Hi everyone
If you ever have panic attacks / anxiety problems which put you on edge all day / someday and cause you the following symptoms you may not be breathing properly. And NO, drawing in lots of air into your lungs when you're anxious / panic which make your chest visibly go up and down is NOT a proper breathing technique, that is breathing HARD, which makes you feel worse. You have to breathe DEEP using your abdorminal to feel relaxed and for your body to get enough oxygen.
* Dizziness
* Lightheadedness
* Vertigo
* Feeling faint
* Blurred vision
* Headaches
* Palpitations
* Missed heartbeats
* Chest pain and feelings of constriction
* Difficulty breathing
* Lump in the throat
* Tightness of the throat
* Dry mouth
* Twitching limbs
* Tingling in fingers and toes
* Numbness of extremities
* Prickly feeling over the face and arms
* Nausea and vomiting
* Stomach pain with gas
* Weakness and exhaustion
* Severe apprehension and nervousness
* Fear of dying and/or going mad
* Paranoia
* Feelings of unreality and being out of control
I used to have the same problem as some of you mentioned here and it really frustrates me. I would get anxious over something small or trivial, and that would disrupt my normal breathing pattern (without me consciously knowing it). Because my body is not getting enough oxygen my brain would send distress signals causing me to interrupt my normal breathing rhythms, allowing me to draw breathes manually using the wrong technique (breathing hard), which makes matter worse, causing me to be MORE anxious. This cycle of anxiousness and breathelessness would quickly accelerate from having a negligible effect to a state of panic and anxiousness.
I have recently learnt that controlling my breathing would allow me to control my life. Nicola Quinn has written a lovely article about how to breathe properly to put yourself back into the driving seat. Please have a look.
http://nicolaquinn.com/modules.php?n...article&sid=60
It takes a few hours to get used to breathing abdominally (and slowly) if you haven't been doing so in the past. But after you get used to it the effect is amazing. You will feel very relaxed and energized! I can't believe my anxiety and panic attack is caused by me not breathing properly!
Also it is important to breathe through our nose to get the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood, this will help you to stay calm and healthy! There is some information here:
http://www.authentic-breathing.com/b..._faqs.htm#what
These information changed my life. I hope it will change yours too!
cheers,
Martin
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