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What's a normal amount of earworms to have?

11 replies

someladdersandsnakes · 25/08/2023 10:38

I just came across this article Broken Record Syndrome: my life with chronic earworm | Music | The Guardian
Thing is I also have an earworm every minute of every day and I assumed everyone did. I can fall asleep with We Don't Talk About Bruno going around and around and it's still there in the morning like it never stopped. There's never a moment of my life when I don't have an earworm of something or another. But it doesn't distress me like the guy in the article and it doesn't feel like psychosis or anything like that, it's just a bit annoying.
How often do you get earworms?

Broken Record Syndrome: my life with chronic earworm

Think your earworm is bad? Imagine hearing All Rise 24 hours a day on a neverending loop. John Laughton on living with a musical psychosis

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/may/06/broken-record-syndrome-my-life-with-chronic-earworm

OP posts:
PetitPorpoise · 25/08/2023 10:41

Like you OP, I don't think I'm ever not singing a song in my head really. At the moment, mine is Bella Notte from Lady and The Tramp.

KomodoDodo · 25/08/2023 10:41

24/7 here for me too op. Sometimes its something I've heard on the radio, sometimes a random song I haven't heard for years, but its constant.

Sirzy · 25/08/2023 10:42

I always seem to have something playing in the background, only time it bothers me is when it’s the same annoying few lines over and over.

i do know someone who says he has two songs playing in his head at once which I don’t get

SirenSays · 25/08/2023 10:45

I don't get them often and I never get full songs, only a few lines on repeat! Thankfully playing the song kills the earworm for me.

Purpleplace · 25/08/2023 10:45

I have it constantly too, sometimes I wake up in the night briefly and it’s still going. People with ADHD are more prone to it apparently.

Ostryga · 25/08/2023 10:48

I have had that and she’s a cunt … ry music fan titktok thing stuck in my head for WEEKS. It’s driving me insane. And yes I do have adhd 😂

Trickedbyadoughnut · 25/08/2023 10:48

Yes, as said by PP, I have one constantly (at least one, sometimes it's like a mash up) and believe it's my ADHD. But it's always been like that so I don't get too upset about it.

off · 25/08/2023 10:51

I think it's odd he's describing it as "psychosis" and describes it as bordering on musical hallucinations. Like he's trying to make it sound more serious and important by borrowing medical jargon. It doesn't need to be described in those terms to be taken seriously, if it bothers you.

I'm a lot like you — unless I'm listening to actual music, yes, there's always some music or other, or a fraction of it, repeating in my head. Sometimes it's annoying and I have tricks to change the soundtrack. I think it's a variety of normal.

But I've also had a very intense version of it during periods of hypomania, where I can only describe it as mentally loud, insistent, and almost unbearable. I got to the point where I was crying and hitting my head against the pillow because "I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh, I'm walking on sunshine, whoa-oh" just would not come to a resolution or reduce in volume. At other times, I could have two or more pieces of music playing in my head simultaneously. But I was mad at the time, and even then I wouldn't describe my headmusic as psychosis.

As a separate thing, I've also had musical hallucinations (also not psychosis) and they're very different. You hear the music outside your head, with no indication that it's not happening in the outside world and being heard via your ears.

mintich · 25/08/2023 10:52

I do but I have ADHD so I sometimes have a couple of songs going at the same time! Right now it's H Two O " what's it gonna be" and The Supremes " I'm gonna make ypu live me" Quite a mix! 😂

orangegato · 25/08/2023 10:58

I’d never made the link between this and ADHD before. Fuck me I learn a lot about myself on this site.

BestIsWest · 25/08/2023 11:08

Always have something going on. At the moment it’s Rockin’ Robin - the tweety bits. I once had Meatloaf’s I would do anything for love for three months!

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