I can't breathe.....

[Wenjoy]

I really dont know whats going on with me. I seemed to be stabilising a bit with my PAs but today- I cant breathe - I feel light headed and panicky and weird - I try to calm 4 in, hold for 4, breathe out for 8 but I still feel breathless - scary. And to top it all - my mother has invited me and hubby to stay for the weekend which Id love to do but am scared coz I feel so breathless and I keep sighing a lot even though I am trying to drop my shoulders and belly breathe - this is really tiresome and hard work! Wenjoy x

[eddie d]

try to get busy doing something to take your mind off it .distract your attention.

[rufus]

Hello Wenjoy, I really know what you mean - the main source of my anxiety seems to be my breathing and my PAs have kind of subsided - don't know what's worse having the odd full blown pa or feeling rough more of the time from not breathing properly.

I have noticed it is all connected with thinking about it too much and worrying about it - just makes it worse. I know this cos when I'm busy doing something that occupies my mind I suddenly realise I haven't had any problems with breathing - so best thing is distraction.

I think the thing to do is not react to the thoughts about not being able to breath by sighing etc cos the more you react the more the thoughts will come again. Easier said than done though!

I find its affected my confidence to excercise as well as I'm worried about not being able to breath properly - annoying as I know gentle exercise is suppose to stabilise breathing.

Im going to GP tomorrow and seeing mental health nurse and will mention it to see if they have any good tips - suspect that the info on this site will probably be more useful though

hope it gets better soon

Rufus xx

[davidthegnome]

Hey Wenjoy, I've always found it kind of odd myself how anxiety or panic attacks do this to us. When I began this struggle I was having panic attacks three or four times a day, and at night they were always the worst. I would pace back and forth for hours, focusing on my breathing and trying to make sure it was deep and so on. I think focusing on it and making such a great effort to control it probably just made me even more scared of it. Man was it a rough struggle. It does get better though. Be gentle with yourself and just keep applying techniques that have worked in the past. You may want to try out some new ones too.

If you feel comfortable with doing this, take in a deep breath and hold it as long as you can. Eventually, that breath is going to come out whether you tell it to or not. The body is very good at keeping us going despite the fears of the mind. Deep breathing excercises can help, but it may be that focusing a lot on your breathing and worrying about it is making you more uncomfortable. Have you tried adding music? This will help to distract your mind as you breathe. I would suggest something soothing and relaxing. Myself I use Bethoven and Mozart. (I also love that song from the recent Phantom of the opera musical: All I ask of you. It may sound a little cheesy, but it's great and always helps calm me down)

I also think Eddie made a good point. Distraction is very helpful. Like, for example, yesterday, I began to wean down still more on the lorazepam I've been taking. Twice a day now instead of three times. Well I fretted about it on and off all day. I usually took the dose at four and was dreading the anxiety I was expecting from missing one. It's kind of funny though, that I was talking to a friend from 3:30 until around 4:30 and she had me laughing and grinning and I didn't even think of the lorazepam until after the normal time had passed for me to take it. The rest of the day and night were easier after that.

Also, have you tried the paper bag technique? You know, just breathing in and out of a paper bag. Some people have told me this really works for them, though I only really tried it once myself.

Another thing I usually mention... have you tried EFT? I find that it has helped me with my breathing troubles and fear of losing my breath and such. Actually, generally halfway through a round I'll start to yawn which I think helps. If you want more info about EFT feel free to PM me.

Good luck and God bless you. I know this is rough, but panic attacks can't hurt you, keep that in mind. We'll all be cheering you on.

Dave

[Wenjoy]

Thankyou all of you for your kind comments. Dave - I would love to know more about EFT - have seen people talk about it and know a bit about it but how will it help me with my breathing? Feel free to reply to my e mail address as it would be interesting to find out a bit more about EFT> It seems to be a new thing over here in the UK!! Wenjoy x