Breathing 24/7

[HarleyMarshall]

Hi guys, it's been about 6 months since I've had an obsession over my breathing we're I constantly think of it we're I tend to manually breath and it's uncomfortable and really scary and it's controlling my life I hate and I can't do breathing exercises cause it makes it worse :(

[machassan]

Hi Harley
this is an OCD
i have this type of OCD (beathing awareness) , 2 years ago , it disapeared
remember it is an OCD , obsession and compulsion
treatment could be either by medication and/or therapy
the most important part of theray is exposure therapy
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lets start to analyse your OCD
obsession = holding thought in my awareness like (noticing breathing) is dangerous
compulsion = trying to remove the danger = trying not to hold the thought = continuous checking your awareness for the thought = continuous holding the thought
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remember a natural attention bias that occur to everybody (attention is shifted toward a danger when there is a danger ) otherwise , your attention is free you an think about anything you want
this is a protective mechanism if there is a lion , you have to pay attention to it reflexly , otherwise you will die
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so you can bring your attention back if the obsessive Idea is not dangerous
you have a cognitive errors that made this thought dangerous

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why holding the thought that noticing respiration is dangerous ?

[Juggar]

Hi,

I had this happen to me when I was about 11 or so. It caused me great distress but my mom basically set me straight on it (explained how its involuntary) and I never thought about it again for 13 years. well I thought about it every now and then but it was considered a garbage thought and I paid no mind to it.

This thought came back to me not long after I suffered an anxiety attack over a night of not being able to sleep. I still struggle with it today but its not that bad anymore(probably because I worry about sleep all the time instead!) . At first it really weighed heavily on me, but as time went on I thought about it less an less. Just realize that you will always breathe, its involuntary and happens without you thinking about it if you let it.

Its true that its a type of OCD and its best managed by CBT. If its been 6 months and you feel like this is a daily thing that weighs heavily, I would look into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Hang in there Harley, and just trust in your body!

[Barnabas75]

What happens when you sleep. Does it go away then ?

[Panicer]

Hi Harley

Snap, I get exactly the same thing and also have GAD and trying to explain it to others is really difficult. CBT, mindfulness, relaxation for anxiety, all seem to use breathing techniques, which make me focus on my breathing and off I go again. I actually had to leave a relaxation session the other week as I was building to a panic attack. Yes I know how stupid that sounds, relaxation therapy making me have a panic attack but there you go. I'm working on it and it seems to be lessening a little.

[LiveAboveIt]

I actually used to have this issue for a long time. It is indeed an OCD issue. Mine has since switched to thinking about/constantly being aware of my thinking, which makes everything even worse because I am even more prone to acknowledging every anxious thought that my brain wants to churn out. I dont know how to seek help for this.

[AM]

Hello,

I have been suffering from OCD about my breathing for r he past three months. Has anyone found anything that worked for them? I constantly find myself aware of my breathing which has triggered panic attacks. Because of this I have days where I can't stop crying and feel so helpless.
I was hoping I could hear of some strategies as I feel like this will never go away.

[Juggar]

Hello,

I have been suffering from OCD about my breathing for r he past three months. Has anyone found anything that worked for them? I constantly find myself aware of my breathing which has triggered panic attacks. Because of this I have days where I can't stop crying and feel so helpless.
I was hoping I could hear of some strategies as I feel like this will never go away.

I posted earlier and I'm still here haha, I'm still highly OCD about it as well. It's super irritating but yeah you get used to it. There's no néed to panic over it since you will always breathe. Unfortunately I find myself aware of it almost all the time now, but, that's just it, I'm only aware of it. It's not a threat to me so I know that although it may feel uncomfortable, it's nothing really to be worrrid about.

I really really do feel this "awareness" of breathing is a learned thing that takes hold. It's like a thought pattern gets established in the brain and it's super hard to get rid of. Of course, I went my whole life nearly without being affected so I know they such OCD/though patterns can be unlearned.

For me, it's been kind of on the back burner recently and the less attention i give it, the less it bothers me. It might always be sorta there in the back of my mind continually but I know there's no reason to panic.

I really don't know what to do about other than see a professional of some sort for CBT. I may do when it's convient to me. I think this condition is called sensirometer OCD. But don't google it so you don't read things that might trigger more OCD.

But trust me, I know how you feel and I sympathize.

[Wooster]

I've had this since I was about nine years old, but it's much better now because I'm able to tell myself "you've been doing this for years and you've still not dropped dead, it can't possibly be dangerous". Which is true. It's a horribly uncomfortable feeling, but it can't hurt you. I also find the breathing techniques just make it worse; however, exercise can help. I go on brisk walks.

[Barnabas75]

I have struggled with this breathing problem for 4 years now. It horrible and would not wish it on anyone. It is worse at night when I try sleep and whenever I wake up during sleep its the first thing that comes to mind. It can trigger panic in me. It happens when I am in groups or at the cinema. Makes me leave . It feels like it is robbing me of life. It makes it hard to concentrate. I used to be a pretty good golfer and now I can hardly play because instead of concentrating on the shot I am thinking about breathing. Its like a switch that wont turn off. I feel for you as I know how bad it is. I hope things improve for us all who struggle with this. Its hard to explain it to people who have not experienced it.

[Juggar]

It is worse at night when I try sleep and whenever I wake up during sleep its the first thing that comes to mind.

Yup, same here. I hate it, I also wish there was a switch to turn it off.....

If anyone figures out a cure for this I'd love to hear it. since I can't forget about my breathing it makes me thing of my anxiety issues constantly and certainly reduces my quality of life.

[Barnabas75]

Same here Juggar. Answers would be helpful.

[Barnabas75]

So I spoke to a Doctor today about the breathing obsession and she said it was not something she has specifically worked with but that fear and anxiety can manifest in different ways and that the principles were not unique. One thing she said that stuck with me was about intrusive thoughts. When I started to get panic attacks it was because the thought came to me that I could not breathe and had to make myself breathe. Is it possible that an intrusive thought could be behind this breathing dilema. She said " addition I would encourage you to choose something specific to focus your mind on when those intrusive thoughts about breathing come. Choose something that is pleasant, engaging, and completely separate from your physical health - perhaps a pleasant place you enjoy being, a song that completely engrosses your mind, etc."...I know its easier said than done especially after years of it. Its like breaking a bad habit I suppose. If it is a habit it might take a while to break it. Its like the mind has to be re trained. Much like an obsession also I suppose. Going to give it a try as it made some sense and I am sharing this because it could possible help someone else. Here is to hoping.

[Steve-o]

http://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sens

[Juggar]

So I spoke to a Doctor today about the breathing obsession and she said it was not something she has specifically worked with but that fear and anxiety can manifest in different ways and that the principles were not unique. One thing she said that stuck with me was about intrusive thoughts. When I started to get panic attacks it was because the thought came to me that I could not breathe and had to make myself breathe. Is it possible that an intrusive thought could be behind this breathing dilema. She said " addition I would encourage you to choose something specific to focus your mind on when those intrusive thoughts about breathing come. Choose something that is pleasant, engaging, and completely separate from your physical health - perhaps a pleasant place you enjoy being, a song that completely engrosses your mind, etc."...I know its easier said than done especially after years of it. Its like breaking a bad habit I suppose. If it is a habit it might take a while to break it. Its like the mind has to be re trained. Much like an obsession also I suppose. Going to give it a try as it made some sense and I am sharing this because it could possible help someone else. Here is to hoping.

Thanks for sharing, it is very useful advice.

You may be on to something with the "brain being retrained". I believe it's called neuroplacisty, when something common becomes more easily done in the brain. I think when we focus on this obsession constantly it starts to become ingrained in the brain. If course over time the opposite can be true as well.

I guess we will just do the best we can to distract ourselves and hopefully over time have it be a less common occurrence.

---------- Post added at 03:31 ---------- Previous post was at 03:29 ----------


http://beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sens

Good link, I've seen it before. But warning to anyone with these kinds of obsessions, you might not want to look as it list a good many similar obsessions. :ohmy:

[Panic Stations]

I am completely on the same page as this - been struggling with it for the past month 24/7. The feeling in the chest is so uncomfortable, i just cant believe i am still concerned that i am going to stop breathing when i know i will not. So irritating. Waiting for my higher dose of cit to kick in!