Desperate :( Please please help :(

[AnxiousGirl1]

Anyone up right now? Having an awful night. All started with me worrying about my breathing... I'm worries about thinking about my breathing, that my mind will just stop it from being automatic if I think about it... I tried holding my breath earlier because I read somewhere it was good for panic and while I was holding it my body didn't seem to want to take another breath so I had a massive panic attack about 4 hours ago that still here now. I've got work tomorrow and I cannot sleep in the slightest. So worried about my breathing. Worried that it's gone manual and won't go back to automatic... Please help

Anyone suffered with similar issues and know of a cure? Can't the mind hurt you in that way if you think about stuff like that?

Please please please advice would be so good right now :(

[kahi35]

Hi I'm up. If you have you tube. Try check out the tapping tech. Sorry u having trouble . I'm up if you want to chat more.

[AnxiousGirl1]

Please if anyone has any advice I'd be really grateful :(

[princesspanic78]

Hi AnxiousGirl,

Its impossible for you to stop breathing, I used to worry about this all the time. The more you focus on it the harder it feels to breathe.

When you are very tense all the muscles around your ribs and diaghram will be tense and will make it harder for your lungs to expand as they should do, so you need to relax. Try tensing your chest and tummy as tight as possible and hold it for a while then completely relax like a sack of potatoes, try this a few times and pay attention to how it is harder to breathe when you are tense but when you relax the breathing is a lot easier.

Then do something that needs you to concentrate on it, a crossword or write a letter, anything that takes your concentration away from your breathing.

Most of all remember that breathing is automatic, we can control it when we want to but as soon as we stop consciously doing so our bodies take over automatically again.

x

[jayjoe18]

I have this a lot when I'm trying to go to sleep. When it's all quiet I can start to focus on my breathing and then it becomes hard to breathe exactly like you described. It's awful. Best thing to do is distract yourself, maybe put on some headphones and listen to music/relaxation whilst you calm down and fall asleep.

[AnxiousGirl1]

Thank you so much princesspanic. That's the lost helpful post ever and it's so good to know that I'm not alone with this problem!

---------- Post added at 15:13 ---------- Previous post was at 15:01 ----------

* most

---------- Post added at 15:14 ---------- Previous post was at 15:13 ----------

Yeah Jay it's exactly when I lay down to sleep.. When I'm alone with my mind :(

[princesspanic78]

I'm glad you found that helpful AnxiousGirl1,

You aren't alone, its a common feeling when you are anxious. I tried all the breathing exercises but couldn't ever do them which was so frustrating, it wasn't until I learnt to relax the muscles round my chest ribs and tummy that I stopped focusing on it x

[AnxiousGirl1]

I'm definitely going to try that tonight :)

[Stu82]

Hi,

There's a very recent post about all this. Seems a very common symptom but like already said it's impossible for us to stop breathing. I've done this on and off for the last 8yrs and but only comes on when I'm having a stressed/anxious time the comes which strangely enough a lot has changed for me start of this year and had quite a bit of stress. Then come June I was worrying about flying on holiday and still thinking about it a lot now.

It'll go again though and same for you :)

---------- Post added at 18:15 ---------- Previous post was at 18:04 ----------

Oh don't go googling it etc, I've been stupid today and done it this afternoon and it came up with something I didn't want to read but did anyway and scared the s**t out me lol (don't worry knowing to do with just stopping breathing kos you can't) as it was sign to do with something else! Stupid!

The old google one thing and it'll be the symptom for something else.........doh lol!

[AnxiousGirl1]

Thank you Stu. What was it that you looked up?

[princesspanic78]

Don't google guys, its like watching a horror movie alone in a haunted house x

[Stu82]

I googled the problem and found it was all down to anxiety.

Basically I'm just analysing and reading into it too much, it's down to anxiety. Because of our thought pattern we think negatively and worry about the silliest of things, even natural automatic bodily functions. It could be anything we choose to focus on and for us it's breathing but look on the bright side, focusing on breathing is used for relaxation in Yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, relieve tension and general excise so if we can harness it positively and understand that if we aren't thinking about it, it will just carry on as normal.

One thing I've noticed is I don't have any other of the anxiety symptoms!:yesyes:

[AnxiousGirl1]

Ahhh I just meant what problem was it?

[Stu82]

About breathing pattern changes when feeling down just to make sense of why we feel like we do and get focused on it but all made sense. One thing that came up which wasn't relevant to us came up but that's because there's that many symptoms to anxiety they can be the same for other things which is like anything you google.

Headaches etc comes up with what we would fear most which is why we worry and get focused on silly things.

[AnxiousGirl1]

Oh ok. Thanks Stu. How did you overcome breathing anxiety? X

[littlebutterflygb]

I used to suffer from this anxiety for many years - sometimes I'd think I HAD stopped breathing! But if I DID, what was REALLY the worst that could happen? I'd faint...I'd fall over..I'd bump my head (ouch). Was that so bad?

I'd agree with doing some distraction to take your mind off your breathing. If you think about it, your body doesn't need you to tell it to breathe - it just does it. Leave it alone and it will work fine as it has done all the time.

[AnxiousGirl1]

Yeah it's just hard with distractions at night :(

And why did you think you had stopped breathing?

Thank you!
X

[nomorepanic]

I replied to your email as well

[patt]

I know this is not a fast way out for your problem but you might consider to start practicing yoga. It helped me a lot to manage my anxiety problems.

[scrog80]

plug in your earphones put on an audio book lay back and breath in through your nose and out your mouth bliss automatically relaxes you i guarantee it ....