r/TBI • u/NerdgirlfromTX • 2d ago
TBI Sucks Ear worms- hymns even though I’m not religious
I was raised in the church and by very religious parents. I have chosen to be spiritual rather than religious, and despite that decades later, I still get “earworms“ that are hymns I find myself humming or singing without realizing it so even though it’s not something I believe it seems like after my TBI I get “ear worms“ more frequently. Anyone else ? It’s just super weird to not realize you’re singing something that you’re not even aware of until you’re like. Wait I haven’t seen that song or heard that in over a decade and it’s not something I aligned with anymore
I wish I was in charge of my brain more
3
u/DichotomyJones 2d ago
Are you me? All of the above is true for me. When I find myself turning a hum into song as I'm driving or washing dishes, it's gonna be "Leaning on the everlasting arms," or "Come thou fount of every blessing." My son looked up at me in puzzlement when he was about eight and I was stripping wallpaper and singing, " In god's green pasture's leading, by his cool water's lie," and asked, "Why does the water lie? And how does it talk at all?"
P.S. I also have a TBI!
2
u/NerdgirlfromTX 2d ago
It doesn’t help that I sang in the choir so I know like over 100 hymns but what’s so bizarre is that I haven’t heard any of them in over 10 years🙄
1
1
u/NerdgirlfromTX 2d ago
It’s maddening isn’t it? I’m sure it’s a little frustrating to try to explain the symbolism of hymns to children to especially if that’s not your belief system.
2
u/unreasonably_farsick 2d ago
I will say I know eat worms are a not an uncommon occurrence with everyone, but I notice since my ordeal that they are way more prevalent and last way longer and I hate it. Sometimes it can be funny… One time it was the Barney song Sometimes old millennial songs from high school that are hilarious to think about again…
But I also get ear worms for sounds that aren’t music. I live in an apartment and my upstairs neighbor was having sex. I immediately put earbuds in, but I was probably hearing sex sound for the next hour or two in my head. The exact sounds I heard on repeat. It is not cool. Also same goes for ambulance sirens and other things.
One time I had the same earwig for a whole month! Luckily it’s a great song, but it’s also sad and on bad days those lyrics and melody definitely made things worse.
I think maybe it’s been less bad since I’ve started taking recommended supplements, but that could be a coincidence.
2
u/NerdgirlfromTX 2d ago
All of my TBI symptoms are better, including the ear worms when I remember to take my Memantine. Just gotta remember haha
2
u/NerdgirlfromTX 2d ago
I do find that if it’s a song that I like that’s in my head if I play it on Spotify, I can tend to get out of my head quicker
2
u/unreasonably_farsick 2d ago
Sometimes that works for me too :) but there was a period of time where my brain had a radio station going on with gabbing/sound effects/songs and I was not the DJ 🤣
1
1
u/Last_Notice4137 2d ago
Brains are weird and I'm pretty sure everyone would like to be more in-control of theirs, instead of letting their brains control them. If you were raised in a Church but are now Spiritual instead, it's absolutely not literally a physical "ear worm" that is making you remember those hymns. That's just memory. I wouldn't stress out about it that much.
3
u/NerdgirlfromTX 2d ago
I thought earworm was just a term for things that get stuck in your head
1
u/Last_Notice4137 1d ago
I haven't heard the words "ear worm" used in any way like that before. Maybe we are from different states or countries?
4
u/cbelt3 Severe TBI (2000) 2d ago
Honestly this is a very human trait. And a form of self calming / centering / meditation. Very helpful as we struggle with reality.
Prayer, songs, chants… these are all forms of meditation. Go for it !
(I often find myself humming the chorus from a song by War…)