breathing hell

[anxiouschick]

Hi I am suffering from terrible anxiety and panic at the moment and am aware that I seem to hyperventilate on and off most of the time. This leads to terrible pain in my chest and feeling like I can't get a good breath. The only way I used to be able to stop this, was by forgetting about it and distracting myself.
Recently however, I have been reading a lot of posts on this forum and purchased the Dinah Bradley book as recommended. At first, I seemed to manage the breathing exercies ok and found the book really helpful, but all I do now is focus on my breathing and it seems to be getting worse than ever. It's all I think about and I am gettting frustrated that I can't do the exercises properley.
I have had this before a few years ago when I had CBT and was given breathing exercises to do.
Does anybody else feel like this. It's driving me mad and I'm getting more and more anxious about it!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[PUGLETMUM]

:) hi anxiouschick, from the book ive read ive learnt that hyperventilating is a massive contributing factor to anxiety and panic. i have always believed that breathing properly could reverse alot of the processes that are going on in the body when we are hyperventilating. but this book actually says that they believe ppl with anx are typical shallow over breathers.

i can know all this and still not take steps to utilise it, but i have for one boring reason and another had to face my phobic situations this last week and i have had no choice but to implement the breathing techniques ive learnt over the years, and my panic levels are much much lower. my anx is still present but at a manageable level.

im sorry that you feel so bad about the breathing situation, all i can say is that it has worked for me,try to stick with it but to not 'demand' that it works, or keep monitoring yourself. i suppose you have to accept the anx and panic but still take steps to lower it all the time while not expecting it to work! a bit of a tall order i know but i think it does work? take care emma

[sazzle]

God I know exactly how you feel! Ive read that book too and im the same. All I want to do is let me body do the breathing instead of me if you know what i mean. Im having a whopping attack at the moment and the only time i breathe properly is when im asleep.

Your deffo not alone, lemme know if you want to chat on here or msn :)

[cattttt]

I've been like this too and I found that exercise where I got out of breath helped, because it broke the cycle and I could breath more calmly afterwards.

[Wenjoy]

Hiya - I was fine today until I went in a very hot stuffy shop and started to panic breathe!! Couldnt wait to get out into the cool are outside.Wenjoy x