Reverse panic

[nomorepanic]

This is the only way I can call this thing cos I am not getting the symptoms cos I panic but I am panicking cos I get the symptoms!

The last 2 days I have been very short of breath - not asthmatic but just feel as though I am not taking enough air in. It is hard to explain but when I breathe in I don't feel as though I have air and it freaks me out.

I got very panicky last night so went to bed to forget about it. I woke up at 4am unable to breathe but tried to sleep again.

I think it is related to weight gain cos I have put on half a stone recently but it does scare me cos it is making me panic. I am sure it doesn't help the panic.

I am doing reverse panic here cos I am getting the symptoms of panic cos I dont feel well so I panic and normally it is the other way.

How do I ever stop the panic from when I don't feel well?


Nicola

[Meg]

Nic,

Firstly - are you really short of breath or are you thinking about it and now overbreathing to compensate.

Get out CD 8 and go straight to track 3 - don't bother with all the preamble .

See how your breathing pattern is both in rate and depth..,

It is true that if we get bigger then it takes more air to oxygenate us but 1/2 stone is not enough to notice I shouldn't think.

Are you feeling at all ' cold ' like with brewing a chesty cold where your bronchioles are congested- eucalyptus steam inhalation may help.

You stop the panic from when you don't feel well by not allowing the thoughts to spiral of what this could be....

fear of symptoms are what most people do get scared of but you're past that and are specificly trigger driven now ....

Love
Meg

[sarah]

Hi Nic

Sorry you are feeling naff hon!

Maybe as Meg says you are under the weather? Its a definate thing to think about before you get het up with worrying about a downward spiral hon.

On the other side, I have felt the 'reverse panic' thing before. If im out of breath because I have run up the stairs or something my body brings on the panic because it thinks that in out of breath because im panicking. Daft I know but the body and mind does play tricks doesnt it?

The weight thing doesnt help, if you gain a little weight you feel unhealthy, have less energy, breathing not as good...trust me ive been there!!!...lol

To stop the panic when you dont feel well????
Tell yourself and keep telling yourself that its your body playing tricks because you dont feel well. Its not panic coming back. If I have panic, I look back at my present state of health and can probably find something to blame it on.....
lack of sleep
a cold
womens problems
not eating right

theres always a reason hon, you can always find something to blame it on and the panic will usually go away!!!!

take care
love Sarah
xxx

[nomorepanic]

Thanks Meg and Sarah.

I feel a lot better today - the breathing is ok.

I don't feel as though I have a cold or anything coming on and usually when I do I get a chesty cough but this is not like that.

I am breathing normally if that makes sense but I just don't feel as though I am getting enough air so in so it made me panicky.

I think it has to do with the weight gain and the fact that I have done no exercise atall for 3 weeks. I usually swim 3 or 4 times a week but with Xmas coming I never got round to it and sometimes just couldn't be bothered to go.

That alone has added to the weight gain and of course being lazy over Xmas for 10 days.

I will listen to that CD track Meg and see if that helps.

I was also feeling a bit dizzy on Thursday/Friday so maybe I am run down even though I don't feel it.

Will get a relaxing bath later and an early night and hopefully that will sort me out.

Thanks for the reassurance.

Nicola

[Jewel]

Hi

Have you tried to breathe in and out of a paper bag for a few minutes. It could be that you are shallow breathing and not getting enough Oxygen in. That would explain the diziness. Also it might help you to focus your mind.

It is awful when you feel like that. I lie down with my hands on my stomach and watch say eastenders and m,ake sure that I am breathing correctly all the time telling myself that I am getting so much air in now that I will be ok.

Dont know if this helps but hope you feel better soon.

take Care

[nomorepanic]

Hi Jewel

I didn't try the paper-bag cos I wasn't hyperventilating as such.

I need to listen to some relaxation tapes when it happens and practice my breathing but as usual I forget - doh!

I just panic first and think later lol!


Nicola

[Sarah-Jane]

Nicola

Your post is sooooooo how i am at the moment, i really relate to what you are going through too...

Love Sarah-jane xx

Love Sarah-Jane xxxx

[pips]

Hi Nic,

Sorry to hear you have been feeling bad matey. I do understand exactly how you feel and I have exactly the same issues with breathing. I often feel like yourself I am not getting enough air in and that i might stop breathing altogether. That in itself is enough to send us into a major panic hey hun! I have gained weight also ever since I gave up smoking 2 yrs ago and haven't been able to shift it I have tried all sorts. I do feel more uncomfortable though so I understand how you feel.

A couple of things that might help are: burning some oil like Eucalyptus.

Also Vicks do a soothing bubble bath called Vapobath which contains Eucalytus Menthol and Lavender so you can get a breathing and calming thing going on hopefully! LOL
Alternatively if you have the essential oils you make it yourself and add it to the bath.

Like yourself remembering to practice my breathing techniques (another one of my News Years Resoution lol)I go straight into panic mode as well. They do say that prevention is better then cure!

Or you could always take my hubbys really useful advice off don't worry darling if you do stop breathing you won't know anything about it anyway! Yeah cheers don't ever be a councellor hey! LOL

I hope you are feeling better Nic.

Take good care,

Love PIP'S XX XX

[Sarah-Jane]

Just a thought on the vapor bath, would vicks vapor rub disolved into warm/hot bath do the trick or should just the vapor bath ????



Love Sarah-Jane xxxx

[nomorepanic]

Pips

Thanks mate - I will give them a try and try chilling a bit more lol.

Nicola

[Rennie1989]

Hiya

iv been getting that recently when i had depression on new years day and onwards. i tent to watch telly or anything to get my mind of breathing. i had my bath yesterday and it was so hot that i thought i was going to go into an attack as i wasnt getting the oxygen!

glad your breathing is getting better mate!

Scooter Girl AKA Jade

[sal]

Hi Nic

Can see how you feel. Feeling unwell automatically turns us to PANIC and however hard we try it wont go away.

I am sure all of us have had some weight gain recently, know i have and to stop myself panicking over something else wont go near the scales although all my clothes give it away, but seeing it in black and white is harder.

Nic pleased it has calmed down for you remember like you always tell me its a blip and you are feeling better already. You wont stop breathing however bad you feel mate.



Lots of Love Sal xxxxx

[nomorepanic]

Thanks Sal

I guess I just got worried cos I wasn't panicky or stressed so couldn't understand why I was breathless so hence got panicky lol.

Don't go on the scales lol - I did yesterday and was horrified. Back to the diet lol

Nicola

[Mel]

Hi Nic

I think I feel like this all the time. I don't actually feel panicky but I still get the symptoms quite alot of the time, including feeling like I'm not getting enough air into my lungs. The way I deal with this is just to say "what the heck" and continue with whatever I have to do instead of worrying about whatever symptoms is bugging me. I must admit it is quite frustrating when you are feeling the symptoms of panic but don't actually feel panicky, it's like your body is ganging up on you!

Hugs Mel

[twister]

Hi Nic

I have been experiencing exactly the same thing over the last week. I have started back at work and college and so have been busy and a bit stressed but I have not really felt panicky. However, I have had the breathing problem and have experienced it more when I am on the tube. Because it is worse then, it must be something to do with panic (as that's where it all started as you know) - yet I don't feel panicked!

I also get the waking up in the night gasping for breath thing so the stress must run deep. It annoys me that stress seems to affect me so much now - will it do so for the rest of my life??

Emily

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit
Understanding is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad

[Sue]

Hi Nicola,

Sorry you have been feeling unwell.

One of the useful things my CBT therapist advised me to do was to "trivialise" the panic. So, if I started to go in to one, tell myself "dont worry its only panic, nothing serious." Sounds a bit strange I know but after a while I found this approach helped me a lot.

I can certainly relate to the breathless thing though, its horrible. I hope you are feeling a bit better now.

Sue

[nomorepanic]

Em - weird isn't it. It comes and goes but I still think I need to get back to some exercise cos that helps with the breathing. I must go swimming this week lol.

Sue - thanks. I am doing ok now - had it a bit again yesterday but like you say I am just saying to myself "you can breathe ok and you are ok so don't worry". It stops it ending up in that panic stage anyway.

Nicola

[nomorepanic]

I was just watching the programme on BBC1 about being overweight "Not my fault I am fat" and they said that an increase in weight expands the abdomen and reduces the lung capacity so people complain of breathing problems.

That is what I have and I was convinced it was the weight gain so I feel better having it confirmed.

Now all I need to do is lose the extra weight lol

Nicola