[cyangreenish]

Multiple times in my depression (and anxiety) "career" I've had long periods when I simply cannot sleep. Like, lie down for 10 hours daily for up to nine days and not sleep a second.

(Most of the time--but not always--this has been triggered by overtaking and then undertaking prescribed stimulants. And lasts way past the point where the doctors tell me that the meds have completely washed out.)

The weird thing is that when this happens I always have earworms (like when a song gets in your head and stays longer than you want). But this goes on 24/7, and is LOUD. Worse, it's obnoxious--if I find myself thinking how much I hate the song, it gets louder, adds more voices, etc. It's like the music hates me. If that makes me sound crazy, I'm not. This one thing is the closest I ever get to anything remotely psychotic.

The cool part is that I can instantly change tempos, voices, instruments, complete arrangements, instantly. It's like I'm a musical genius--which I most definitely am not.

Anyway, no one I've told this to has had the same experience, or has heard of anyone whose had it. When I search online I find accounts of people who get it permanently, as a result of brain damage, but not in circumstances like mine. So I'm asking here: does anyone else get this?

Once I went 7 days/nights without sleep. Thank god they gave me some ativan, not thanking any of psychiatry for the other hell they put me through. I think you should get to your trusted doctor and get a short term sleep med. If at all possible do not use them regularly, almost 30 years of using some type of benzos, execpt one year and I felt so weird I went back on them. I remember quite clearly telling the staff I couldn't stop the music in my head, they laughed at that. It wasn't funny to me. So i hear ya. Get something for sleep and put some sleep music on, something without words is so much better. Best wishes to you.

[Fizzyo]

Earworms like this certainly aren't a sign of madness, I get them all the time when its quiet, along with tinnitus. The more stressed I am the louder it all is and the harder to distract from it.

Sometimes I find speech radio helps, if none locally to you, try BBC radio 4 (programmes available on line) it gives me another train of thought and relieves the boredom of wakefulness. If quiet, should I drift off, it doesn't keep me awake.

I agree with the previous post though, consulting a trusted doctor is a good idea.

[cyangreenish]

Originally Posted by disparaissant

Once I went 7 days/nights without sleep. Thank god they gave me some ativan, not thanking any of psychiatry for the other hell they put me through. I think you should get to your trusted doctor and get a short term sleep med. If at all possible do not use them regularly, almost 30 years of using some type of benzos, execpt one year and I felt so weird I went back on them. I remember quite clearly telling the staff I couldn't stop the music in my head, they laughed at that. It wasn't funny to me. So i hear ya. Get something for sleep and put some sleep music on, something without words is so much better. Best wishes to you.

I'm sorry you have to go through that, but it feels less lonely.

Reminds me that the weirdest thing that I think has ever happened to me was when I went back on the benzos after being off for a long time. About 10 minutes after taking the first pill I went immediately to sleep. When I woke up it was clear that I had been moving things around the room. I suppose that's normal for sleepwalkers, but it had never happened to me before. I don't even like to think about that, because what if it happens again? If I'm not in control of myself, I could hurt someone or something. Ugh.

Oh, and I don't have a psychiatrist that I trust. You wouldn't believe some of the docs I've seen.

[cyangreenish]

Originally Posted by Fizzyo

Earworms like this certainly aren't a sign of madness, I get them all the time when its quiet, along with tinnitus. The more stressed I am the louder it all is and the harder to distract from it.

Sometimes I find speech radio helps, if none locally to you, try BBC radio 4 (programmes available on line) it gives me another train of thought and relieves the boredom of wakefulness. If quiet, should I drift off, it doesn't keep me awake.

I agree with the previous post though, consulting a trusted doctor is a good idea.

I'm afraid that listening to voices tends to keep me awake. But I do find myself staying awake, listening as the heat goes on and off, because I'm afraid it's close to failing. So lately I've been going to sleep listening to sleep/hypnosis kinds of music that I put on my mp3 player. It blocks the sounds, and is about as calming as anything gets for me.

[Fizzyo]

Good idea!

Originally Posted by cyangreenish

I'm sorry you have to go through that, but it feels less lonely.

Reminds me that the weirdest thing that I think has ever happened to me was when I went back on the benzos after being off for a long time. About 10 minutes after taking the first pill I went immediately to sleep. When I woke up it was clear that I had been moving things around the room. I suppose that's normal for sleepwalkers, but it had never happened to me before. I don't even like to think about that, because what if it happens again? If I'm not in control of myself, I could hurt someone or something. Ugh.

Oh, and I don't have a psychiatrist that I trust. You wouldn't believe some of the docs I've seen.

I've had some bad experiences with doctors too. I hope you can find one that understands and helps you. I find I have to do a lot of my own research on meds and have tried everything from a-z antidepressants, practically. Now I'm on an older one, and don't sleep as well, but not bad. Hope things get better for you.