Thought loops? | ADHD Information

Fruit loops are my favorite breakfast treat also

totally. i find music soo therapeutic. i love singing, and try to everyday. sometimes i'm too stressed to sing tho. but it feels good to push air around, and sing quietly at work. i feel like a vantriliquist sometimes. but its all for the best. and mostly its a great release. i used to loop my songs a lot, sometimes it was more of an anxiety loop. A tendency for ADDer's to repeat a thought over and over again. Sometimes i do it so unknowingly. As an aside, recently i was introduced to walking meditation as a form of relaxation, and mindful awareness of movement and breath. I've found it natural to sing while i move my feet, so i do sort of a slow buddha waltz and sing gibberish to myself all day.

"....STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER........"

whatever you do, DON'T SING THIS SONG OVER AND OVER IN YOUR HEAD!

I don't know what else to call them. Is it an ADD thing when you hear a certain song or just one verse of a song over and over and over all day long or a funny phrase someone said or you read and it just plays over and over in your head for way too long?

Does anyone else know what I mean? It's one of those things that if you admit it out loud or just go with it and sing it all day or talk about how funny this or that saying was ......and nobody else around you can understand how you can keep talking about whatever it is..........it just is one of those things that makes you feel like a perpetual 12 yr old?

Is that an ADD thing because it sure sounds like it to me and I wonder if I've finally found a group of fellow goofballs that know exactly what I'm talking about.

Lee7439120.4083101852

I know a lot of people say they get this but I think there might be something to ADD that makes it different. I wish I could explain it but maybe it's just that it happens a LOT and I don't see other non ADDers being like that. It's like our brains just are on spin cycle ALL THE TIME. Oy. lol

yes it sounds familar to me, i hear a song and keep singing it all day , it just won't go away. then my kids are singing it and blame me.

i can have a thought i n my head it will be there for days, weeks, until somthing else takes it's place,then the cycle starts again.

funny old world.

[QUOTE=Parduse]

And how come when I forget the answer to a trivia question, I never forget that I used to know the answer?

[/QUOTE]

LMAO........yup, I'm like that too. It's a little on the obsessive side, I think.

do you tell everyone you used to know the answer......just to make sure they know that you normally would get that one right? lol

Wake me up before you go go. That's sad. Mine just are like a repetitive loop and yes, it can often be something unbelievably annoying or just a snippet. Sometimes I want to slap my head and tell myself........."can you at least run thru the entire song????"

Yea, I catch myself saying "Well I used to know the answer to that." I guess subconciously I am saying that I am forgetfull not stupid.

Another thing I do that I don't know whether is ADHD or not is I can spot Irony everywhere. Like searching for the wifes car keys so she can go get tested for ADHD. Or listening to someone talk about their co-workers abusing perscription drugs while they are smoking and drinking a 20oz Mountain Dew.

Yes, I'm like this with songs. Always have one on a loop in my head, even at bedtime. I thought I was the only one![QUOTE=Parduse]

Yea, I catch myself saying "Well I used to know the answer to that." I guess subconciously I am saying that I am forgetfull not stupid.

[/QUOTE]

That sort of is along the lines of what I've been talking about and esp the trivia question thing. I would be obsessed (keeping it to myself how important this nerdy compulsion was of course) with the thought that I need to make sure people know that I KNEW THAT but I just forgot. I usually don't forget though. I call that the Rainman syndrome because it's always about something useless like the fact that the basically unheard of George Lazenby was one of the Bonds nobody can remember. You know.........real crucial data in my brain. lol

If you ever watched Cheers it could also be known as Cliff Clavin syndrome. lol

I think it's not Irony so much as being weirdly observational and finding the little details in others and life incredibly humorous. People either find that very funny about me (in a "you should be a comedian" way) or extremely weird as in "are you high" (no, I am not but thanks for asking) kind of way. I totally get what you're saying.

Lee7439120.5875231481

[QUOTE=booboo710]Yes, I'm like this with songs. Always have one on a loop in my head, even at bedtime. I thought I was the only one![/QUOTE]

Oh hell no, you're not the only one. I mean it distracts me from far more intelligent tasks that I should be focusing on.

No, your just crazy.

Why is it that the songs that stay in our head are always songs we don't even like? For a long time I had some song from WHAM in my head. It was somthing like "wake me up" or something. I felt like trading in my manhood for a dress.

And how come when I forget the answer to a trivia question, I never forget that I used to know the answer?

I have a similar thing. What is horrible is when I have the loop in my head and I am sick or something. I used to have migranes and I would get a song stuck in my head but it would only be one little blurb of the song. It would play over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. I would never be able to finish the song or even the verse I was on. It sometimes feels like an OCD kind of thing.

Another thing I do, when I get a particular song in my head, depending on if I really lke the song, I will listen to it all day long. I'll get the song on my computer and put my headphones on and put the song on repeat and listen to it all day. I've told my wife this and she can't believe that I do this. I told her I might as well listen to the actual song since it's going to be in my head wether I actually hear the song or not.

I've never done that all day long but yep, I can relate to that.

You can only do that alone or look insane. And it's NOT like you're sad and want to play the same song over again. People do that when they are in a funk over something. I think we're talking about liking one so much you can listen to it over and over 400 times in a row. Not sure if I'd do what you're saying if it's just a song I can't get out of my head.....one that I don't even really like. That's when it really bugs me. It's usually not a criteria that I love a song to get that mental loop thing going. I just have to hear or just think about it and bingo......can't get rid of it.

Ok, so I just joined this site today and I think I have been reading it for about 9 hours o and off. It's just so crazy to me that other people go through the same thing I do. I mean even down to the things that I didn't know had anything to do with my ADHD like the song thing. Yup, even when I try to fall asleep and I am thinking about my day or whatever, next thing I know, THERE IS THE SONG! I'm just curious what it is in my brain that chooses particuar songs. I listen to the radio quite often and it seems most of the time the song stuck in my head wasn't even a song I heard that day! I could be stuck on the same songs for DAYS!

Another thing I do is count when I walk or sing a song. When I was in boot camp we sang cadence to keep everyone in step while marching. Before we started to sing actual songs in the cadence (It really stucks when cadence songs are stuck in my head!!) we had to march to the standard 1,2..1,2..3and 4. Left foot was odd numbers and right foot was even. Now, when I am walking, I constantly say that in my head and make sure (I do't like stop and e-do it if I get out of step or anything, I just start over). Most of the time I tap my foot when I am singing a song in my head..if there are numbers in the song..guess what happens..Yup, gotta tap left foot on odd right foot on even. When I am not moving my foot, I'm tapping my fingers the same way..Even if I am laying down I just sort of move my toes on the correct foot. I ALWAYS thought this was a form of OCD. Ididn't tell my doc about it though, I didn't want him to think I was just out right nuts instead of just having ADHD.

I know not one person who belongs to this site but for some reason I just told ALL of you something I have NEVER EVER revealed to anyone. I don't think I could ever explain how awesome it is that this site exists!!

Have a great Monday everyone!!

I feel the same way about finding this board. However, just for the record, I don't know that the song thing or the "thought loop" scenario is an ADD thing. I just sounds like it and I wanted to bounce it off of everyone else. I know most people think I'm a jack ass when I get like this so, to me, it probably is, because the majority don't seem to get the humor in it or why I can't let it go. It's not simply a case of me being the only one to verbalize it either. It always occurs to me that I AM the only one who gets it because nobody else around me knows what it feels like and isn't ADD. At least that's what it feels like. Usually when you hear something odd someone else does and you do it too, you can't help but say 'oh yeah, me too." Well, it doesn't happen much......does it?

I usually just get the "look" that says "yeah, whatever" So, maybe it is an ADD type of trait or quirk. I also don't think it's just getting a song stuck in your head. I think it's how it plays out or how we get to it. Like I said, it stays there forever, every minute or every other minute til it runs itself out or something can replace it. And it's sometimes like a song is on skip, playing just one line over and over and over. It's just a pain in the ass and makes me seem unbelievably immature. Maybe I am but labels like "goofball" "immature" and whatever people come up with just seem harsh. Esp when it seems to run together with many other traits and so many on these boards relate to the same types of things.

I've also noticed that among ADDers, even if we don't relate to that particular quirk, there is still something about it in general that all of us can relate to. I thought that was odd but I really have noticed that. We seem to get it all even if all of it doesn't specifically apply to us. It's more like the bigger picture is the same and only we get it even if the slightly different details aren't always identical to our own.

Lee7439145.8431944444

Your right about the whole "whatever" look. The funny thing is, when something gets stuck in my head, I HAVE to talk to someone about it!

I am getting the feeling that most of the ADHD quirks that we all have in common are related in some way or another to hyperconcentrating. I think that's the word for it. It's like our brains get stuck on something and won't veer very far from it..like a cd that keeps skipping. I'm not sure that made any sense..I hope this is where the part about us ADHD-ers just "get it"

I have such a bad habit of wanting to get something done but wanting it to be done in an organized way and just right so I plan..and make lists and get ready for it...then I don't ever do it. I mean I even make detailed lists to clean my house. Down to which counter to wipe down when. It's all sectioned off by room..and sometimes even how long each thing should take. Then my burst of motivation flys out the window and I still have a dirty house or car or paper that's not finished... it drives me nuts.

The funny thing is, if someone else were telling me they did this, I would just say Ok, so one time you have the big burst of motvation & make the list...the next time you get it, follow the list. IT JUST NEVER HAPPENS!! Why can't I ever DO the things that I KNOW should happen??

Hey...I love this topic!!!

Forever I have had this habit, which people think is funny, of doing this thing, where someone will say a phrase. Suddenly I break into song because it sounds like a phrase in a popular song. Kids love it too!

I cannot help myself. I just have to do it. Then I stop myself and say, "Oh, actually...that's really not how it goes." People bust up laughing.

I have managed to keep my impulsivenesses as a well intentioned joke. Even though I get the, "That was random." comment a lot, with laughter. I love this part of my ADHD. Oh, speaking of music going on...for me it's usually a rhythm. I keep tapping my feet to it all day. And when I am trying to sleep it's like the pink bunny from Duracell or Eveready...or whatever the brand...it just keeps on going...and going...and going...etc.

One very last thing. The other night it dawned on me: I was never much good at remembering lyrics. I sort of made up my own. But the music I remembered a lot better. I know people who can remember entire songs. I can remember the music and to sing it I have to just make up something that sounds like it.

In the mornings, on weekends, I get silly and am singing songs with my own made up lyrics that I turn into some silly stuff, and the anyone who's sleeping gets up and walks over to me and says, "That's not how it goes."

Ha...ha...ha...I just read my post and I am laughing at myself. I am so all over the place!!! I can actually hear myself talking it at like a mile a minute.

Typical!

ricochet I do it too! Someone's talking includes a phrase, or sometimes a single word, which prompts me to sing out loud the line in a song with the same phrase or word! Usually once I start, several more tunes will get triggered in the same setting or conversation... I seem to get more entertainment out of it than my friends but they humor me nonetheless!

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