all, much love❤️

AK
October, 20 2020 at 5:34 am

Please try listening to an audiobook. Though it's not a permanent fix, it will allow you to take a break from the barrage. I can listen out loud on my phone, but some may need to try it with headphones to keep out other distractions. Just make sure it's something you're actually interested in listening to so your mind doesn't wander. I do this when I'm doing things like dishes or repetitive tasks at work. Hope this helps someone.

Sean
October, 17 2020 at 2:37 pm

Hello everyone. OCD and anxiety is a liar, it makes us believe the worst case scenarios of our imaginations. I get songs in my head quite a bit, I had to learn to not only accept it but encourage it. I learned this from my intrusive thoughts, images and thoughts that were so horrible that my mind kept playing it over and over again. I learned that once the fear of having such thoughts was removed, the images faded on their own. Same with the songs in my mind. It happens to just about everybody, according to research 98% get music or songs playing in their minds and 90% of people it happens to at least 4 times a week. Meaning its our anxiety about it that causes our grief, as this happens to 9 out of 10 people multiple times a week or more. Those people do not have underlying anxiety or OCD which means its probably playing in their heads and they barely notice it. Same with me, when my anxiety levels are down, I don’t even realize its there.

Alan
October, 20 2020 at 4:59 am

Hi,
I'm sorry but you've fallen into the classic trap of thinking that all people react in a similar fashion to yourself. Just because you experience certain results from a certain course of action does not mean others experience the same results. You are making lots of assumptions based on general statistical information. I have seen this so many times during the last 52 years of suffering with this condition (OCD/intrusive thoughts/intrusive musical imagery - call it what you will), and it has been an ongoing problem.
Actually some of the worst 'offenders' are the so called professionals because most of them start by assuming they know what the problem is - and they don't. Each person is a unique individual and what might be effective for one person will not help another. During the last 52 years (I'm 71 now by the way) I have tried every conceivable treatment and medication that you can possibly imagine - and maybe more. Sadly, nothing has helped me to any significant degree. Also, all these treatments and medications and therapies can only ever address the symptoms (at least that's been my personal experience over the last half century).
The other thing you don't mention is that this condition is infinitely variable in how it impacts on individuals. It can range from a minor irritation to unrelenting mental torture such that any sort of normal functioning is almost impossible. It sounds to me like you're one of t;he lucky ones on the lower end of the scale; this is simply due to 'the luck of the draw.'
Yes, I agree with you, any sort of anxiety will exacerbate this condition; however anxiety and/or depression do not cause this condition. Nobody really knows the cause - we just know that it's possible to reduce the symptoms (for some, not all) with antidepressants, various therapies, and so on. I will never stop trying to find something that will help me because I'm not giving in to this; however the reality is that after 52 years of abject mental torture, it's very likely that I will suffer this until the end of my days.

Jo
October, 11 2020 at 6:54 pm

Has anyone ever got rid of their earworm? If so how? I can't even function anymore, I'm afraid I'm only 22 and I don't think I can carry on with life in this mess. :(

Alan
October, 14 2020 at 10:00 am

Hi Jo and Emma, my heart goes out to you both because I have suffered with this loathsome condition for 52 years. Over that time I have tried just about everything you can think of or imagine to find a 'cure.' Sadly there is no cure that I'm aware of, and probably won't be for a long, long time. Yes, there are a thousand ways of dealing with the symptoms, but I have never read of anyone having found a permanent cure. You can chew gum and listen to distracting music (classical or jazz works best) until the cows come home, but the fundamental problem of intrusive musical thoughts remains obstinately rooted somewhere within the brain. In my opinion this is a physiological condition (chemical imbalance within the brain), and no amount of so called 'talk therapy' will change this. I recently found out about TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and it does appear to be very promising - at least if you have a lot of money. A course of treatment will knock you back about £4-5000 and then you have to have regular follow up sessions at around £200/session (ouch!). Anyway, there it is - wish I could have been more helpful and positive but this has been my experience over many years (I'm 71 now)....

Emma
October, 7 2020 at 5:46 pm

Hi, ive been reading a lot about this condition. I feel that I have it. There's always some song playing in my mind. it changes all the time, some times even after less than a minute. whenever I'm feeling sad or angry i can never properly feel the emotions because I have a song playing full blast in my mind. It keeps me up at night. Chewing gum doesn't help but listening to music does. Any tips on how to deal with it please ?

kayla
June, 27 2020 at 12:21 pm

i too have been suffering from this for about four months, it’s relentless and no matter what i do aside from watching tv it’s always there. i stopped listening to music because of it and stay in bed most of the day trying to fall asleep to escape it. i’ve been taking lexapro for a month and an antipsychotic for a couple months which i’ve recently upped the dosage of with no change in the songs at all. it’s very discouraging, i can’t imagine having to live with this for the rest of my life i’m only 28 years old.
has anyone found anything that’s worked for them? please share, this condition is debilitating and causes pure suffering.

Jo
October, 11 2020 at 7:18 pm

Have you found a solution? I'm the same for the past few months, I'm only 22 and have no mental health issues

October, 12 2020 at 3:44 pm

Hi Jo,
I'm sorry you're experiencing that. I know how hard it is. Unfortunately, I don't know of a solution. What I can say, though, is you should see a doctor if it's causing you great distress.
- Natasha Tracy

Alan
October, 14 2020 at 9:47 am

There is no known 'solution' for OCD/intrusive thoughts. As regards seeing a doctor PLEASE do not waste time because they haven't got a clue about this condition. They will almost certainly prescribe an antidepressant because they don't know what else to do. If they refer you to a psychiatrist or a psychologist they will just try 'talking' therapy and, believe me, this will have little or no effect. If you're referred to a CBT therapist that will also be a complete waste of time. The big problem is that these so called professionals believe the condition is psychologically based and so they just root around for 'traumatic' experiences you've had in the past. This is a physiological condition (in my opinion) and no amount of talking about it will make any difference. I don't want to be negative but I have seen all these people, and more, over the last 52 years and they simply have no clue how to constructively help. The only thing I have encountered that may help is something called TMS therapy (transcranial magnetic stimulation) - apparently good results have been recorded over several years for OCD patients and others......only problem is that it costs a fortune. A full treatment if aound 30 sessions will be around £5-6000 and then you will need ongoing 'maintenance' treatment at around £200/session. If I had the funds I would definitely try this but I don't think I will live long enough sadly....

Joanne
June, 8 2021 at 4:55 am

Hi Alan,
I would agree with with you. I have been to a doctor, who didn't think I had OCD or PTSD, although I'm sure I do. She just thought I was depressed, and was sceptical when I mentioned what I thought I had, so I felt she wasn't taking my very educated self-diagnosis seriously. Which made me feel more alone about the whole thing. I went to a psychotherapist then for CBT, but that made it worse because now I'd talked about the intrusive, disturbing thoughts, they became more present than ever in my mind. I went to a different psychotherapist just before that, and she talked lots (too much sometimes) and when I said I thought I had OCD, she said a thing that professional therapists should never say. She totally shut down the conversation and brushed my words aside by saying 'everyone had a bit of OCD'. That's absolutely outrageous for a therapist to say. OCD is an actual condition that makes people's lives a daily struggle, not something 'everyone' has. And she then went on to say there was nothing wrong with me. After me telling her for multiple sessions that I was really struggling, and even wanted to not be here sometimes. Needless to say, I'll never go to a therapist again!

scott
August, 20 2022 at 8:34 am

Listen to classical and just accepting it is the only way to live with it I’m finding. There are worse conditions to live with - keep telling yourself.

PW
June, 24 2020 at 12:49 pm

I READ THAT CHEWING GUM CAN HELP, AT LEAST YOU CAN TRY THAT DURING THE DAY. I AM JUST NOW TRYING IT AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING---? WILL SEE.

Daniel
June, 22 2021 at 3:59 pm

Hello PW.
I'm chewing gum right now. It's causing the nonsense loop to go to the rhythm.
Since I was little, I'm 46 now, there's been non-stop unmusical loops with no groove.
My eyes open and I hear da de du du da DE di du, and variations.
All waking hours.
The strange part is that I'm a multi-instrumentalist and recording artist yet the loops are just so not musical. It does turn into actual music when I'm feeling happier but then it goes back to that nonsense. One day at Guitar Center I was trying a Stratocaster when I was approached by a guy that asked me to play the exact song I just spelled out for you above. I was beside myself yet I attempted to play it but he said no it goes like this, and repeated the same exact riff as well as I was playing what he was singing to me. So far that stranger is the only other person that says they have this type of "earworm".
It interrupts all of my thoughts, my focus, and it's so disturbing.
At one point I pretended to be a dancer at some kind of performance where I'm forced to dance to the music in my brain and it looks so rigid and uncomfortable so I don't dance like that anymore. Has anyone had this type? It's similar to the George Krantz song, Din Da Da.
Okay for now.

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