“If we have had the experience of a certain song making us feel a certain way, we can almost be sure that listening to it again will generate those same feelings.” Your brain therefore might have formed a connection to a song without you even realising, which is why you can't resist playing it over and over again.
"Sometimes if you're in a sad mood, a minor song just speaks to you, and if you're in an upbeat mood, a major mode with a catchy beat just makes you feel even more up," Dr. Honig says. Whatever the reason, it's totally normal to get fixated on a song and play it out over and over again until you're tired of it.
Do people with ADHD listen to songs on a loop? Not necessarily. Listening to songs on repeat is more about personal preference and less about neurotype.
Earworms or musical obsessions (also known as stuck song syndrome [SSS]) are common in the general population, but can be more pronounced and debilitating in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
This is called “Reflective Listening”. The psychology behind why some songs never get old for you is that the human brain is very associative by nature, which is why the music may remind it of a happy time that it wants to relive.
Individuals with ADHD are easily distracted by external noise; research shows that repetitive music and sounds have been found to block other random noises and lead to better attention on tasks.
Since our brains are faster at processing the sounds during re-listens, we are 'tricked' into thinking the ease of recognition is a positive thing. Familiarity also increases our emotional engagement with the music.
OCD obsessions are repeated, persistent and unwanted thoughts, urges or images that are intrusive and cause distress or anxiety. You might try to ignore them or get rid of them by performing a compulsive behavior or ritual. These obsessions typically intrude when you're trying to think of or do other things.
“Ear worms” are common symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of chronic stress. Reducing anxious behavior and stress can cause the cessation of “ear worms.” However, some researchers suggest chewing gum.
Once they start, these music memories can repeat uncontrollably—for hours, days, even weeks at a time. Research indicates that nine out of ten people have experienced earworms that have lasted for an hour or longer. A few unfortunate folks even report having a song stuck in their heads for a year or more.
Some research suggests that people with ADHD are especially sensitive to sounds. This sensitivity, combined with impulsivity, may lead to echolalia. Difficulty processing language and following conversations could also lead individuals with ADHD to repeat phrases they hear.
It's a real thing, called misophonia — the dislike or even hatred of small, routine sounds, such as someone chewing, slurping, yawning, or breathing. It's often an ADHD comorbidity. Similar to ADHD itself, misophonia is not something we can just get over if only we tried harder.
Many people with ADHD gravitate to instrumental music because it generally has a very structured rhythm that helps people focus. 3 In addition, instrumental music is more common because it doesn't have words that can be distracting.
Earworms can occur due to the brain's attempt to fill a gap in the auditory cortex, which is located in the temporal lobe. When you hear a song over and over, the brain transmits that sound information to the “phonological loop,” a short-term memory system in the auditory cortex.
If something runs in a loop, or is on a loop, it runs continuously, so that the same things are repeated again and again: The tape ran in a continuous loop, repeating the same songs over and over. See more. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Operating computers.
Earworms are most often harmless. “They're part of a healthy brain,” said Silbersweig. But in rare cases, they indicate certain medical conditions. People with OCD, for example, have been shown to have earworms during times of stress.
“The presence of the earworm tells you that you are becoming more depressed and stressed,” says clinical psychologist Joseph M. Carver, PhD. “As many individuals move deeper into a depression, they encounter such symptoms as obsessive thoughts, preoccupations, and … earworms.
Corn earworm moths are attracted to green silks of any corn for egglaying. The delay of silking in grain corn and in some cases the absence of grain corn locally has likely increased pressure on what corn is silking, including sweet corn. The biology of this pest makes management a challenge.
ADHD and OCD are two mental health conditions that may appear to share some symptoms. However, ADHD is externalizing in nature, affecting how individuals relate to their environment. By contrast, OCD is internalizing in nature, meaning individuals respond to anxiety by turning inward.
Mild OCD can look like regular OCD but to a lesser intensity, such as: Washing your hands after certain food prep. Counting the number of times you may step/walk in the home. Some hoarding behaviors such as keeping specific types of items.
People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Usually, the music in the brain vanishes after an hour of two, but it's not uncommon that a song remains with the listener for up to a whole week. More than a few people have even sought medical help for long-term earworms from doctors and scientists.
Frequent exposure to sound over 70 decibels (dB) can cause hearing problems and hearing loss over time. The louder the sound, the quicker it can cause damage.
Music makes the brain feel good
The nucleus accumbens produces the feel-good chemical dopamine. This neurotransmitter comes from the ventral striatum — the region responsible for decision making. It also holds the key to hedonistic behaviors by controlling a person's addictive urges.
Music genres like classical, 8D, or binaural beats are options to consider, as research suggests they might help manage these types of ADHD symptoms.