im becoming obsessed with breathing

[beauty]

Please help,
this has been going on for years now on and off, ive already posted about thid but its becoming worse again.
For years i have obsessed with breathing, im convinced that if i think about it enough, you know the process, i will just not be able to breathe anymore. It absolutley terrifies me!! Nothing has ever actually happened to me though, other than minor panic attacks when i think about it alot. I am just convinced that it will eventually happen and i will just die. I relate it to the swallowing thing, you know when you think about swallowing and then you cant. Ive had this and have been stuck in the swallowing process for a few seconds at a time, which is very scary. And im sure the same will eventually happen with breathing, that i will get stuck in the process and not be able to breathe for a few seconds and then it will gradually get worse.
Ive been having a horrible feeling of dread that this is going to happen soon, and i know if it ever did it would ruin me i wouldnt be able to do anything alone, and would probably end up house-bound at 21!
I feel so alone in it all, like no-one else gets it and at the moment everytime i think about it it is just scaring me so much, im not even able to imagine my future at the moment without thinking 'actually i probably havent got a future'.
It seems impossible to get out of this now,
Any advice would be great,
thanks for reading xxx

[belle]

Hi Beauty..
I'm right there with you on this one.
Just 30 minutes ago i was working and i was CONVINCED i was going to stop breathing and die at work!!!!! (I only work for an hour, so it'd be ironic if i did.) I WOULD LOVE to advise you on this, but i am sure my obsession stems from a LONG time ago, so i really don't know what to say, apart from, you are definitely NOT alone.
I also have the swollowing thing, its like you just can't do it, you start but it gets stuck....ugh....this is cr*p!

x

[beauty]

Hiya Bluebell,

Its great to know im not alone, i appreciate your reply soo much! How long have u had it for? Have u ever actually stopped breathing because of thinking about it? Everyone always tells me this is impossible but i just cant believe sometimes cos it feels so real!
Im begining to wonder if it stems from something for me too, cos even before this iv always been uncomfortable with breathing issues such as people being suffocated on films etc or holding my breath underwater.

Thanks so much xxx

[stephcatlover]

Not familiar withthis particular symptom of anxiety but it sounds awful. I always think that with the symptoms that I've over and over for years it can help to tell myself that I've had them before and they haven't killed me yet, so they won't this time! it honestly isn't possible to stop your breathing (even if you are trying like mad - which of course you aren't - it just won't happen) it's automatic.

good luck with it - stephX

[Breatheon]

Hiya

Well as you can see from my name this is the big symptom that I have suffered from off and on... you are definitely not alone!! However I hope that you can draw comfort from the following two things.

First of all, when I went to my GP about this about a year ago and told her how much it was getting me down and she started off by saying "I can one hundred percent..." and I thought she was going to say "I can one hundred percent sympathise with it" but instead she said "I can one hundred percent guarantee that you will not stop breathing" which made me feel a lot better.

She said like everyone else that breathing is an automatic reaction and she did add that even if somebodys breathing was interrupted their brain would make them faint so that the automatic function could take over and breathing would go back to normal. And don't worry because this kind of thing is very uncommon, I have never fainted!!

The second thing to think about is when you are asleep, you are not consciously making yourself breathe during those 6 or 7 hours and it is happening automatically, which shows that you don't need to be physically aware of every breath.

But I do know what it feels like during the daytime. The most important thing is to try and distract yourself when you feel like you're focusing on the breathing, which might be to switch on the TV or sing a song or something... and you don't want to hear me singing lol!! By distracting yourself you take your mind off the obsession on breathing and after a while you find yourself being distracted without even realising it, if you know what I mean!!

It does take time, but it does also improve. Take care and keep well :)

[beauty]

Thanks everybody for your advice. It has actually made me feel a lot better and I've been reassured and am now determined to distract myself whenever i think about it. The main time i get it is whilst driving but i havent stopped driving alone yet which im pleased with.
Hoping i will eventually shake it off like i have done before : )

[Lindalou64]

Way Back I Was Told By A Doctor You Will Never Just Stop Breathing We Just Feel As We Are When We Are Anxious...but I Do Understand This Is Something I Deal With Still Not Stpping Breathing But Hyperventaltin When Anxious........like They Say Its A Normal Thing Our Body And Brain Does Like A Babys It Will Start To Breathe When You Run Out Of Breath....wish Ya The Best......linda