Breathing trouble, afraid to do anything please someone help

[kirstenrld_21]

My name is Kirsten, I have posted here a few times about my breathing difficulty.

Basically, I feel like I cannot breathe properly almost constantly. I get an urge to yawn or sigh, over and over, its just exhausting.

Sometimes i cannot yawn, or breathe in deeply, and I start freaking out. Especially if I am in public where I think people will notice me and my little breathing fits.

It is HORRIBLE.

Now, I have gained 30 pounds, since around december of last year. I am afraid to exercise because even walking up some stairs carrying grocceries makes my breathing trouble worsen.

I get an aching feeling in my back, between my shoulder blades, and i just cannot get enough air in. It is so horrible I am really not sure where to go from here.

I just had an ultrasound, a chest x-ray, bloodwork and am trying a drug apo-rantidine for sour stomache to see if that helps my breathing as well.

So far, the ultrasound and x-ray have come back normal except i found out i have a horseshoe kidney which isn't a problem for me since i don't have any bladder trouble.

I just want to be able to live life without this breathing haunting every move I make.

I really need to exercise, I don't want to weigh 300 pounds and have a heart attack

I am really scared and everything just seems to be going downhill. I am a model, and now that I am gaining weight I can barely do any work and its so depressing.

If anyone can help me, or has ideas or experience with this please let me know.

Someones suggested jsut consiously NOT taking the deep breaths but when I try to fight the urge my back starts to ache and I panic thinking i am going to make the problem worse and i cannot get it to ease up ever again.

I am really scared of making it worse somehow.

PLEASE if anyone can help me, please post!

[Guest]

Kirsten, I had this problem for years. People use to ask me why I was breathing funny (taking deep breaths, etc.)

I found that the breathing technique used on the relaxation CD really helped me. Also, the steps for dealing with a panic attack helped me get past moments of feeling like I didn't have enough air.

Be assured: you will not run out of air, you are getting plenty of air, and you will not forget how to breathe.

When you stop being afaid of your breathing problem, it will gradually get better. How can you stop being afraid? By using the program and just keeping on. Just don't give up.

Today, if I have that kind of breathing, it's a sign for me that I have anxiety and I need to use my skills. It does not scare me, so it passes quickly. Hang in there.

[Guest]

You sound just like me Kristen. The thing you have to keep in mind is that when we are stressed, our muscles have a tendancy to tighten up, this includes our chest and stomach muscles. Now this DOES NOT mean you aren't getting enough air. Your breating capacity has nothing to do with it. You may feel like you can't take a deep breath and yawn and sigh a lot (GOd do I know how that is) but you are getting all the air you need. What I did was I just let myself yawn and sigh and tried not to add the what ifs that go along with these feelings. I let my body do what ever it was going to do and just went with it. Eventually I calmed down and the muscle tighness went away. Just keep reminding yourself that it's nothing more than muscle tension, you are getting enough air and so what if you yawn or sigh? It's okay and eventually you will calm down.

Good Luck!

[Guest]

Kristen, I agree with everyone. I too have had the "breathing" thing! Mine bothers me most if I try to exercise after supper. I used to think it was because I was so full and the fact that I'm overweight just made it worse. I thought because of a full stomach and too much fat my lungs couldn't expand to get me the oxygen I needed and I'd have a full blown panic attack. After really listening to the "Courage to Change" CD (which by the way has been the most helpful to me and one I still listen to everyday)I think, for me, difficultly breathing as been a good way for me to avoid exercise. So I am walking now on my break at work before I have lunch and that has helped a great deal. I still have issues with it but I tell myself I'm just fine, I'm getting all the air I need and my heart is loving me for it. Hang in there and if you have Lucinda program, really focus on "The Courage to Change". At first you probably won't agree with it but keep listening to it and to yourself. Best wishes,
Cindy

[Guest]

I have this same problem... I am in week 3 of the tapes, and I am back @ work and feeling less anxious, but After lunch I find myself yawning alot... Its like I dont think Im getting enough air.... My co worker has even said to me , Why do u yawn so much... That just made it worse.... Also my heart feels like it it beating faster after like 1 pm everyday, but my heart rate is only like 80-87 ............. I think it is the anxiety... Does Xanax make your heart beat faster...... I am just dealing w/ it the best I can if I have to Yaen all day, then the Hell with it.... Everyone can just get over it..... Maybe one day it will stop.... Because this Anxiety is not stopping my Life anymore.... I am moving on and working and finishing my degree.... If I start to panic, then Panic I will do... Because I know That I will not PAss out or Die...... And I want to tell anyone reading this about 3 weeks ago I wanted to Die or go to the Nut House.. I could not handle the fear of life anymore, So do NOT give up U will GEt Better!!!!!!!!!!!
I was really really bad.................
I refused to leave the House about 2 weeks ago , and stayed home from work for a whole week, But I have been on meds and seeing a therapist, and I am listening to the Tapes,,,,, This site also seems to help..

Thanks for listening
Love u all
April

[Guest]

Thank you for your replys guys.

It really does help to hear there are other people experiencing the same problems I have.

It is really good to hear that some of you have gotten over it or at least can control it really well.

I am going to start the program again, I don't know why I stopped doing it, I went to week 2 and stopped. Has anyone else stopped and had to restart the program? I am worried I have ruined it for myself.

Does your breathing ever bother you while doing the breathing exercises?

I too have a really hard time with exercise but I don't want to lose my health and I don't want my heart to become sick.

Thank you again for replying I am really gratfull to you all.

[Guest]

I started the program last spring after having some bad anxiety and panic attacks. Then after week 2 I stopped. I just got busy and the anxiety wasn't too bad. That was a mistake. Because it came back again with a vengeance this past month. So now I'm starting back up the program again. I will stick with it this time. HOpe you do too!

[Guest]

I understand completely and it's so tough to see that we're actually the root of the problem. I know because I'm going through problems of my own right now and even though intellectually I know I'm causing the problem, I can't seem to convince my brain. What you're going through is exactly what my sister went through for a few years! And in the end it was all in her mind. What we tend to do is overanalyze normal body symtoms and worry that something is wrong. I've done the breathing thing as well and each time I have to tell myself, it's just anxiety, let your body breath normally. It's something that started very young, I remember being 7 years old and telling my parents I felt like I couldn't breathe and couldn't get enough air up. They brought me to a doctor, I had asthma tests done and there was nothing wrong with me!
Whenever I start hyperventiliating and breathing too much, think, do people really breathe like that? Nope, if you're relaxed the breaths are rather short. I know how horrible it is and you feel like jumping out of your skin, but keep on telling yourself that it is just anxiety.

[luvpiggy]

Hi Kirsten,
I remember us talking on chat about this....it is something of a topic that can trigger me to have the prob...but also it is good to talk about to help deal with it.
The Breathing obsession is basically that, an obsession that gets worse the more ya think about it etc.Ya gotta force yourself to Stop trying to take all those deep breaths...make it a new habit not to try to take the breath all the time. Trust your body, it will know what to do, and it will know what the IMPORTANT breath is and when truly needed.
When ya start to freak out that ya can't yawn or take a deep breath...just say to yourself "SO WHAT, I CAN'T TAKE THAT BREATH OR YAWN" and guess what Kirsten...when ya least expect it....There comes the breath or yawn. It's a Beautiful thing. Please reply if you would like to talk more...You'll be OK!
<span class="ev_code_PINK">~*Christi*~</span>

[Guest]

Hi Kirsten,

I go through bouts of anxiety, stress, and not breathing properly several times throughout the year. It seems all of a sudden my stress gets the best of me and before I know it, I am in a mode of muscles in my diaphragm and chest all tight and I can't seem to undo it. Then I will get like burning all down my esophagus and sudden sharp pains running up my chest, which scares me, and then I really can't relax in anticipation of the next one. After trying everything on my own, I find what works for me is to just go to my doctor, which also is scary because I'm afraid she will tell me my blood pressure is too high or my heart is too fast, etc. Finally, I go. I verbalize my fears to her. To my surprise, she tells me I don't have to get my blood pressure checked right now because it probably will be too high since I am in a high state of anxiety. She tells me to just go to like Walmart and get it checked some time. She tells me I have anxiety, not a heart attack. Then she tells me that everyone gets stressed, even her (my doctor who is the mother of three small children). We talk for a while and soon my breathing starts to return to normal. By the time I even got to the car, I totally felt better. For the next two days, there were two occasions where I felt a little residual muscle twinge, but it is gone now. I thought I would feel bad that I couldn't do it on my own as far as trying to relax, but if that works for me, I know in the future when things get so bad I will probably go back to see her and for me that's okay. Anyway, when I forgot about concentrating on my breathing and worrying about, it totally went back to normal. I would strongly encourage you to verbalize your fear to your doctor or counselor and let them help you through it. Best of luck.
Noel