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

Oh, yes... Actually last tuesday I heard a hideous song (or I think I do, but don´t remember where) , and I keep repeating in my brain the chorus (the only part I know).
But, is like when I cannot remember something (name, data, etc.) Just try not to pay attention and ignore it until it goes away.
And while I write this I keep singing the stupid chorus in my head, hahaha.

I know what you're talking about with earworms but I don't seem to get them any more than the general population. What I did get once when not well was a repetitive phrase over and over, that was derived from a song but wasn't actually melodious in my head. I couldn't make it stop.

I think that it's not so much the song as it is my brain going into that endless loop ... With me , it happens with just about any type of thought ...

Between hearing voices and earworms when my bipolar is "acting up" worse than usual, I totally want to remove my head at times. Only sometimes is it amusing, but that is a rare occurrence. Last week, I woke up to "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!" followed by Kelly Clarkson on loop singing, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" That day, I could only shake my head and weakly smile.
Most days though, it is so crazy-irritating-driving-me-mad that I can hardly stand to be awake. Trying to find something to drive it out isn't always successful because I can't always listen to headphones to knock them off track. Besides, that only sets me up for different ones.
But like you, it doesn't have to be a song that I've heard recently, or in the case of the Kraken, a phrase I even know from a movie. I've never seen any movie with that phrase in it, just a few comedy skits about it...but apparently, it stuck.

Earworms, nice to know it has a name, can't stand the things!. I get them pretty much everyday and sometimes at night, and those are the worst. One evening it became so severe that I couldn't get it turn off when I was having a sleep study done for sleep apnea. I just couldn't turn it off no matter what; I ended up only sleeping for an hour. I need a new one done providing my insurance approves it. That should be an interesting explanation...my patient has earworms and couldn't sleep!

I think this is fairly constant for me. I always have a tune in my head, and no, it doesn't have to be something I heard, although that's a real problem too. I seem to have specific triggers and corresponding songs. When I reach a certain stress level, Circus Theme music starts, and after that "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." For twenty years I've had "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends" whenever I witness any kind of drama. I sing the WHOLE SONG. And "If I Only Had a Brain" all day when I think I'm being stupid. Ugh, yes, it does make me want to take my own head off.
I don't know what to do about these theme songs, it's not like I even hear them anywhere BUT my own head! But for the everyday stuff, I am VERY careful about what I listen to, especially in the morning. If I can't stop it, I at least want positive messages running through my head all day. I put together a drive-to-work playlist that is cheery and optimistic.
PS: Thank you all for being here.

I think I have the most earworms with songs that I both listen to and sing. I have always loved to sing. I'm in my church choir and often have earworms with that music, which is good because it's uplifting.

I get these earworms constantly . They can be anything from a couple of lines from a child's nursery rhyme eg Jack and Jill went up the hill... to 'Sign of judgement time aint long' a Marianne Faithful song. Often it is negative. My head chooses not me. I read something in a self help book. It was about positive stuff. It was ealking about putting positivee lines in your head. I hadn't realised how important that was.
So I attemped to try and over rule what my head wanted to say. It took me weeks and weeks. My head fought with me. We battled. I have partially won. This is what I say now when it wants to go on one of those loops.
"I am whole, perfect, powerful, loving, happy, harmonious, and strong"
It helps when my head has put me in a stuck place also.

I have bpd II and a condition called Musical Ear Syndrome (MES), or musical tinnitus. I came down with regular tinnitus (ringing in the ears) in my early 20s. The MES started about two years ago.
Unlike earworms, the sounds made by MES are musical, but the instruments are always either gazoos, beeps, horns, pipe organs, for example. I never hear a full song, just a portion. Some of the music I hear is abstract, and pretty disturbing. Other pieces of music are very traditional, such as Frere Jacques, Three Blind Mice, The Star Spangled Banner, Mon Cheri Amour (Stevie Wonder), Jingle Bells, a piece from a Jason Mraz song... The tempo can speed up and slow down on its own and the number of song-bits played at one time can be as many as five.
In addition to the tunes, I hear chanting, but there are no words, just monk-like chanting as they hold certain notes and roam the scale. I also hear groaning. Yee hah.
My psychiatrist had me try Seroquel to see if there was a psychotic element to the origin of the sounds. The Seroquel had no effect on the sounds or my ability to deal with them. I am currently in the process of applying for disability. I am also hearing impaired. It's all in the head...
There are 5 precursors to MES, none of which are related to bipolar disorder, but you may want to take note of the following characteristics that may lead to MES:
1. having a hearing loss
2. having pre-existing tinnitus
3. living alone
4. taking ototoxic medication (chemotherapy)
5. being elderly
Thank you, everyone, for your posts! People who do not have this have NO idea. Sometimes the sounds in my head are so loud and loopy that I get nauseous.

This is so comforting to know I'm not alone. I was just trying to explain this to my daughter. I have had the same song on a constant loop in my head for about 15 years. I think it may have started out as a coping mechanism, like signing a lullaby to comfort a child. I don't mind it, it's one of my favorite songs, but I don't like when someone points out that I'm unknowingly humming out loud...very embarrassing. I have bipolar disorder and I do have some vestiges of OCD (counting, primarily).

I have this a lot. I haven't officially been diagnosed with bipolar though my previous therapist seemed to wonder if i did. I do have "mood disorders" and severe ADD though. My boyfriend laughs at me because I will get so obsessed with thoughts, phrases, ideas, or music that gets stuck in my head that he says I am crazy. Sometimes I drive everyone nuts in my house complaining about "earworms". My bf(undiagnosed ADD) and son do get them too though. My son has Autism and ADD so he has echolalia and keeps repeating things he hears on tv a million times and gets us irritating. I am glad there is a term for this. You learn something new every day.

I suggest that by outthinking my earworms with an imagined humming chorus of Smoke on the Water, -a heavy metal song from the 70's -it completly obliterates the dang earworm on the spot. Works everytime.

I must say I get earworms too. Does anyone on this site gets pains, I get pains on the left sie of my head , to be more specific right above my left eye and radiates down my left side.

Natasha as I mentioned in my post above I suffer some physical pain and although from my research and reading your blogs on bi - polar I think that is what I have but I have not had a diagnosis. I believe that the factors Ihave to deal with have worsen my case.But none of the depression meds worked for me.

Hi Marrianna,
If you think you may have bipolar disorder, I recommend you talk to a doctor. If you are, antidepressants aren't likely the best choice for you.
Absolutely, physical pain can worsen emotional pain and those are two things that should be handled together.
- Natasha

YES. All the time. Usually the same song for days, especially if I sung it/ heard friends sing it, and usually it's a calmer song. Occassionally classical, but often things like the Beatles or, the past week or so, hebrew songs (jewish). And then I'll start humming them or singing them quietly, and if I don't know the lyrics if they have them, I'll make them up, or in the case of hebrew ones, say a random syllable or something, I dunno. It'll often be one verse or chorus, not the whole song.

Wow..so there's a name for all those songs going through my head on almost a daily basis. There are mornings when I wake up with one and have no clue where it came from. A lot of mine may be nursery rhymn songs...hmmm...I'm 50 yrs. old.

I count to much., drives me crazy. :-)

Wow! I'm newly diagnosed with bipolar II. For about thirty years I've had constant music in my head. The more hypomanic I am, the faster the music gets. Right now its a constant blur of real fast children songs from television.. (Thank you Disney Channel...) It's amazing to learn that other people have this, and that the phenomena has a name. I don't suffer so much because of this, I guess I've just learned to accept that this is how I am ... (But it's quite annoying when there's bad music though)

I have had the same song stuck in my head for the past six months.

So, I thought I was the only one with this annoying problem. I can't get songs out of my head and while I'm at work it intensifies when I'm trying to read procedures or other materials. My question is, is there a damned solution for this? I can't focus anymore at work due to this and this problem has grown to make me forget things quickly. My short term memory is deteriorating. Am I going crazy?

I have sang White Christmas everyday for almost 5 years. I must be nuts. Not a day goes by where I don't sing or hum the song.

Hi Natasha.
I've been dealing with odd feelings my whole life. Hearing a pencil tapping during a test in high school would make me want to take it from them and stab them in the hand with it. I get wildly irrationally angry and act out and then as soon as I'm calm I'm embarrassed because I don't know why I did it. I suddenly stopped enjoying billiards and going out every night like I used to but then I will go right back to wanting to constantly be in motion. I can't sleep some days not because of insomnia but because I am literally not tired.
It scares my girlfriend. I don't feel like I can trust medication because I'm afraid of being changed. I like things about me but I hate this feeling that I don't always know what's really going on and that I'm going to hurt someone or myself. Self harm and these very odd thoughts like jumping off my balcony just because (I don't feel sad or worthless it just....seems like a good idea...)
I don't know what to do...I guess I'm just posting this because I need to say it in some way. Matt isn't my real name but if you have anything to say I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

I don't know the difference between earworms and actual auditory hallucinations. I HAD earworms but it has grown - to VERY LOUD music - I have to cover my ears getting out of bed in the morning. My wife freaked out seeing me run out on the street in my pajamas at 3am looking for where the noise was coming from. Sometimes it's just screetching or machinery that I hear. I wonder if an antipsychotic would help? I am also Bipolar 2 with dysphoric hypomania.

Over 5 years - the same 4 lines repeat in my head 24/7. I'd be grateful to anyone/thing that can help stop this constant torture.
Here they are for all you Blues Traveler or Sister Hazel fans:
Hard to say what it is I see in you
Wonder if I'll always be with you
Words can't say but I can do
Enough to prove, it's all for you
(one more time - or about 6 million in my case)
Hard to say what it is I see in you
Wonder if I'll always be with you
Words can't say but I can do
Enough to prove, it's all for you

Roy, I really hate you right now.

I, too,have Musical Ear Syndrome. There is a difference between this and earworms. MES is a condition which you are all describing where you actually hear the music. This is what is difficult to control or stop. I would suggest you read any of Neil Bauman's articles on line. He has done a great deal of research on this.

Even though I take prescription medication every night and have for years earworms keep me awake for hours on end. Rarely do I ever sleep for more than an hour or two straight. I don't know what to do. I'm 64. It's been a problem for many years.

I have had a circus type theme song, only a few notes, running through my head for some years. I really notice it when I'm driving but lately all the time. I just found out that I grind my teeth and actually what I do is move them slightly in rhythm to the music. It's really incessant and bothering me. I have never had any kind of mental health issues or diagnosis. I just want it to stop. Wondering if serious meditation practices might help but can't seem to slow down enough to get into it. Thanks to a previous post I now have the 12 notes from "Smoke on the Water" running through my brain.Would like to find out how to make it stop. It didn't bother me in the past. It's definitely become worse or I'm just noticing it more. NOt sure

OMG!!! So glad to know it has a name to it.
I have Bipolar 1, and one of my triggers is repetitive noises. Everyday, I have a song, sometimes several, I can't get my brain to stop playing. And its worse when I cant stand the song. Thank you for the blog. Glad to know Im not alone.

Hello,
I have earworms quite a bit particularly they are triggered when there is a stressful experience with someone, such as someone is pressing my boundaries and I cave in then very subtly a power ballad will go round in my head, almost trying to help me cope with the situation and not to forget myself and my needs. I do have to offer some words of self compassion to myself and see what the thoughts are that are supporting the song being played in my head- such as you are not worthy or you are weird. When you isolate the thoughts and let go into the moment with compassion the song fades. If I tap into the problem again though it resurfaces pretty quickly. But the more you exercise the letting go, cognitive restructuring and compassion muscles it happens less and less.

I have earworms on a fairly regular basis, for no apparent reason Often, I'll hear a rhythmic beat or tempo in sounds around me (traffic, nature sounds, etc.) that seem to contain the beat of a certain song, and this leads to a song being stuck in my head. It is not bothersome to me, but does make me curious. Often times, I cannot wait for my mind to "change the station" in order to hear some other tune! I tell my good friend about them, when they bug me, hoping to somehow give it away to someone else!

It's a relief to see that others have this! I have an ear worm constantly and often it is songs I don't even like. When I become symptomatic I will hear a song and what sounds like a symphony AND a baseball announcer all at once. It makes for a speedy trip to crazytown. I don't know if it's appropriate to say here but the only way to shut up the noise is to smoke Maryjane. Not for everyone, I know, but it works for me.

I certainly do have earworms. As you said, some last hours, some last days. I just go with it. I would rather have this problem than some of the other problems I have with bipolar, anxiety, panic attacks and anger issues.

I have OCD along with terrible anxiety. This has created major depression and social anxiety. This earworm illness has been a problem for over ten years. Everyday from when I wake up til I sleep. Everyday, every minute, with barely a break when I'm incredibly distracted.
The stress from this affects my diet. I barely eat because of the stress.
Even when I should be totally relaxed, I'm still anxious. Difficulty sleeping, difficulty breathing (constricted nasal passages), grinding my teeth.
Tried Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Abilify, Viibryd. Nothing. I've all but given up.
There is no family history of anxiety and clinical depression.
From what I'm reading, you people have NORMAL earworm. Comes and goes, just like everyone else. Not me. Everyday. Non stop. Becoming suicidal.
If anyone is experiencing anything like this or might have suggestions, please. Save a life.

Hi, my husband was recently diagnosed with a mild case of bi-polar disorder. For years (actually, as long as I have known him) he wakes up with some random 80's song blaring in his head. It usually isn't a song he particularly likes, nor is it a song he has recently heard. Then, for the next hour or so, (or until we go to work), he sings the song at the top of his lungs. Admittedly, it gets on my nerves. And on the kids' nerves. I can't imagine what it must sound like inside his head.
He says it helps to listen to the song all the way through, so he can hear the ending of the song. Thank God for itunes.

Hi, I'm commenting for advice so no judgments please. I'm 16 and smoke meth, I've smoked it on and off for about 2 years and I can handle it well. I've tried every drug accept for heroin and acid. I excessively smoked weed for a year up until January 2014, all day every day. It's all I did, it effected me mentally a hell of a lot more than meth ever has. I don't tend to do other drugs much besides meth. Which I do on weekends and maybe once during the week. I have over dosed on party pills before in my past. I got diagnosed with major anxiety in 2013. I used to smoke meth everyday, but I quit for 2weeks and since I started back my body is so much less tolerant than it used to be. I used to be able to casually eat and sleep on it just like I wasn't high. But now I do it and it's like I first started again, I have no appetite and will lay in bed with my eyes closed for at least 5 hours before I get an hour or 2 sleep then wake up. The worst part is, while I'm laying there trying to sleep I have these continuous random songs playing in my head and it is impossible to get them out. If I manage to think about something other than the song that's playing in my head, before I know it a song will be straight back in there. It's like I'm at war with my mind. It drives me insane it's almost like I'm getting bullied by these songs no matter how hard I try and beg for them to go away they just won't. From memory I think I may of even teered up a few times cause I feel so tired and hopeless. I never knew there was any such thing as ear worms until tonight when I searched it up and found out its a known thing. But I also saw that it is linked to bipolar and OCD? I have a lot of symptoms of OCD but does anyone have any advice on if they think I could have either of these things or how to stop the songs?! Please and thank you

I've enjoyed this post and the replies... people with OCD/bipolar can be the most brilliant! I have laughed seeing myself in all of this while I softly sing Winter Wonderland relentlessly. It's been in my head and out my mouth since I made reference to the song on Facebook the other day. I am glad to know I am not alone and that there is a name for this compulsion. I know that getting upset about it doesn't help, but it is frustrating when the moment I tell myself to stop I am still singing it in my next breath. There is one fascinating thing I have noticed and it can be constructive. ASK YOURSELF WHAT THE SONG IS TRYING TO TELL YOU. LISTEN TO AND READ THE LYRICS AND YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT WHAT JUMPS OUT AT YOU. E.G. I WAS IN THE YARD WORKING ONE DAY SINGING "LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH" OVER AND OVER. I REALIZED THAT I COULDN'T BE WITH THE ONE I LOVE AND THERE WAS A MAN NEARBY WHO LOVED ME. I DENIED HIM BECAUSE I WAS IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. .. I LEARNED THAT I WOULD NEVER ACTUALLY BE WITH THE ONE I LOVED AND IT HELPED ME TO MAKE THE DECISION TO MOVE ON. FUNNY THING IS... ONE I RECEIVED THE LESSON, THE SONG LEFT MY HEAD.
Sleigh Bells ring, are you listnin' ? Thank you for this post and for listening to my story. ♥

I am so glad I am not alone! I was recently diagnosed with Bipolar disorder is January 2015. I went to a family doctor with severe anxiety and depression. He put me on an anti depressant called Citalopram and I ended up being on the crazy train! I'm finally on meds that help me. I want to live again. I hear music in my head daily! I don't always pick the song either. At times it drives me insane and sometimes I just go with it. I don't mind the Jimi Hendrix days. I hate Katy Perry days. Sometimes I hear church music that I grew up singing. I notice that it does get better when I am around other people and staying busy. When my anxiety is high I think I actually use it to comfort me. I totally understand how you guys feel! I always have a song playing when I first wake up in the morning. It can be really irritating. I am so glad I found this site!

Yes, m facing d same problem as u hv mentioned above, if fact its more annoying and depressing, I can't concentrate on nething, it actually happens wenever I try 2 focus on something, like reading something carefully, everyday I wake up, a song is already awaken inside me n sometimes d whole jukebox plays in my mind, n troubles me, kindly help if u hv ne remedies for this, thanx.

I also suffer from nearly-constant earworms (as in nearly every hour of every day), usually pop songs. They may or may not be songs I heard recently.
However, unlike many people on this discussion forum, I do not suffer from bipolar disorder or any other mental illness (I know, I am fortunate...). Just helps to confirm that this issue can strike anyone. I am a musician and songwriter though, and I believe this is a major factor in why I get earworms -- my brain is highly trained in analyzing / dissecting music. It still drives me crazy though because usually the earworms are NOT wanted.
The times when the ear worms seem to go away is when I'm heavily focused on a mental task -- my brain is too busy for earworms. Meditation may also help -- focus on your breathing and possibly a repeated mantra to help clear your mind, including getting rid of pesky earworms. Good luck and best of health to everyone.

I get that a lot. But mostly, it's just a few words. It drives me absolutely insane. The only way to make it stop, is to journal. And if I'm to busy to journal, I suffer the consequences all day. I didn't know they had a disorder for it. Thank you for enlightening me.

Oh my gosh! This happens to me all the flippin time!!! I am bipolar 2 with OCD anxiety and all the other good stuff that comes worth bipolar that make me well me. But I recently discovered that it happens to me more often as a subcontious thing like if there is music in the background of a store or something those annoying little notes sneak in and torment me!!!