When was the last time you had a catchy song get stuck in your head? Maybe you heard it once on someone’s Instagram story, during a trip to the grocery store, or on a TV commercial, and now, for some reason, the song seems to be playing on a non-stop loop in your head.
Stuck song syndrome, also known as having an earworm, is something everyone experiences from time to time—although it can be pretty annoying. Earworms are typically not a cause for concern, but in some cases, they may be a sign of an underlying mental health condition like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
What is stuck song syndrome?
Stuck song syndrome, earworms, or brain worms—whichever you prefer—is a phenomenon that occurs when you have a song stuck in your head that’s on repeat, notes Tracie Zinman-Ibrahim, MA, LMFT, CST, Chief Compliance Officer at NOCD. “It could be a whole song or parts of a song that doesn’t go away. Or it does disappear, but not for long.”
Having an earworm is very common, with about 98% of people who live in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand dealing with an endless loop of certain songs.
Any tune you hear could become an earworm, but research shows that popular songs have a higher chance of becoming stuck in your head. A 2016 study revealed that people were more likely to get the following pop songs stuck in their heads:
- “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga
- “Alejandro” by Lady Gaga
- “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga
- “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue
- “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey
- “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
- “California Gurls” by Katy Perry
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
What causes it?
Earworms are also known as involuntary musical imagery (INMI), which describes an experience where music, such as a melody, lyrics, or rhythm, spontaneously pops into your head without an intentional effort and plays on repeat.
The most common trigger for a pesky earworm is typically just hearing a catchy song, but there are a few other reasons, too. According to a 2013 study, your personality, being in a good mood, and your musical preferences could cause stuck song syndrome.
INMI or stuck song syndrome may also occur due to certain mental health conditions. “It can happen with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and disorders where people have auditory hallucinations, such as an intrusive song,” says Zinman-Ibrahim.
Could my earworms be a sign of OCD?
As a quick reminder, having a song (or songs) on repeat in your head is completely normal and happens to most of us. However, while some people can accept and neutralize earworms, others can find them quite distressing.
An earworm can become a mental health concern if you’re “overly focused on it and the fact that it won’t go away or it’s interrupting your ability to do your job or schoolwork,” says Zinman-Ibrahim.
If stuck song syndrome causes distress, it could be a sign of musical obsession—a symptom of OCD. People with OCD can experience obsessions, which are intrusive thoughts, images, urges, and feelings that cause fear and anxiety. To cope with obsessions, some people may perform physical or mental actions known as compulsions. It’s common for people to get stuck in an OCD cycle of obsessions and compulsions if the condition is left unmanaged.
So, what is the connection between music and OCD? According to Zinman-Ibrahim, people with OCD can experience intrusive sounds—such as songs—that play on repeat in their heads. “You may hear a voice, songs, or other sounds you don’t want to hear, and you become overly focused on the fact that you’re hearing it,” she explains.
She adds that OCD can make you question if you’ve been listening to a song for too long, or getting so anxious that you fear you’re going crazy. “The more you focus on it, the worse it’s going to get because these are compulsions, and compulsions make OCD worse,” she says. This is an example of a compulsion known as rumination, which involves constant and repetitive attempts to solve the problem you’re having—such as an earworm.
Aside from mental rumination, Zinman-Ibrahim says there are other compulsions that people may do to get rid of earworms, including:
- Asking for reassurance from others or Googling things like “Why am I hearing songs on repeat?” or “Is hearing songs on repeat a sign of psychosis?”
- Playing another song on a loud volume to “replace” the earworm.
- Avoiding listening to that specific song or any type of music.
- Doing thought suppression to stop thinking about the song.
How to get rid of stuck song syndrome
If you think you’re experiencing stuck song syndrome, Zinman-Ibrahim recommends visiting a medical professional to get everything checked out, as there could be something more than just an annoying earworm.
She suggests visiting your healthcare provider to get your hearing evaluated. If they believe there’s an underlying mental health condition that’s the cause of the earworms, they can refer you to a psychiatrist for diagnosis and treatment. By seeking help, you can lower your anxiety around the “what ifs” and prepare to start treatment that can address your symptoms.
Getting therapy for musical obsessions
If OCD is the possible cause, getting exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is your best bet for stuck song syndrome. ERP involves exposure to what’s triggering your obsessions. Through response prevention techniques, you learn ways to avoid responding to your obsessions. ERP is supported by decades of research to be the most effective treatment for addressing OCD musical obsessions.
So, what does ERP look like for stuck song syndrome OCD? According to Zinman-Ibrahim, an ERP session might involve exposures where you purposefully listen to the intrusive song and learn to accept it. “You don’t like intrusive songs, but you learn how to allow them to exist and go on with your life without making them the focus of what you’re dealing with,” says Zinman-Ibrahim.
Earworms are a common nuisance most people face, but they can become distressing when associated with mental health conditions like OCD. If you have (or think you have) OCD and are experiencing musical obsessions, know that there’s help available. Consider working with a licensed therapist specializing in ERP to help you overcome your obsessions and compulsions.
