Music constantly playing in my head

[mikeo1031]

For the past few weeks (while experiencing very high anxiety) I have music constantly playing in my head. It could be the last song that I heard, or thought about, or even a TV game show melody. Sometimes one from the previous week will pop back in. If I'm reading, or watching TV, or speaking with someone it's not there.
It first happened a few weeks ago. I had a few good days and it stopped, but now it's back again. My therapist said that it could be the anxiety filling in the blank spaces. I've researched this and it does happen to other people, some for their whole life. Anyone ever experience anything like this?

 

[bnjf]

For the past few weeks (while experiencing very high anxiety) I have music constantly playing in my head. It could be the last song that I heard, or thought about, or even a TV game show melody. Sometimes one from the previous week will pop back in. If I'm reading, or watching TV, or speaking with someone it's not there.
It first happened a few weeks ago. I had a few good days and it stopped, but now it's back again. My therapist said that it could be the anxiety filling in the blank spaces. I've researched this and it does happen to other people, some for their whole life. Anyone ever experience anything like this?

With anxiety comes OCD in my case and yes every single day the last song playing or a melody or whatever will stay in my head for quite some time. It's no different from the chatter that's giving you negative thoughts Etc. It's all coming from the same busy mind. Letting it be there and realizing that it's SEPERATE from you is the key to success. It's simply the computer in your head doing what it's supposed to. Thinking, imagining.. Ect Practicing mindfulness and focusing on what you're doing at the time, while not fighting is the only way to go.

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[Health anxiety suxs]

At times, but not for a while when things were quiet, I would hear what I can only describe as a radio station broadcast. I could actually make out the words sometimes. Like bnjf says, it's the computer in our brain trying to process our anxious mind.

 

[MATD]

Along with the above post I recommend singing along. You are fighting the music, trying to make it go away. The more you fight it, the longer it stays in your head. So clear your throat and start singing instead of fighting.

 

[suzzeeb]

I think that's called an ear worm. I used to have that all the time, having different songs playing in my head. My daughter has it too. I guess it could be anxiety, but I think it's pretty common even with people that don't have anxiety. It can get annoying, but it doesn't really mean anything.

 

[Bry]

YES! When I was given an ssri that gave me an adverse effect. It was awful! I always wondered why that happened. That was the only time that happened to me, but kept playing over and over. I feel for you!

 

[mikeo1031]

I'm taking Sertraline (ssri). I mentioned the music to the doctor, but he didn't do anything. When you stopped those meds did it go away?

 

[mikeo1031]

I just spoke with my doctor, and he wants to drop the dosage from 100mg to 50mg for one week, then 25mg for 2 weeks to see if the symptoms disappear. I just hope that it doesn't make the depression & anxiety worse.

 

[MATD]

When we first start taking antidepressants, the first thing that happens are side effects. It takes the body time to adjust to the medication and the side effects to dissipate. These side effects can cause a temporary worsening of symptoms and can mimic anxiety symptoms. Some folks are so terrified of the side effects that they create more anxiety by just the excess fear they create. Sometimes these meds need to be stopped because of those side effects. Your doctor should know when to stop the med, know what side effects are not acceptable and what side effects will dissipate given time. It’s a delicate balance and frustrating. Folks with anxiety are hard to treat because fear convinces us of things that are not true. We can make any trivial sensation become more ominous just by how we react to it. A song in your head is common, “normal” people experience this phenomenon as well as folks with anxiety. The problem is that we REACT to it by fighting it, being irritated by it, wondering if it is a symptom of something nefarious, etc. The reacting and fighting with it keeps the song firmly entrenched in your mind. Simply allowing it to be there without reacting in any way causes your brain to stop perceiving that it is a threat. That’s why I suggest to sing along, inviting that “threat” to be there helps the brain to recognize that the song is not a threat. Your first experience with an antidepressant will cause some added anxiety as you don’t know what to expect. Consider that a normal response. It does help to educate ourselves on anxiety and it’s symptoms. Right now, anxiety has the upper hand, but by educating ourselves on anxiety and all it’s symptoms can go a long way in helping us to stop reacting, which perpetuates the anxiety cycle. The more you know......

 

[mikeo1031]

Thank you for your response. I've been on the Sertraline for a little over a month, so any side effects should have lessened by now.
Maybe the Sertraline has nothing to do with the music. Just in a really bad place, severe anxiety all day. As soon as I get myself in a good place, something happens (usually to do with pain) and I fall right back down again. Man this is rough. Don't feel like life is worth living when you feel this way. I hope my doctor know what he's doing. Thanks again.

 

[MATD]

The worst thing about side effects is trying to differentiate between what is anxiety and what is a side effect, especially when anxiety can be attributing to side affects or vice versa. Like I said, it’s a delicate balance. When in the throes of heightened anxiety we are highly susceptible to anything that pops into our head and then our anxiety starts to fight with the thoughts, feelings, annoying songs. Picture if you will an alligator who is thrashing and rolling in the water with it’s prey. This is what is going on inside your head. Fighting, lamenting, trying to figure it all out, this doesn’t work. You can’t win if you do these things. Instead, we accept these thoughts and feelings. To do that you face them, allow them to be there and don’t react to them. Identify them as nothing more than anxiety at work. This is so simple, but it isn’t easy to do. It takes time and lots of practice, with a side lesson in learning to be patient with the process. But it can be done if we stick with it no matter what our brain tells us. The books I mentioned are very important, they can educate you and help you navigate back to feeling better. It just takes time and we must allow ourselves that time, no matter how long it takes.

 

[mikeo1031]

So then does decreasing the sertraline dosage make sense to you. Just trying to figure out if I have the right doctor to treat my anxiety.

 

[MATD]

Ideally, a psychiatrist would be the best doctor, and would be able to answer your medication concerns.

 

[mikeo1031]

Yep. that's what I thought.

 

[MATD]

GP’s deal with a lot of things, none of them specific, whereas a psychiatrist is specific. I would rather have a psychiatrist for my mental health for that reason, but to each his own.

 

[mikeo1031]

This is all new to me, but I believe that you're correct. My brother had a rough go of it 9 years ago when his wife passed away.
He worked with a psychiatrist for his depression.
He also said it's better to have a psychiatrist dealing with the meds. I do speak with a Mental Health Counselor, but they can't prescribe meds.
I'll make some calls tomorrow, but it could be a while before I can actually get an appointment.
Thanks for all of your input. Very greatly appreciated.

 

[PieFan]

Along with the above post I recommend singing along. You are fighting the music, trying to make it go away. The more you fight it, the longer it stays in your head. So clear your throat and start singing instead of fighting.

Singing exercises the vagus nerves and helps with health generally.

I'm a musician @mikeo1031 so I always have music of some sort in my mind-noise, and I notice music and sounds other people maybe don't! It's been a positive thing in my life, though I often switch off sound on the TV and often use a white noise machine when I don't want intrusive sounds. My son tells me I should get noise-cancelling headphones, he uses them to concentrate.

 

[mikeo1031]

I'm a musician also. Thanks for the response.

 

[Bry]

I'm taking Sertraline (ssri). I mentioned the music to the doctor, but he didn't do anything. When you stopped those meds did it go away?

Yes it did. Makes me think you may be experiencing the same issue?

 

[Pandanae]

For the past few weeks (while experiencing very high anxiety) I have music constantly playing in my head. It could be the last song that I heard, or thought about, or even a TV game show melody. Sometimes one from the previous week will pop back in. If I'm reading, or watching TV, or speaking with someone it's not there.
It first happened a few weeks ago. I had a few good days and it stopped, but now it's back again. My therapist said that it could be the anxiety filling in the blank spaces. I've researched this and it does happen to other people, some for their whole life. Anyone ever experience anything like this?

I've had something similar. When I'm very highly anxious I can sometimes hear or make out melodies from other noises like the fan if it's on. I think when we struggle with anxiety for a long period of time and don't have an outside source for that anxiety then I think the brain tries to make sense of it...the brain knows you are having thoughts and are feeling scared and worried, but it can't understand why...so it does things to try to put the puzzle together. Anxiety is weird.