Comments on: BBC Future column: earworms

By: Big Al60

Big Al60 — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:14:36 +0000

Well if it’s any consolation – and I don’t think it will be – I’ve been suffering with this particular problem for about 43 years (I’m now 63!).
I’ve been to Hell and back more times than I can count, and I’ve tried everything I can think of over the course of these years. Medication is very hit and miss and pretty much comes down to taking anti-depressants; personally I would advise against this. In my experience the unpleasant side effects invariably outweigh the small benefits from taking these very potent drugs (Prozac, Citalopram, etc).
I tried hypnotherapy about 20 years ago with very limited success but I’ve decided to try this again in the hopes that things have moved on over the years.
There really is no known cure for this odd condition of the mind and, of course, what works for some will not work for others.
I wouldn’t bother with pyschotherapy of any sort as the treatment often comes down to telling you to get a grip on yourself – which isn’t really useful…
I wish you all well

By: John A

John A — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:06:12 +0000

Earworms are driving me absolutely insane, I’m about to check myself into the pshyc ward! Is there a medication for this? anyone?

By: John A

John A — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:02:55 +0000

It’s the opposite for me, I have uncontrollable earworms since I had a stroke a few months ago. It’s driving me absolutely nuts. Even during serious moments, like hearing about my uncle dyeing,I still have music playing in my head! I’m hoping there is a medication that will work for me. Pray for me please…..

By: tomstafford

tomstafford — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:49:04 +0000

Reader GM from Canada writes:

Randy Bachman, of Guess Who fame, has a weekly radio program on the CBC called Vinyl Tap. He did a show on earworms in 2010. It’s been a long-lasting theme, with people still sending in suggestions, years later.
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Radio/1447825254/ID=1628285205

By: Dub1.ru

Dub1.ru — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:28:03 +0000

I’ve found such cure: shorten the stucked sentence. Shorten and repeat till one word left. Something inside will loose any interest to annoy further more.

By: Joss

Joss — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:12:00 +0000

The oddest ones are when you wake up with something you haven’t heard for decades going round and round.

I had a nursery rhyme about a ‘little nut tree’ the other day – good job I’m not in psychoanalysis…

Seriously though – those really old songs and nursery rhymes that resurface for the first time in years or decades – really odd.

By: ubi dubium

ubi dubium — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:58:26 +0000

One of the songs I’ve heard on “unhearit” was the Andy Griffith Show theme song played at the same time as Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies”. They went together amazingly well, and that’s been a good one to drive out other earworms. Of course, now that one’s running through my head! AARRRRGH!

By: DRK

DRK — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:53:29 +0000

I deal with earworms by trying to simultaneously remember Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”. Running both in my mind at once usually knocks out the earworm after a try or two. Although there was this one Stevie Nicks song….no, no don’t think of it….arrgh!

By: A.currell

A.currell — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:59:16 +0000

I find my earworms are usually songs that I don’t know part of the lyrics to; I get stuck on the verse right before the ‘blahblahblah’ part and it knocks me right back to the beginning, over and over. Looking up the lyrics helps-sometimes.

By: ubi dubium

ubi dubium — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:34:53 +0000

There’s a website called “unhearit.com” that gets rid of earworms by replacing them with other equally-catchy songs. Works pretty well, even if it does give you a brand-new earworm.

“It’s a Small World” is definitely the worst earworm of all time, followed closely by the theme to Disney’s Electrical Parade.