Breathing Werid!!

[andrewjdavid2005]

Hi

I have had anxiety and panic attacks for quite awhile and recently i have had trouble with my breathing.
I also have asthma so its hard tor ecognise which one is causing it.
Normally with asthma i get wheezy and a very tight chest but i havent been getting that.
My breathing sort of feels shallow all the time like im gagging for air and feel like im suffocating and cannot breathe, been feeling like this for the past few days constantly.
Is there anything i can do to ease this feeling?

Thanks.

[nomorepanic]

Hiya

I get that too - here is my previous post. It may help....

Reverse panic

Deep breathing and relaxation seems to help me.

Nicola

[andrewjdavid2005]

What do i need to do to stop feeling like this? what technique should i do? maybe im overbreathing, im taking my inhaler alot more as im not sure whether it is asthma or anxiety and that it worse!

Hope to get some more helpful advice soon!

[nomorepanic]

Exercise worked for me too as that regulated my breathing. Swimming was good for it.

I too used my inhaler a lot more and I know I shouldn't have been.

Nicola

[henri]

hi there,
overbreathing is definitely not good. i mistakenly went to an advanced yoga class when i was seriously suffering from anxiety and one of the exercises involved lots of taking short, fast breaths - it totally didn't help, in fact i nearly passed out!

i have a relaxation cd that helps - the shallow breathing thing definitely sounds like anxiety and i only got rid of it by doing abdominal breathing exercises, my relaxation cd and then distracting myself. still get it, of course, but not as bad.

hope you start feeling better soon,

henri x

[andrewjdavid2005]

Thanks for all of your replies, i have another problem as well, i keep getting a very bloated stomach which probably is not helping the breathing as well as its probably leaning on my windpipe or something!

I will try taking more excercise and relaxation and see how it goes.

Thanks all.

[Meg]

AJD,

To learn how to breathe correctly, try a yoga teacher. You don't have to go to a class - although you would get relaxation benefit in other ways from it too- ask for a tutorial just to address the breathing pattern.

When you're anxious you produce extra gas in your tummy resulting in the bloating, so you need to release that before it gets too much- a good swig of fizzy drink helps to produce a good burp.



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

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