Fear that I will! stop breathing!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 3:10 am

Thank you Nole. I know your intentions were not bad.I just do try and get help for myself as much as possible. I put me first all the time. I care about myself. I really do. These obsessive scary thoughts just seem to linger around. I have already controlled my panic attacks which my therapist says is an accomplishment. . but now what lingers on is anxiety all day instead of intense panic attacks. . ya know? anyone get this after recovering form panic attacks? So now I am dealing with these OST and have not learned how to control them really. i have the skills but the breathing one is one of the scariest!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:09 am

Holly I so understand how you feel. I have had shortness of breath since Sept with caused my panic and anxiety. Long story short I ended up with acid reflux which gave me vocal cord dysfunction. It messed up my vocal cords I couldn't even sing for months.
I am doing so much better I still have shortness of breath but not as much. I had to change my eating and take vitiams and found out that I was low in iron and I am working on that I think that had a lot to do with my shortness of breath.
When you get those breathing attacks sidetrack your mind and think positive. It is hard but you have to train yourself to do relax so you don't panic.
I notice it gets worse during that time of the month I am keeping a record of how I feel in a calendar so I can see if it is with hormones.
They also checked me for asthma but I didn't have it. Mine acts so much like asthma but it would get worse with the meds.
Not sure if this helps you any I pray it does.

Dear Heavenly Father give Holly wisdom and knowledge on how to fix this in her body.
Heal her completely she is so yound she has a lot to look forward to. Give her hope today and a peace that she has never ever experienced before.
In Jesus precious name we pray

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:40 am

I too had shortness of breath when I was first diagnosed with acid reflux too, this may be the reason you are also feeling worse when you lay down to go to bed, the reflux is building up. Try taking a Zantac 150, they seem to work really well for me. Have you been checked for acid reflux, I know you have mentioned in the past some symptoms that sound liek reflux. the reflux aslo put me in panic/anxiety mode but once I found out what it was, how to prevent it and treat it I felt fine again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:36 am

ho my god holly its like i was reading about my self been going threw this four years now just like you same feeling here is my email me so we can talk dpd2004@yahoo.com

Faith_TX · Post by **Faith_TX** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:19 am

Hi all. Great topic and discussion. Hang in there. I too have been considering the cause of breathing issues and recently concluded it is a combination of 90%anxiety and allergies. About 10 years ago, I noticed that during the day I would briefly stop breathing. Typically, I would feel tingling in my hands and a jolt which would bring me back to focus. Sometimes a dizzy feeling. I was not going through an actual panic attack, but would always be lost in deep thoughts and some of them anxious. I too did the MDs including a lung/breathing-alergist specialist with nothing to conclude except some allergies which I've had all of my life. This situation continues through today and since getting into the program and giving this some thought, conclude that it is just anxiety. One big time symptom of a panic attack is the inability to breath. When I am under stress, thinking scary thoughts, phobias, etc., notice this more. I stop breathing. I now try and breath deeply and slowly when going through the grind. Was told by the specialist that even if I passed out, my breathing would return to normal. Little consolation as I do not want to pass out, but grateful for the information. Hang in there as you are not alone. Best

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:23 pm

I can relate to this post so much! This is the biggest problem of my anxiety/panic attacks and why I have let myself become totally Agoraphobic. I to have something going on with my breathing that is very hard to explain to anyone. I believe that I became so worried about it several years ago that I have literally let myself become obsessed with watching how I breathe. For awhile I couldn't even listen to music because my breathing wouldn't be in sync with the beat of the music. I would catch myself trying to breath to the beat of the music. When saying my prayers at night I would lay there and have to say the prayer to the beat of my breathing. I would stop myself from praying while taking another breath. It's not as bad now as it was in the beginning but I still have something weird going on and I wished I knew how to explain it better. I notice this most when I am not doing anything and not focusing on something else. As long as I am not thinking about it and doing something to keep my mind busy I don't notice it as much but if I am not doing anything I feel like my breathing is way off. I also notice it more after eating especially if I am bloated and nauseated. Can you (or anyone else reading here) relate to any of this? I sure wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy and if I could have one wish granted in life it would be for all anxiety suffers to be free of this awful lifestyle.

God bless,
Susan

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:51 pm

sadchatterbox, I cannot completely relate but understand. I do , however, notice my breathing more when i am bloated and nauseated. . which i have been lately. . . about to start my period. . . Im sorry you feel that way. . But you said youre getting better right? You do the program? What session are you on? Swanees thank you for the nice prayer. John jay, you can pm me anytime. . and michael john, thank you for your post. . that does make me feel better.. . along with everyones posts. I appreciate it. I guess with this particular issue i feel alone a lot.

socal531 · Post by **socal531** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 3:45 pm

No worries..i use to think like that about my breathing.As i got better it went away but if im not feeling to well with my anxiety i can get to that point again.it doesnt scare me anymore like before becasue i know now that i have been there before and by now if something was going to happen it would of

Its normal i guess you can say for people like us with anxiety to stress on everything or pick something that we will worry about more..With me it was a little of everything ..I know it can feel real and scary but you should be fine.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:45 am

I can definitely relate to your fear about breathing. I worry about my breathing usually when I go out, I don't really worry about my breathing at home. Sometimes I feel like I'm just struggling to breathe, or I can't breathe, and then i get scared that I'm going to have to go to the hospital. I have allergies so I think this also makes me worry that I can't breathe, I don't have asthma though. I think it's mostly anxiety, because I won't be thinking about my breathing at home, but then the second I go out I'll start worrying about it, and feeling like I'm struggling. Whenever I get this, I do the breathing technique, over and over and over again, until I feel better. I would suggest you do this, and then tell yourself I'm breathing right, it is just my anxiety that's making me feel this way, it will not hurt me, i'm just feeling uncomfortable. A couple months ago I was worrying about my breathing even at home, and it was a terrible feeling to be worrying about it all the time, so I know how consuming it is. I tried to distract myself from it by doing excercises, I would jog, and I'd find that I wasn't concentrating on my breathing, I was just trying to put one foot in front of the other. You might want to try something like that, plus it gets out your extra nervous energy. Keep working at it, eventually the feelings will get less, they did for me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:20 am

Yesterday I went swimming and out ad really tried to distract. . I get this feeling at home too. I wish I just got it going out. . or never ! ! I am getting better day by day and hopefully soon this dumb phase will go away and I'll think bot that was a silly worry. . Do many people have a fear of stop breathing or get shortness of breath that lasts days. . even weeks because youre focusing on your breathing? I notice now that i have more shortness of breath because a few days ago i was so focused on my breathing and trying to control it that i messed up my natural rhythm that i now got shortness of breath. .i feel like i cant get in enough air. .but im not totally freaking out like i used to.. but its totally uncomfortable of course, yet I'd rather have that than always think about my breathing stopping. .