Why do people with depression like listening to sad music?

[percyval577]

A really sad song by the same musician, interesting comment on youtube.

 

[Hope4]

This is the second study linked within the article in "Research Digest", in the first post of this thread:

Why do people with depression like listening to sad music?

Why do depressed people prefer sad music?

Link to this abstract and a pay-per-view study.

Abstract:

One of the cardinal symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) is persistent sadness. Do people with MDD actually prefer sad stimuli, potentially perpetuating their depression? Millgram, Joormann, Huppert, and Tamir (2015) observed such preferences and interpreted them as reflecting a maladaptive emotion regulatory goal to upregulate sad feelings. We assessed emotional music choice among both those with MDD and healthy controls (HC), and assessed the reasons for music preferences in these two groups. Seventy-six female participants (38 per group) completed two tasks: (1) Millgram et al.’s (2015) music task wherein participants listened to happy, neutral, and sad music excerpts and chose the one they wanted to listen to most, and (2) a novel Emotional Music Selection Task (EMST) wherein participants chose preferred music clips, varying in emotion and energy level, in paired-choice trials. In the replication music task, MDD people were more likely to choose sad music. However, inconsistent with any motivation to upregulate sadness, people with MDD reported that they chose sad music because it was low in energy levels (e.g., relaxing). EMST results revealed that MDD people had a stronger preference for both low energy and sad music, relative to HC. The strong appeal of sad music to people with MDD may be related to its calming effects rather than any desire to increase or maintain sad feelings.

So, we do not know the criteria for "happy", "neutral" and "sad". We do not know if the music in the study was vocal or instrumental, or of what genre, or the level of musicianship of the performers, or the quality of the performances, or the parameters of sound recording and nor do we know the quality of the sound reproduction for the study.


If the study had been made of the general public, across all age and cultural groups, and all music styles, they would have found out a great deal more than this abstract states.

 

[jesse's mom]

. I don't feel worse when I listen to sad songs, I actually feel much better afterwards. For me, music helps me process my emotions.

I do too!

When I listen to a song that I connect/resonate with deeply, it's like it becomes part of me and sometimes I will listen to the same song a few times in a row (does anyone else do that? )

@Webdog posted the song The Weight by The Band a few months back on the Excellent Music thread. I listened to that song over and over for a while. It seemed to somehow heal me. I have heard that song all the time since it came out, but I watched the video from the movie and I "got" it in a new way. Extraordinary experience for me!

Is there one of those emoticons for a palm slap to the forehead?

I will echo patj just for fun

Good thread @IThinkImTurningJapanese

 

[Rufous McKinney]

But this song is so very sad, and strengthens me, every time.

That is so BEAUTIFUL. I lost it totally in the second verse. My cheeks are fully irrigated. I hope some toxins left.

Its the sound of understanding. Its the sound of not feeling alone. Its the sound of empathy.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The Weight by The Band a few months back on the Excellent Music thread

I HAD TO PLAY: It Makes No Difference, Leon Helms and the Band, last week. Just a sad love song, the details not really relevant. The feeling: one can never forget.

When Leon Helms, bless his soul, sings a song, All the Angels flood in. Stand at Attention.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Does anyone have the problem called: but if I listen to that great song a couple of times: it will park in my head and go onto REPEAT and REPEAT for literally DAYS.

This is: I think evidence of an OCD type mental thing which happens here. For my whole life, and most of the time, some song is playing in my head, while other thoughts are also occuring.

is this mentally tiring? _________________(Y)

do I mind? ___________ (well, not THAT much, but sometimes its some stupid jingle).

this type of repeat stuck record: is quickly reduced on 0.14 mg XANAX. (I noticed).

 

[jesse's mom]

Yes, But stuck in my head for the last few days is the 1980's song "Safety Dance"

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Yes, But stuck in my head for the last few days is the 1980's song "Safety Dance"

Do I dare play that song in order to recall: what song is that?

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

Do I dare play that song in order to recall: what song is that?

You absolutely, unequivocally, cannot ignore the Safety Dance.

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

Does anyone have the problem called: but if I listen to that great song a couple of times: it will park in my head and go onto REPEAT and REPEAT for literally DAYS.

Yes, very much so.

So, I listen to things that I wanna hear again.

Everything’s so crazy, just take it all in stride
Life’s forever changing so keep eyes open wide
Cause I can make everything alright
I’m here to share, to shed some light
Help you stumble through the dark
I haven’t anything to hide
At times no explanation why
When you question those cloudy days
When skies are grey
I’ll do my best to help you learn to find your way

Keep courage near to face your fears
Appreciate each job of blood, sweat and tears
So many paths that you can walk
Just listen close when your heart talks
Speaking from within
Cause it will never let you down
At times the only thing around unconditionally
The center of your soul, your being
To help you see, to touch to feel always real

One wishes more than make believe
I wish that you would grow to be
Someone who loves and understands
And has the strength to learn to stand on your own two feet
Be all that you can be
And know I’ll always love you
I will always love you until the day I die
Until the day I die

 

[Rufous McKinney]

You absolutely, unequivocally, cannot ignore the Safety Dance.

It reports: Content Blocked in your country.

Apparently: I may have to Turn Japanese!

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

Apparently: I may have to Turn Japanese!

 

[jesse's mom]

You absolutely, unequivocally, cannot ignore the Safety Dance.

Now it is stuck again!

 

[jesse's mom]

Here is Safety Dance that will play in the US

 

[jesse's mom]

But here is one of my favorite sad songs of all time. I am sad right now

 

[jesse's mom]

One more.. Then I promise to stop the serial posting

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Does anyone have the problem called: but if I listen to that great song a couple of times: it will park in my head and go onto REPEAT and REPEAT for literally DAYS.

This is: I think evidence of an OCD type mental thing

@Rufous McKinney
I dont think it's entirely an OCD thing. It's an EARWORM, melodies/songs/lyrics that get stuck in your head for inexplicable reasons and won;t move out no matter what, and there seems to be a connection between earworms and sadness/depression.

The medical community recommends ..... wait for it ..... ANTI DEPRESSANTS to get rid of the earworm. Unfortunately, they have few recommendations for getting rid of the anti-depressants.

@jesse's mom
Thank you for finding and posting that playable version of Safety Dance ...... which is now locked in my head for the foreseeable future, replacing, thank God, the inner whine of " .... why am I feeling like this again, and I know tht this time it's forever ...."

 

[jesse's mom]

The medical community recommends ..... wait for it ..... ANTI DEPRESSANTS to get rid of the earworm. Unfortunately, they have few recommendations for getting rid of the anti-depressants.

Bwahaaaa!

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

When I listen to a song that I connect/resonate with deeply, it's like it becomes part of me and sometimes I will listen to the same song a few times in a row (does anyone else do that? )

I think music can be a very powerful, healing tool for some people. It is for me anyway.

@i-lava-u
Absolutely. On both sentiments.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Since I ´ve got ME/CFS I prefer listening to 12-tone-music.

Schoenberg?

For me, it's Mahler's 1st. Especially if I'm depressed.

Go figure.