Awful day and night!

[katiekatie]

Hi guys

I had a terrible day yesterday, felt out of breath (thats MY main panic symptom), I was getting more and more stressed about it and had my mind racing through all the lung diseases possible.... my peak flow is normally 550 and was 530 so I shouldn't have had trouble breathing, and in fact I could talk ok and sounded ok-i FELT like i wasn't breathing... i get so frustrated, got period pain too this month which is not usual for me so i was in a real foul mood by the time my boyfriend came round for the night. He hadn't been in more than a minute and i was angry at him then i stormed off to bed and refused to talk to him and kept pushing him away from me....I don't know why cos he hadn't done anything except try to cuddle me since he walked through the door. Then i come up in my rash and burst out crying saying i cant breath, he reminds me that i am breathing normally because he can hear me. Takes him an hour and a half to let me allow him to put his arms around me and try to relax. What is wrong with me... it didn't feel like me...and i just wanted to hold him but part of me was sulking and i couldn't stop it.....

Trying to ignore my breathing today but it is bugging me, and my pf is 550! Would love to never think about my breathing again!

katiekatie

[FAN]

hi sorry your not feeling too good,

i think we all have the breathing issues at some point and it is a classic symptom that we dont breath properly which sets every thing off and then we get out of control thinking al sorts of stuff im sure your fine just try relax and let it wash over you, im not sure about keep checking your peak flow i really dont think its a good idea and i know if i did it i would be convincing myself i was gonna die at any minute even though i know i wasnt......try not checking it and see how you go

fan x

"dont wait for the light at the end of the tunnel..........stride down there and light the bl**dy thing yourself!

[Laurie28]

Hiya,

Taking your peak flow is not helping - even though it reassures you to some extent it is not taking your mind off it - try and stop taking your peak flow all the time.

it sounds like you had a really bad panic attack - I rmember crawling through to my boyfriend one day and telling him i couldn't breath and he totally ignored me - he wasn't being nasty he had just seen it so many time before.

Your boyfriend sounds great - try some straight talking to yourself when you get this bad

I used to say things like

If i can't breathe I wouldn't be talking, eating, walking crawling etc etc.

I know it is hellish

take care

Lucky

[KW]

Hi there

Sorry to hear you've been having a tough time.

I too get like that with my bf around my period. I moan at him over anything really and seem to cry alot, so it's just the joys of being a woman and how our hormones affect us.

Is there anything you could do to distract yourself from thinking about your breathing? What about listening to some relaxing music, read a book, going for a walk?

Hope you feel better soon.





KW

'Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire'
- JEAN DE LA FONTAINE

[katiekatie]

Hi thanks for your replies, you are both right, I should give my peak flow a miss and think about something else. Boyf has threatened to fix it so that it reads 0 a few times now. He is great, distracts me, tries to make me laugh and cuddles me all the time but last night I was just so angry and I don't know why. I'm off to do some gardening now, my weeds are shooting up and I'm refusing to give in a second day to panic.

Best wishes
katiekatie

[FAN]

hi glad you feel more positive today the fresh air will do you good and its a lovely day for a change

think most of us on here get worse around the time of our period so that could be making things worse

fan x

"dont wait for the light at the end of the tunnel..........stride down there and light the bl**dy thing yourself!

[angieb]

Hello Katie

Oh the lovely breathing thing. I best described it to my hubby as I know I am breathing but it feels like someone has taken half of the oxygen out of the air.

I was given an NLP exercise for breathing which turned my breathing panic around overnight. Basically I tap seven points on my body with my right index and middle fingers whilst closing my eyes and saying feel stressed but can cope over and over, tapping each point about 10-20 times. The points are middle of the forehead, above right eyebrow, the outer edge of the eright eye, the middle of my right cheekbone, under my nose just above top lip, my chin, left collar bone and left underarm. This technique stops you thinking about your breathing and helps to calm you down. After a while all I need to do now is tap the right colar bone and et-voila breathing slowed to normal.

For me though, controlling the breathing has bought on another symptom of throat tightening and racing pulse, but these are less frightening when you can breathe. I have not had a full panic attack since using this method. I am still suffering with anxiety, which I know I will eventually get over and being able to control my breathing just makes things less scary all round.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you try it.

Angie

[Rebecca]

I have the same problem!
A matter of fact Sunday night I got a panic attack and couldnt breath and was hypervinalting, and my boyfriend was trying to calm me down but I wouldnt. And I kept telling him I couldnt breath.....and he kept telling me I was fine.....Basically everything you went through I have gone through the same. Your NOT alone :) keep your head up....and try and think of other things besides your breathing ( i know it is sooo hard though ) [V]

Rebecca

[katiekatie]

Hi Everyone, many thanks for your replies, it is good to know that i am not the only person thinking i'm suffercating, have put my peak flow meter away.....for now.....

I have busied myself all day, gardening, vacuumed then scrubbed the bathroom, arms started to ache(start to worry), think about having a drink and sit down and notice my veins are all sticking up(
very worried about this). sit down rationally, i've been rushing about, pumping blood round, i lost lot of weight so no fat covering them so they are more noticable.....boy, i refuse to have a panic but i'm on alert.....

angie i just tried that technique, it does work! thank you i'll see how i go with that and let you know if it keeps warding them off.!

Take care all
katiekatie x

[kairen]

hi katiekatie, Have you ever tried going to a yoga class ? ive just started to go and it is really good or your breathing, our teacher teaches us to be aware of each breath but not to restrict it, ive found it a great help it's all about you being in conrol, not to panic and keeping calm. The natural instinct is to defend yourself wich is why you push your boyfriend away even if it's the last thing you want to do. hope this helped even just a litttle bit x x xkarien

kairen x

[katiekatie]

Hi yes I went to a yoga class recently, i got through it, but i am so weak at the moment it was really hard work for me. I am building myself up with the aim of going regularly.

katiekatie

[FAN]

hi seems you been really busy today but dont do too much all at once you will wear yourself out try get some relaxing time in sit down listen to music etc i know keeping busy distracts from everything else but you still got to look after yourself

fan x

"dont wait for the light at the end of the tunnel..........stride down there and light the bl**dy thing yourself!

[nomorepanic]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Then i come up in my rash and burst out crying saying i cant breath, he reminds me that i am breathing normally because he can hear me. Takes him an hour and a half to let me allow him to put his arms around me and try to relax.
katiekatie

<div align="right">Originally posted by katiekatie - 23 March 2005 : 12:21:52</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">
Katie

This bit made me smile as when I get panicky I go and sit with Alex and sob "I can't breathe properly" and he says "you are breathing fine I can see you breathing now".

Weird how we think isn't it?

Nicola

[katiekatie]

nicola-glad that you can smile about it too! I can afterwards but at the time-nope!

fan-i forgot to relax or rest today, i was too worried that if i stopped for long enough the fear would come back.

stupid head stupid head
katiekatie

[nomorepanic]

Hey Katie - love that saying "stupid head"

You are doing ok - don't forget that and it will get better in time ok? Stick at it.

Nicola

[sal]

Hi Katie

Pleased you managed to keep yourself busy however hard it was, a step in the right direction.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.