[manxcatwoman]

Music does a lot for me. It really does soothe my savage soul. I listen to an oldies station at night before going to bed and love classic rock / pop songs from the 70s. All my CDs are from greats like David Bowie, Styx, ELO, etc.

But enough is enough. If I get up feeling stressed my mind becomes like a juke box. I can't turn off the songs I heard the night before. And it's usually a really sad song that I concentrate on. It can go on for the whole day. I don't know how to tune it out, so to speak.

Does anybody have this particular obsession?

[Travelinglady]

Hey, manx, I can get a song stuck in my head, but I get into thinking about other things and keeping busy, and it goes away.

[junkDNA]

omg i have this issue reallly bad. i ALWAYS wake up with a song playing in my head. just some random song, sometimes ones that i havent heard in a long time. it seems uncontrollable and it drives me nuts. it is soooo annoying. i find listening to other music kind of helps but then i get those songs stuck in my head. it is so maddening. i dont have any advice but just wanted to say this happens to me too

[azocd]

Yes. It comes and goes as part of my Pure O OCD condition. Its a common "neutral Obsession" part of a hyper awareness that many ocd sufferers with image or perfectionistic tendencies have.

I have found that I have success quieting the songs when I focus not so much on the song but the anxiety behind why the song is bothersome. When I find myself frustrated and on the verge of going crazy ( not really) I engage and go with that anxiety observing it rather than fighting it. I then continue on my life path. My brain then usually gives up sending me the alarm that the songs must stop because I don't react to the alarm.

Hope this makes sense. Bottom line is that your brain must know that YOU are willing to face a constant onslaught of these intrusive songs without escape. it will then not bother to send the alarm.

Its a paradox - the only way out is IN.

[manxcatwoman]

Thanks azocd. Great advice and it makes absolute sense. The songs represent my mood at the time. I only wish the songs weren't so sad. I need to listen to my CDs more and not so much the radio. Then I'll know what to expect and be able to change my mood, hopefully.

I'm definitely a perfectionist and I'm very concerned about what think about me. Too much negative talk going on in my head. I tend to think about all the hurtful things said to or about me even if it was decades ago and even if we were total strangers. Playing songs" is sometimes a good way to drown them out, to a degree.

I hope that makes sense.

[manxcatwoman]

Originally Posted by junkDNA

omg i have this issue reallly bad. i ALWAYS wake up with a song playing in my head. just some random song, sometimes ones that i havent heard in a long time. it seems uncontrollable and it drives me nuts. it is soooo annoying. i find listening to other music kind of helps but then i get those songs stuck in my head. it is so maddening. i dont have any advice but just wanted to say this happens to me too

Thanks, junkDNA. It's always good to know that we're not alone. Every now and then I'll hear a song or some type of music in my dreams. It doesn't happen that often but it's usually a very soothing feeling.

[manxcatwoman]

Originally Posted by Travelinglady

Hey, manx, I can get a song stuck in my head, but I get into thinking about other things and keeping busy, and it goes away.

Thanks Travelinglady. I don't have much going on from day to day but would like to.

[EglantineRose]

I have music in my head constantly as well, some music that I like and some songs that I don't as well. It can be pretty annoying sometimes, but i've gotten used to it over the years. I think the best thing to do to prevent this is to distract yourself with other things.

I have this issue very badly, it comes under 'intrusive thoughts' and has turned into magical thinking, it is just awful and won't leave me alone.

[manxcatwoman]

Thanks 8888an8888. It makes sense for the music and songs to be intrusive thoughts. I don't have a dissociative disorder but I tend to have different types of intrusive thoughts when stress gets too much. I just want to go into some other world.

[ChildlikeEmpress]

I always have music in my head. It is sooooo annoying!! The worst is when one little loop will get stuck there for days and just won't go away. I've never been diagnosed with OCD, but I am absolutely a compulsive skin picker -- I never thought they might be related to the songs in the head issue.