Need help quick! :)

[Samster]

Hey everyone

just to give an update:

I have had health anxiety of some severity since 27th September last year.
It basically from that date stopped me going out or going to school or anything. I spent months stuck in the house going no where. Since then it got worse and worse until it started to improve (somewhat randomly might I add) but since then I've had random ups and downs and even when my anxiety is giving very little symptoms I suffer with chronic inability to get a deep breath. Now in order to try and beat this thing and take my mind off it I'm trying to go back to school tomorrow however I am still somewhat concerned that I have circulatory problems or some form of brain bleeding etc. (silly because I'm 18) and wondered if anyone had any suggestions for me to just carry on regardless and give me a chance to *forget myself* as the thought process is deeply ingraned. Quotes. Experience etc. all help is appreciated. Thanks

Sam

---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 18:40 ----------

Oh and any exercises or similar to help me get restful sleep tonight would be helpful too! :)

[courierdude]

simple answer is to learn how to breathe into your stomach area and not into your chest area which is what most people find easiest.

fill your stomach with long slow deep breaths. if you dont do it naturally then it is something that you will have to keep practising until it takes over from the short sharp shallow breaths people use to fill their smaller chest area.

babies and all mammals breathe into the stomach area as it is more efficient and more likely that you alleviate the impulse to hyperventilate for example.

lay on your back and practice whenever you have the time or need.

best practice is in through the nose-deep into your stomach and out through your mouth.

good luck

[tan235]

oh my lord, read my post that I posted maybe 2 seconds before yours! I will come back and read what others post here to see they can help me.

Why would you suspect brain bleeding! haha have you had a head injury?!

I've get this on and off - over the past 12 years I haven't had it much but last year and this year I get it all the time and yes a restful nights sleep would be amazing, i end up crying myself to sleep and taking xanax.

[Samster]

Haha thats quite funny tan! Kindered spirits obviously!

I just read a post that helped me quite alot actually.
Its below

Step 1: Take a few small breaths and try to relax your breathing. Make sure to have a stopwatch handy.
Step 2: Slowly exhale completely and once you have done so, hold your breath and start the timer.
Step 3: Stop the timer when you feel the first urge to breathe, remember this is not a test of how long you can hold your breath, if you find yourself gasping for air then you held it for too long.
Step 4: Record how long you held it for before needing to breathe, this is your Control Pause score.
If your CP is below 10 seconds then you are breathing several times over the regular amount. 10-20 means you're breathing over double the regular amount. Your goal is to consistently hit 30 or higher. A higher score means your body is more oxygenated and is not deprived of carbon dioxide.
Next up is a technique to restore your carbon dioxide levels. While sitting, place your finger horizontally under your nose. Do your best to breathe only through the opening of your nose for 5 minutes. This will help you increase your carbon dioxide level. Now repeat the Control Pause Technique.

all I will say to you by the way is stick with it. I felt like I was going to die while doing this but it really relieve it if only a little bit.

And my fear of brain aneuyrism and anything circulatory I think stems from me hitting my head back in september and then my first migrane a month later (thanks anxiety) and severe pains in my head randomly. That was in November. Still scared. Its like I can sort of go "look Sam you are 18 yes you smoke and yes you've drunk before but you havent got a bloody brain aneuryism or atherosclerosis or blood clots in the lungs" haha thats the worst bit I KNOW its ridiculous but I still seem to worry about every feeling in my head and back and hands..... and feet........ and eyes..... and chest.... and maybe ears.

---------- Post added at 19:13 ---------- Previous post was at 19:12 ----------

Just realised what I posted is basically what Courier dude is saying haha I didnt really buy into it at first but I'm spending a little time doing it every day and have seen some... not huge but some achievement.

[tan235]

That's incredibly helpful!!!! Yes kindered spirits, can I just say - this wont last forever, but not having an education due to this kind of anxiety is not what should stop you -= trust me you'll kick yourself years later. I know, I was going to study psychology and my anxiety was so bad i couldn't leave the house - 10 years later I wish I'd just gotten over it and studied! Harder said than done but you can do this! yes to breathing! gosh I'm over sleepless nights and being scared of bed time!

---------- Post added at 19:29 ---------- Previous post was at 19:26 ----------

You don't have anything wrong with your brain ;)

[Samster]

Haha! I'm glad it provides some relief! and my father who suffered a similar thing after glandular fever at my age but he was worried about going blind and AIDS said to me the other day (bearing in mind he turned 50 this year and is fit as a fiddle) "I wish I hadn't spent the last 20 years worrying about dying" haha so I am hopefully at the point where I can move on from this and get back to my "invincible self"!