One song over and over? Why.

When I am anxious, I will get stuck on one song. I listen to music most of my waking hours anyway. But on tense days I put one song on constant repeat.

Yesterday and today, it is Drunk on Love by Rihanna. On my worst days, it is always Kiss Tomorrow Goodby by Luke Bryan. Whatever the choice, it is something I would describe as kind of moody or dark in tone/sound/theme/ feel.

And yes, I am tense - in fact, yesterday morning at 5 am walking around a nearly deserted Meijer store on my way to the gym, I came the closest in a long time to a panic attack. Just suddenly it felt like "this is all too much". But I calmed myself down to fend it off. And I just knew what song I needed to hear, Rhi Rhi's Drunk on Love.

So, what does that mean in terms of brain chemistry?

I don't know that it has anything to do with brain chemistry? I use to do the same thing. It is a song one enjoys and that fits one's mood at the moment for whatever reason? When I was in therapy I had one song get "stuck" in there so I would wake at night with it running through my head! It had words/mood/music, whatever, that resonated with what I was working on in therapy.

I am reminded of Meatloaf's "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"?

See, for me, the content is actually pretty irrelevant, once I get going. Both of the songs I site have no personal relevance, one is a romantic lament, the other is a breakup song. I haven't been involved with anyone in ... longer than half of the members of PC have been alive (loser, I know).

I think it does something to my brain chemistry along the lines of an anti-anxiety medication. I know it calms me down. And honestly, I completely tune it out, barely aware of its existence -- UNLESS it stops.

When I get stuck on a line of a song or poem, I take it as a sign histamine is too high. Water and water, ca, mg, and vitamin C bring it down and clear my head.

Histamine as in ... allergies? See, I am too ignorant of all of this neurochemistry stuff. I get the dopamine-seratonin thing. I am really unaware of the role of histamine in psychiatry.

I do know my allergies are bad right now, they always are in the summer - all of those millions of acres of corn in pollination across the Midwest throw a tremendous pollen load in the air, and corn pollen gets me like now -- if I walk through the corn in my garden during pollination, I instantly sneeze, have watery eyes, and itch all over.

And yes, I lost my bottle of Singulair about 2 weeks ago. I have to dig it up - not lost lost, just somewhere in my current disorganization.

I am using OTC Clairitin in the interim - it works but not as well, I have noticed I am having a harder time breathing during exertion.

It's ok, it's a positive thing as chanting and mantra's have long been forms of "meditation/relaxation of the mind". Actually, a documentary was done on George Harrison who embraced this form of "spirituality" and realized the significance of how it calms the mind and spirit. You should look that documentary up because there are good take away thoughts you can get from it.

It doesn't really matter what song you choose Mowtown, if it brings you a calm, then that is what is important. Our brains "like" things that are repetitive, as I mentioned, it's predictable and helps the brain wind down. Our brains "love" familiar repetitive things, that is why "change" is so upsetting because it requires more frontal lobe work until a pattern is in place again.

That is one of the core challenges that comes with PTSD because a trauma "changes" our overall pattern that brings us that sense of rhythm and control. That is why we often have an strong urge for change from how we lived a previous rhythm. That is part of the "just" we had that was manageable to where something "traumatic" happened that changed that pattern we adapted that we were capable of managing. That is why retirement can become fatal to people because they were so used to a daily rhythm that drastically changes, "unless" a person slowly prepares a plan for a future rhythm they can easily slip into and adapt as a new rhythm they "just" slip into everyday, and some people never "really" retire because they like the rhythm of their life as it is.

The best way for you to gradually gain is to develop a rhythm agreeable to you, it doesn't have to include being the best at anything either, it's just adapting an activity that you can repeat that you benefit from and enjoy on a personal level. Well, this song you use is just something you find "agreeable" to "you", it is familiar and predictable, it doesn't have to have any "more" meaning than just that.

That histamine. You can block it wirh histamine blockers, clear it with C and calcium and lots of water, and reduce exposure by keeping clean.

I was always diagnosed rule out schizotypy until I began treating high histamine. Its that important of a neurotransmitter. There is a lot of info online now, a lot of it junk.

Chronically high histamine will run down your other neurotransmitters. Depression results.

^Histamine -> ^adrenaline -> intrusive ptsd symptoms

Its worth reading about.

Thanks, Teacake, I will read up on it. Knowledge is power.

I don't know if you're familiar with the term for when an overly simplistic melody gets stuck in one's head, which is earworm. (And which is what makes Rickrolling such a dangerous activity. "Never gonna give you up, never gonna say goodbye.." should I have put a trigger warning on this response?)

But it makes sense that there would be a positive version of this; I use music to self-soothe in a similar way, in fact, if I've neglected to treat myself to what I consider to be music therapy, on any given day, I absolutely notice the difference. I think good music provides an abstract landscape, or a prism, in which our brains can do some of their better conceptual work. After all, if one automatically "feels better" as the result of listening to preferred music, it stands to reason that we've been comforted at a subconscious level in a meaningful way.

It could be related to obsessive-compulsive traits. Wikipedia indicated that those with OCD (and, those who are in the music biz) are more prone to earworms, however I wouldn't put too much stock in this since they also indicate that 98% of people get them. Maybe people with OCD (and people who love music) just get them more often? IDK.

(In case you ever need an antidote though, there's actually been research done on how to get rid of an earworm. "Scientists at Western Washington University found that engaging the working memory in moderately difficult tasks (such as anagrams, Sudoku puzzles, or reading a novel) was an effective way of stopping earworms and of reducing their recurrence." Er, so just think about something else then? I wonder how much this research cost..)

But personally I don't often have any problem with earworms, and while they say music lovers are more prone, I think it's why I'm not, because I have a large working library inside my mind, of melodic phrasing that I prefer and can call upon. (Although I confess, at the moment I am noticing that I accidentally Rickrolled myself. "Never gonna give you up..")

(I am sorry. For everything.)

I don't mind earworms unless it's a goofy song I don't like. I also get them when I'm anxious Motown. I've always loved music. When I drive I sing cuz it helps calm me down in traffic. I have several different playlists that I use according to my mood. I also have several favorites that I play that help me feel better.

Not matter what causes an earworm, I believe they're harmless and the least of my problems.

I like music for background noise but if I put a song on repeat, I turn it up because I've got attitude.

I listen to songs on repeat a lot. It really helps when I'm anxious. It's really soothing and a way to escape from everything. It's hard to explain but when one is on repeat it makes it easier to quite all the thoughts running around in my head.