Fear that I will! stop breathing!
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Guest
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. .
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Guest
Thank you for starting this post. I too have the same issue with my breathing. I too have woke up in the middle of night gasping for air, although rarely. Mine seems to be at its worst at home and it does come and go, but when it comes it does with vengeance. I have been living with this problem for a long time, on and off of course, for over ten years. The best therapy I have to offer from experience is controlled breathing exercises, akin to a form of yoga. It also seems to be linked to hyperventilating too, so I will sometimes breath into closed hands around my mouth or a bag to recapture some CO2. Hope this helps some and thankfully no side effects from medications to contend with.
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Guest
Holly J,
I can relate 100% to what you are experiencing. I too have the sensation that I will stop breathing/have to "work" to breathe/ am not getting enough air. It has been going on for several weeks, and the more that I think about it (validate it) the worse it seems to feel.
I am a 33 year old male, and was diagnosed with Panic Disorder in March 08. My symptoms were much worse starting out in March, as I have had a "rolling" anxiety that pretty much rolled throughout my entire body over the past 5 months. I have had all of the symptoms.
As I have continued to make progress over the past 5 months, the majority of the symptoms have left but now I am left with heart palpatations and the breathing issue(s) I described above.
I have found, and completely agree with lizikins that distraction does seem to work. The more distracting the better. For example, I love to exercise and lift weights, so I will get myself to the gym for 45 minutes, and "pump iron". It's very interesting how all of sudden this not breathing sensation is gone...from what I believe is not thinking about it anymore.
I find that I need to be distracting myself alot with this one, as when I have alot of time on my hands I do still get scared about this (I mean, it feels like you can't breathe!) because I obsess about it.
My last Doctor visit was 2 weeks ago, and my lungs were fine.
And I COMPLETELY feel like you as I too need reassurance oftentimes to feel better on my own.
I hope this helps you.
I can relate 100% to what you are experiencing. I too have the sensation that I will stop breathing/have to "work" to breathe/ am not getting enough air. It has been going on for several weeks, and the more that I think about it (validate it) the worse it seems to feel.
I am a 33 year old male, and was diagnosed with Panic Disorder in March 08. My symptoms were much worse starting out in March, as I have had a "rolling" anxiety that pretty much rolled throughout my entire body over the past 5 months. I have had all of the symptoms.
As I have continued to make progress over the past 5 months, the majority of the symptoms have left but now I am left with heart palpatations and the breathing issue(s) I described above.
I have found, and completely agree with lizikins that distraction does seem to work. The more distracting the better. For example, I love to exercise and lift weights, so I will get myself to the gym for 45 minutes, and "pump iron". It's very interesting how all of sudden this not breathing sensation is gone...from what I believe is not thinking about it anymore.
I find that I need to be distracting myself alot with this one, as when I have alot of time on my hands I do still get scared about this (I mean, it feels like you can't breathe!) because I obsess about it.
My last Doctor visit was 2 weeks ago, and my lungs were fine.
And I COMPLETELY feel like you as I too need reassurance oftentimes to feel better on my own.
I hope this helps you.
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Guest
I've been doing this drug free for the past 5 months as well, as I do not like the list of side effects, and actually had anxiety 3 years ago and was prescribed Klonopin (?) and it knocked me on my butt!
My Doctor at the time in March wrote me a Rx for Effexor, and that actually caused an anxious reaction to the point I called an ambulance and went to the ER.
So, I have been avoiding meds and improving...albeit perhaps with more discomfort than others on this journey and maybe at a slower pace, but improving.
My belief is that the meds may mask the symptoms, but how will I know when I am better? What about dependency? Dosage? Side Effects?
To me, to borrow a Tony Robbins summary of decision making: I see those above issues as more 'pain' than the course I am taking now.
My Doctor at the time in March wrote me a Rx for Effexor, and that actually caused an anxious reaction to the point I called an ambulance and went to the ER.
So, I have been avoiding meds and improving...albeit perhaps with more discomfort than others on this journey and maybe at a slower pace, but improving.
My belief is that the meds may mask the symptoms, but how will I know when I am better? What about dependency? Dosage? Side Effects?
To me, to borrow a Tony Robbins summary of decision making: I see those above issues as more 'pain' than the course I am taking now.
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Guest
Holly,
Sorry to keep babbling here, but your post really hits home with me.
I don't know what the actual physiological term is, but to use a Lucinda "So What if..." approach:
So what if you stopped breathing? What is the worse that can happen? A person may faint from the temporary lack of oxygen, but did you know like someone else posted on this site that the brain will actually not let you stop breathing?
If someone was to pass out from lack of oxygen, the brain would actually spring into action and force the body to start breathing again. And it has nothing to do with a concious decision. It's survival. This has a medical name, but I can't remember it.
I don't know if that helps you, but it does answer the Worst Scenario fear.
Sorry to keep babbling here, but your post really hits home with me.
I don't know what the actual physiological term is, but to use a Lucinda "So What if..." approach:
So what if you stopped breathing? What is the worse that can happen? A person may faint from the temporary lack of oxygen, but did you know like someone else posted on this site that the brain will actually not let you stop breathing?
If someone was to pass out from lack of oxygen, the brain would actually spring into action and force the body to start breathing again. And it has nothing to do with a concious decision. It's survival. This has a medical name, but I can't remember it.
I don't know if that helps you, but it does answer the Worst Scenario fear.
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Guest
Hi Holly,
I have had this happen to me many times. Even as a child, I remember this happening a few times. Whenever it happens, I ALWAYS wake up and begin breathing again. I think Paul is right, your brain will not let you stop breathing. I never have. I notice that when I sleep on my side, it doesn't bother me or doesn't happen. Also, I find that meditation has really improved this for me. Meditation helps to get your breathing into a healthy pattern. The <A HREF="http://www.healthjourneys.com" TARGET=_blank>www.healthjourneys.com</A> web site has some good meditation resources there and Lucinda's relaxation cd is very helpful with breathing exercises/meditation.
I have had this happen to me many times. Even as a child, I remember this happening a few times. Whenever it happens, I ALWAYS wake up and begin breathing again. I think Paul is right, your brain will not let you stop breathing. I never have. I notice that when I sleep on my side, it doesn't bother me or doesn't happen. Also, I find that meditation has really improved this for me. Meditation helps to get your breathing into a healthy pattern. The <A HREF="http://www.healthjourneys.com" TARGET=_blank>www.healthjourneys.com</A> web site has some good meditation resources there and Lucinda's relaxation cd is very helpful with breathing exercises/meditation.
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Carolyn Dickman
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:00 am
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Guest
Hey Holly,
I did not mean to alarm you as I too feel scared by the sensation.
So scared, that my last doctor appointment was a sick call to deal specifically with this issue.
I take it serious too and would never want to faint or pass out, and maybe I need to back out of that statement altogether.
I just wanted to try and give you some peace that even though it is really uncomfortable, like Lucinda says: It won't kill you.
But Holly, I completely feel the same thing. Today as a matter of fact. I think that it may have more to do with intercostal(?) muscles in the chest that may be tightening because of the anxiety.
I went to the gym today, and performed an exercise that I havent done in some time- dips between 2 benches. I put my feet up on one, and my hands on the other, and went down until my butt hit the floor, and then pushed back up again. After 3 sets of 15, not only did my arms feel good, but it also seemed to stretch(?) out my chest...and it seemed to literally clear this tight feeling up today.
I did not mean to alarm you as I too feel scared by the sensation.
So scared, that my last doctor appointment was a sick call to deal specifically with this issue.
I take it serious too and would never want to faint or pass out, and maybe I need to back out of that statement altogether.
I just wanted to try and give you some peace that even though it is really uncomfortable, like Lucinda says: It won't kill you.
But Holly, I completely feel the same thing. Today as a matter of fact. I think that it may have more to do with intercostal(?) muscles in the chest that may be tightening because of the anxiety.
I went to the gym today, and performed an exercise that I havent done in some time- dips between 2 benches. I put my feet up on one, and my hands on the other, and went down until my butt hit the floor, and then pushed back up again. After 3 sets of 15, not only did my arms feel good, but it also seemed to stretch(?) out my chest...and it seemed to literally clear this tight feeling up today.
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Guest