Constantly very short of breath

[Freaked]

I haven't been able to do a thing all day cos I'm so short of breath. Had loads of heart tests and a pulmonary function test (never got the results of that but I assume someone would have told me if it was terrible), chest ct, spirometers in hospital, and a pulse oximeter that usually reads 98 or 99 even when I feel like I'm smothering (touch wood). I try slowed breathing, paper bag, distraction, every technique I can find, and nothing works. Sometimes it evolves into a full panic attack, and other times it just disappears spontaneously. I get very dizzy with it sometimes. Help!

[mummyanxious]

Oh my I really feel for you I really do. I've been dreadful with it today.
I've no idea what a pulmonary test is but I would like one as I'm sure my lungs are buggered!

[NotCool]

You're out of shape and anxious. Start working out. First time, or maybe first few times, you won't feel comfortable doing it, considering exercise and anxiety have similar physical sensations, including faster BPM, adrenaline, faster breathing, but force yourself to keep at it, it eventually gets better. Make sure you take small steps at the start - don't go running 10km or anything crazy like that. Go take a higher paced 30-40 min walk instead, slowly ease into it, try running shorter distances. Considering you had all those tests, there's nothing physically wrong with you, so go ahead and beat that fear into submission. It really helps with managing anxiety in general.

[Phuzella]

Mindfulness is very helpful:)

[Freaked]

Thanks for the replies!

Unfortunately I can't exercise much cos I have a condition called POTS, and mindfulness tends to make me worse cos it makes me focus on how crappy I feel :-/

[MyNameIsTerry]

Mindfulness meditation did that to me at first Freaked. Most of my GAD is symptom focussed so I was skeptical about anything like body scanning as I was alreadt doing that 24/7!

I found it happened with Mindfulness meditation at first but after a good amount of sessions it started to help and I was less focussed on that element.

Did you try it for long?

[Freaked]

Yeah body scanning part by part can be okay actually cos it distracts me a bit from the region I'm focused on. Haven't tried it in a while, but maybe I should again. Any exercise that deals with breathing sets me off though (which almost all of them do) and anything that tells you to focus on nothing. Atm my mind will invariably find something negative instead.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Have you tried intensely concentrating on an object then? That would force you for several minutes to forget that bodypart or at least try to.

[mummyanxious]

I love body scanning relaxation. It's the only one that really works for me and makes my limbs all really relaxed.