I was just wondering if any of you guys use music to control your moods? For as long as I can remember, I have actively used music to control which side of me I am. Sometimes it can be a great thing, but it can also be a liability. Years before starting seeing my T, I knew that under no circumstances am I allowed to listen to Dead Kennedys whilst driving And if my favourite singer is played in a shop I can end up a giggling excitable child pushing the trolly up the aisles! Im beginning to realise just how much I use music to get through the day in some sort of coherent manner - (and how much it can throw me out, too!) Does anyone else have this?

Hey, J. . Music has become a large part of my day only just recently. It most certainly helps me get through the day. Some songs contribute to changing my mood. Take Linkin park for example. Their songs tend to bring out my anger, and frustration, whereas Sam Smith helps work through the sadness. Even if I'm not sad before listening to Sam smith, hearing him on the radio, or if his song is next on the play list, I feel sad. If not sad, then melancholy.

Music has become an important part of my every day. It's not because it brings out certain moods. It's important to me because it keeps me grounded. It helps focus on the present moment, on the task I'm doing. Without music playing, the voices in my head become confusing, and my thoughts jump from one thing to another. For example, say I'm painting a picture of a flower. Without music the thoughts are like:
"the flower's too big".
"Green paint".
"Long time since I went to the park".
"I like the swing".
"Swing- that's like a pendulum".
"How do roller coaster's work?"
In between, there are bits of conversation from Pc that are replayed, and conversations with my parents, random scenes from programmes I've seen. All of this is unrelated to the flower I'm painting.

Music helps me focus on the flower and drown out everything else. Thoughts would be like:

"The flower's to asymmetrical"
"Mix the blue and green to finish this part"
"I need a pencil to extend the stem"

Thoughts are fewer and focused. Music really helps.

Thank you for the thread, JustaGirl. .

I don't think it's control for me, but more of a reflection of how I'm feeling or who is present. If a sad song comes on and I'm not feeling sad...I can't stand listening to it. The same with upbeat, or down and dirty rock n roll.

Our preferred musical tastes: Heavy Metal, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Country, Blues, Pop, Rap...

Most of the time when we're over thinking (talking) I'll turn on the music to get some peace.

We have so much head chatter happening that I'm so distracted that I don't even put the music on. I can drive for an hour and realize that it's quiet and turn on the radio 5 minutes to the destination or pulling up into the driveway.

Music also triggers switching here. Our musicians or dancers will present, depending on the music playing. We've had 4 of us drive home one day in one trip! Lol

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Justagir1

I was just wondering if any of you guys use music to control your moods? For as long as I can remember, I have actively used music to control which side of me I am. Sometimes it can be a great thing, but it can also be a liability. Years before starting seeing my T, I knew that under no circumstances am I allowed to listen to Dead Kennedys whilst driving And if my favourite singer is played in a shop I can end up a giggling excitable child pushing the trolly up the aisles! Im beginning to realise just how much I use music to get through the day in some sort of coherent manner - (and how much it can throw me out, too!) Does anyone else have this?

music doesnt usually do it for me. Im a physical type person so what works for me are things like canoeing, taking a walk, camping, spending time with my wife and children, a shower, painting, drawing, sculpting, yoga, marshal arts, .... In short anything that grounds and puts me back in touch with the present moment and my body.

[just2b]

Strange that topics people mention are ones we recently experience. So moving into apartment and putting up a light fixture listening to a CD that was much listened to while in the deepest parts of my depression...and cutting.
So I start to get angry that the light fixture and I just can't seem to work out correctly, then into anger or rage...smash the fixture to the floor and light bulb shatters. Glass everywhere. Picking up the pieces I zoned out and was seeing my room that I grew up in and watching myself in a very depressed state...then no control over self ..I reached out for the shattered bulb and squeezed a piece in my hand until it cut my thumb. This part sat there for about an hour then fell asleep. Woke and cleaned up as if nothing happeed. Music can change mood for good or bad ... I am still compelled to listen to the same soundtrack...

music is a massive part of our lives.. without it, no idea if it would be worth it.

we have a radio with diffrent stations preset so who ever's out can choose the music they like- or in the case of michelle, she likes songs from musicals- and so she has a collection of cds from the various stage musicals.. the lion king, rocky horror picture show, hairspray, phantom of the opera, what ever.

we'd be lost without music. for sure

Thanks for the replies guys- This is really interesting! Im glad Im not the only one who is effected so profoundly by music.

Just2b - I've had similar experiences. Just last week I went on a mission- listening to loads of tracks I haven't listened to for years. Not really sure what happened once I got a couple of tracks in - my brain went whizzing off somewhere else and I vaguely remember crying on the sofa like it was the end of the world. No idea why but it was hours before I came back down to earth.

Alwayschanging2 and Yazeena88 - your posts made me laugh --- Linkin Park brings out my feisty side too And there is a very real risk of me thinking Im Maddie Ziegler every Sia comes on the TV/ radio. I always forget Im a 38 year old heffalump when Im prancing around the kitchen doing pad de chats!

[Shaly78]

Now sure if you experience Dissociative Identity Disorder like me, but some of the artist are in my system. The way I handle this is I listen to less music with the realization that I might not want certain ones to front etc. Music can knowily and sometime not knowily trigger memories and you can relate to certain things from other people's experience without conscious awareness. There are some artist I've meet I have a new appreciation for some I stay away from . Then there is some I only listen to at certain times certain underground rap and stuff like that. My parts have assertive themselves and let me know that wow you pick the wrong time to listen to certain artists and I never had that problem before. I think it more about memories starting to surface and being closer to my younger parts that are scary to them. There are artist I've going back to listen to just to really understand why I like them or to see if I could remember what was going on during that time in my life. It is really hard to remember all those memories and definitely say well we have this in common because. My therapist has offered to have sessions listening to music I thought that was really great. I guess she heard that I have problems communicating and is offering different ways to get things out, like more creative approaches.

I like music

[Mookster]

Music is very much a part of my life, tho it has to be controlled at all times, We can't listen to the radio anymore. We have problems in stores that play music, other than this time of the year, because it's always Christmas music playing. I don't leave home without my headphones. And my iPhone, iPod and iPad only have music that *I* like, so there's no accidental triggering of anyone else. I have thought about taking some other music to my therapy sometime... Maybe we could make more progress on all this crap we are dealing with...

[avlady]

i love music, play piano a little, tried flute and violin too. i did a paper in college about the elderly and music and how it makes them feel. the older music they really loved probably from the memories.

Originally Posted by avlady

i love music, play piano a little, tried flute and violin too. i did a paper in college about the elderly and music and how it makes them feel. the older music they really loved probably from the memories.

Piano and viola for me I can't remember any viola at all, but I still play piano occasionally. I zone out a lot when I play, and I worry my neighbours can hear me, so I don't do it often.

I love the paper you wrote! I used to work in the care industry, and regularly worked with alzheimers patients. One of the most popular and successful groups was a singing group - the alzheimers patients might spend the day in silence, confused, upset, in bed. But get them singing songs from the 40's and 50's - their faces lit up, you could see the joy, they remembered all the words, and it allowed a few moments of bonding and closeness with their spouses - just amazing to watch.

Originally Posted by Mookster

Music is very much a part of my life, tho it has to be controlled at all times, We can't listen to the radio anymore. We have problems in stores that play music, other than this time of the year, because it's always Christmas music playing. I don't leave home without my headphones. And my iPhone, iPod and iPad only have music that *I* like, so there's no accidental triggering of anyone else. I have thought about taking some other music to my therapy sometime... Maybe we could make more progress on all this crap we are dealing with...

This is me completely! Although I think you have more control than I do. I only just figured out a playlist I listened to was 117 minutes of trigger trigger trigger! Duhhhhhhhhhh.

I really hate Christmas, and so every shop, street, conversation is a trigger at the moment. The headphones do not leave my ears until January! Ive also thought about taking music in to T. I don't think I could do it though. I've become aware just how dramatic the changes are in me with different tracks - Id be too embarrassed for my T to witness that (at least, purposefully, sometimes I don't get a say in the matter!). He won't acknowledge I have DID, so I think its too soon to start introducing music. I have started controlling the music I listen to before T though... I realised a awhile ago there are some tracks that make me hate T, and some tracks that make me like T, so now I always listen to the 'like him' tracks before a t session.

[krazy_phoenix]

We have our 'jukebox' in our head. Plays music from 70's & 80's as a usual, but sometimes a nursery rhyme will play through. I gather its the sound track from our life. Does anyone else have their own 'jukebox'??

Originally Posted by krazy_phoenix

We have our 'jukebox' in our head. Plays music from 70's & 80's as a usual, but sometimes a nursery rhyme will play through. I gather its the sound track from our life. Does anyone else have their own 'jukebox'??

Im not sure I have a jukebox, but I definitely have a sound track

[flockpride]

Music is huge for me. Different parts like different kinds of music. I cannot regulate with it. Just notice what is appealing when it changes. Or notice what is playing in my head, random stuff.