A quick question about a possible symptom of depression?

[tobytronicstereophonic]

I have had long bouts of depression since 1986. I noticed that when I was/am at my worst, I realised that I didn't have a 'song' in my head when I first woke up. It took a long time to realise this, but for myself, it is a profound indication of just where my mind is at
So, a serious question, do other people with major depressive disorders find the same?
I've written to a few medical research institutes over the last few years. I did get one reply from a university in Canada, expressing some interest in this. Thank you for reading.

I'm probably depressed at the moment and since the queen's funeral I've woken up every morning with the funeral marches on a loop in my head. I figured this is just a reflection of my state of mind.

I have been in a good place for a while, well medicated etc. The last couple of weeks I have been really positive, and I have also woken up with an earworm. Didn't even register until I read this post.

I do find my mind quietens down when im at my worst. It empties itself. It makes sense if you think about it. One sign of depression is not bothering or caring about anything so why would your mind subconsciously think about songs?

Thank you for your reply.
That's my point, if it is a widespread symptom of the depressed mind, it might be a useful diagnostic tool?
Or the prescence/abscence of the songs could be a simple pointer to your current state of mind.

Btw, the songs returned after I was prescribed Amitriptylene following an (unsuccessful) operation to replace two lower discs. After a few months on them, the songs returned.

If the morning songs are missing for more than a couple of days, I try to get out of the house and go for a walk. Feeding my stray cats always helps my depression too.

As an aside (long story alert): A few days after the operation, was the outpatient physiotherapy. Standing there in just my underwear, the physio' examined my lower back. Without speaking he looked up & down my back, sighed quietly, and then more silence.
I was getting a little worried. Just what had he found?
Finally in a forboding voice: "There are no scars here. No stitches. I can't seem to see any signs that you've had an operation."
The tone of his voice was now stern, accusatory: "I'm sorry, but you most DEFINITELY have NOT had a spinal oper..."

I interrupted: "That's because nowadays they go in from the FRONT" as I turned to face him I pointed to the eight-inch scar complete with 24 staples holding my middle-aged tummy together.

I still wonder about just what went through his head that day?
Maybe he thought that I was a clever hypochondriac or perhaps a psychomaniac who tricks his way into hospitals just to get free treatment for non-existent surgery? :-)

Sorry to jump in as have no direct experience of depression: but I never wake up with a song in my head! Do most people??

Hope things get better OP 🦋

I always have a song in my head when I wake up . When I'm depressed it is replaced by buzzing and whistling as if I have pressure in my head and ears .
It's become the symptom I keep an eye out for .

I am glad you're in a good place. Depression is such a nasty disease.
I would be grateful if you able to share any more experiences you have on this topic.
Before the pandemic came and messed us all up, I had just about enough of being depressed.
I began planning a self-help project whereby a group of us - anyone's welcome - will recondition Peugeot 107s to nearly new by using freely availably nearly new components from accident damaged ones. Hopefully it will be self-funding. I already have been given four tired out cars for free. I am presently resurrecting the project. Anybody interested in doing a similar thing, I am happy to advise.
Take care x

Hello, whilst not scientific, I have asked a quite lot of people if they do. Up to now, everyone has said they do have a song in their head within a few moments of being awake. I bet lots will now reply that they don't :-)
Thank you for your reply.

Wow that hospital experience is appalling!! I always knew doctors dismissed women more often than men but to show such absolute contempt after what you’ve been through is disgusting. Hope he felt a right prick after you corrected him!

I will listen out for the songs - I think I usually have conversations or texts on my brain when I wake up (if it’s not something work related) Wish it was music more often!

I'm unsure of what replaces the song. I think it's a sad silence. Thank you for your message.

I find things are quiet when I'm depressed. Logically that can't be true, same noises I have every day, cars/traffic, kids, the dog, banging up and down the stairs etc. But it feels so much more silent for me.

I find this topic very interesting. I too have had a fairly long period of depression lately. Finally feeling a bit better and the songs have returned even when I'm up through the night to the toilet! I put it down to listening to music again. When I'm really down I can't listen to music, I find it too emotive so can't have the radio on unless it's a talk station. Interesting discussion OP.

Have to say that I haven't noticed this myself, though it's entirely possible that my headmusic is absent when I'm depressed and I just haven't been paying attention.

However, something I have noticed, and which I've discussed with other people with bipolar disorder some of whom also experience this, is that when I'm hypomanic my headmusic is far more insistent, incessant, "louder" (I don't literally hear it, but it's more prominent in my mind and impossible to ignore), faster, more obsessive, on a shorter loop, and is sometimes more than one song at once. It drives me absolutely nuts.

So from my own experience I think headmusic can definitely be linked with mood. I got blank faces when mentioning to my doctors that for me this is a warning sign of a mood switch, though. I think maybe mood-related headmusic changes might be one of those things people don't think to mention to their doctors and doctors don't think to ask about.

Yes this happens to me. When they had me misdiagnosed as bipolar and on mood stabilizers the songs went, and when I came off them the songs came back louder than ever. When I was drowning in PND and they put me on antidepressants, the songs came back.
I've been trying to work out if I've been caught out again this week and you've just made me realise I definitely have and need to get to a doctor asap. No songs.
Thank you.

SteveHarringtonsChestHair, I haven't thought about it really since when it happened, 2007.
Now that I have, I have just recalled the rest of THAT appointment. I must've blocked out. It went - briefly as i need to kill my habit of long posts - "Part of this treatment involve group therapy in the swimming pool. How do you feel about this?"

I truthfully told him that I'd had a few episodes of double incontinence since the op, so I'd need to wait a while until I was certain I was okay to go into the pool.

What followed was quite incredible. He started to explain the logistics of running a theraputic swimming pool. At great length...
The cost/extra cost of they needed to empty the water and clean the pool if i were to have an 'accident'/how upsetting it would be for the other patients if I should poop or wee in his pool/on & on & on he went. Many folk would have found his 'bedside manner' so embarrasing.
I'd already said I wasn't ready for HIS bloody pool. But he wouldn't stop!

It's quite strange what your mind can forget or block out. I really should have complained, because he indeed was a prick.
Thanks for your reply. I've just done Another Long Post!
Sorry, off to bed. Sore kidney :-)
I had a urethral stent fitted 1st June, only supposed to be in for three months max.
A sincere thank you for the replies so far.
I will return tomorrow with a new-found skill: BREVITY :-)

PeekabooAtTheZoo I hope your GP appointment goes well. I've started to type out what i want to get across to my doc. It seems to be appreciated and more time-efficient. Thank you for sharing that x

What a twat.

That's interesting, I don't wake up with a song in my head, I didn't know people did. For me I'm usually thinking about what I was just dreaming about still.
When I had very bad depression though I would wake up with the worst feeling of dread, like something really awful was going to happen. 😟

FurryDandelionSeekingMissile 'Headmusic' is a far more fitting term than 'Earworm'. I never imagined that anyone would reply to this post. I need to trawl my computer to find the Canadian university that bothered to reply and send them a link to all of your replies.
Off to feed the hedgehogs. There's a baby one that has to get her weight up before it gets too cold x

Yep, a total twit :-)

Ahem. Baby hedgehog you say? And no photo??

I don’t get songs in my head when I wake up but it sounds rather lovely. Mostly I wake and think “What time is it! What day is it!” And a mental to do list starts forming.

They aren't as brave as they used to be. I only need to appear in the kichen and they're off!
I'll try tomorrow night. Years ago, I went out to sort someone who'd misfuelled their car. There was a fairly young hedgehog nearby that was breathing really quickly and seemed ill. I knocked on a nearby door and asked if I could put H/H into his back garden. Which he was fine with. I tortured myself for years wishing I'd done more. Then I found out that when the current spikey (I have a sticky 'S' key, but noticed the omission before I pressed 'Post') visitors are here in any number, the smallest ones all do the hyper-ventillation thing and it's completely normal. Idiot.

Ouch, that would've been an unpleasant typo. Good catch.

Best of luck with the spikeys of all sizes! A few years ago DP found a small-to-medium-sized one sitting on my parents' lawn in the middle of the day, which didn't seem right. Cold when he picked it up, too. He warmed it up and we put out in a spare guinea pig cage, and luckily we were able to find the number for the local Hedgehog Woman (there's always one) who seemed optimistic it at least had a chance. She had an impressive setup with all the routine meds and food and recuperation areas — I think both DP and my dad independently slipped her a few quid while leaving 😅 I hope hedgie recovered.