New to site .. Focus on breathing .. is it Anxiety ??

[toffeebluenose]

Hi all

New to this so please bear with me

I was just wondering if anyone else suffers from this.

Last August I woke up and suddenly became acutely aware of my breathing. It freaked me out .. I paniced and it spiralled a variety of thoughts such as what if I forget to breathe etc etc

2 days prior to this my Dad had what we thought at the time was a Heart attack so maybe this triggered the thought?

Within a week or so it subsided .. but returns every now and then .. in particular yesterday with real force. I was just sitting there thinking nothings bothering me much and then boom I started thinking about my breathing !

Up until last year i'd never once thought about it .. but I understand now that we breathe automatically .. it's not possible to forget to breathe etc etc so the thought has become more of an annoyance/frustration than a panic.

I have been troubled by anxiety and panic attacks for the last 8 months ..

I came off long term medication (paroxetine) in Sept, my relationship broke down (have since got back together) and am trying to cope as best I can with the help of CBT every two weeks, although the appoitment is just telephone based. When I have these 'episodes' I do wonder if I should go back on medication just so I can lead a 'normal' life as I seem to constantly worry about something .. mainly my health, but for no logical reason as I am a resonably fit 35yr old !
If anyone out there experiences similar I would like to hear from you .. maybe your coping mechanisms .. or if anyone has any thoughts/advice this would be very welcome!

[choccychompa]

Hi, welcome to the site. It definitely sounds like you have Health Anxiety, but it also sounds like you're coping wonderfully

I have had HA for over six years now :( and I'm a similar age to you. Mine is mainly focussed on my heart because I started getting missed heart beats etc. I now know that they are harmless, but by the time I realised that, the HA was firmly embedded :( Recently I've had a couple of episodes of worrying about my breathing, like you describe. It's terrifying to feel like you can't breathe. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and that you're not alone. xxx

[toffeebluenose]

Hi there

Thanks for the reply ! Ths web site is great and nice to know I am not alone x

It didn't seem like it but when I look back over the last 8 monthsI am coping a lot better .. it has been a nightmare but with a bit of therapy it's helped a great deal to have the knowledge of what is happening to be able to deal with the difficult moments that arise

thank you again

[josparks]

hi i know exactly wot ur feelin ive had this for a long time mine comes and goes at the min but i had it constantly for 6 months non stop in the end dr said i had ocd with it cos of the constant focusing i ended up takin meds again cos i couldnt cope which started to help i still have the feelings on and off of not breathin and it is frigtning but u are breathin so dont worry ur mind is taking over and focusing making it worse i know this feeling

[BettyIW]

prob cause you are hyperventilating due to your anxiety. Are you breathing through your chest instead of your stomach? Your stomach should go up when you breathe in and down when you breathe out. I rarely breathe like this and usually use my chest, which means you are breathing too much and too fast. This can in itself cause symptoms. When my chest feels tight, I lie back/sit back and focus on breathing with my tummy and it goes away. also be aware of your back/neck muscles, they will be tense. relax those, they can constrict your chest also. Its all part and parcel of anxiety. Its horible but you learn to deal with it.