Is Hyperventilation Attack The Same As Panic Attack???

[Panic1971]

Hi everyone

I have been suffering with constant anxiety and panic attacks for over 6 years now. They started after I had my second daughter. I have some days better than other, but the anxiety is always there. My main problem is the fear that I am going to drop down dead whenever I get a strange symptom or feeling. I just want to live my life freely, being able to just go and do what I want without having to check how I am feeling and whether I will be okay.

I have been doing loads of research on it to try and overcome the panicky feelings etc, and have come across a book called 'Self Help for Hyperventilation Syndrome' by Dinah Bradley. Everything it says in there seems relevant to me. It says that you may have chronic hyperventilation if the following occurs:-

Original cause (psychological or physical stress)

which causes tension and anxiety

which makes you hyperventilate

which gives you a hyperventilation attack

which leads to anticipation anxiety and possible avoidance behaviours

- so surely this is what a panic attack is.

Sorry, if this has been so obvious to you before - but just thought I would share it with you.

It states in the book that you need to practice breathing exercises - which are easier said than done, because whenever I concentrate on my breathing - my symptoms get worse and I end up feeling worse than ever. I do know that I hold a lot of tension in my stomach and shoulders, which makes me hold my breath alot. I conscientously try to control my breathing but I find it so difficult.

I have been trying EFT for quite a while now - but that doesnt seem to be working either. I dont know whether I am expecting too much from it or whether I am doing it right or not.

Thank you for letting me write this - sometimes it makes you feel better when you write things down.

Thanks x

[Piglet]

Dinah Bradley's book is one of my absolute favourites on the whole breathing thing.

It's funny but when I look back I was hyperventilating for months before I had my first panic attack - unfortunately I didn't really pay attention to it and just dismissed it as being a bit unfit!

Honestly it's worth perservering with the exercises, as if you can get a reasonable control over your breathing in times of stress it can ward off a panic attack completely!!

Piglet

[Wenjoy]

Hi
I have hyperventilated for most of my life and had panic attacks since I was in my 20s (im now in my 40s) I can cope with the feeling of panic but its my breathing that sets the attack off. I feel if I cant relax and breathe calmly that I will collapse and cant get out of wherever I am. I have ready several books on hypervenilation and know that is my problem - breathing is so important to us and any imbalance in oxygent/carbondioxide levels in the blood will case adrenaline to be released which makes us jumpy and anxious. It all sounds so easy I know but its the mechanics of our body and our body is a wonderful thing - trouble is its sooooo hard to put it all into practice"!!! Wenjoy x

[Gutsy]

Wow, this is very interesting. I never made the connection between breathing and panic attacks until now. Piglet I also thought I was just really unfit ...
It happened to me quite a lot in the months leading up to the current lot of nightly attacks I'm getting.

[Piglet]

Gutsy the way we breath has so much bearing on the symptoms of a panic attack, so it's really worth learning to breathe correctly, cos so many of us don't.

I think I used to chest breathe ever such a lot - whereas now I definately breathe from my diaphragm/tummy area.

If you haven't read Dinah Bradley's book I would really recommend it. It's an easy slim paperback to read but can set on the right road!!

Piglet

[Panic1971]

Thanks for the replies. I never really connected the two before either, although it is obvious when you think about it.

I have bought Dinah's book - it is very interesting.

I will need to keep trying the exercises, I find them easy enough when I am quite relaxed - but struggle to do it when I need to. I find that I dwell on my feelings/symptoms too much and my breathing goes out of the window. Any tips on how to get over this?

Thanks once again.

Ann x

[Piglet]

Ann I think this really comes with practice.

I also find if I blow a little bit when I let my breathe out for some reason that helps too. When you think about it pursing up your mouth to blow/let the air back out slows it down a little and that helps!!

If you breathe in slowly deep in your tummy and then pause and do nothing for a second then blow the air out slowly it will slow it all down and make you breathe better, thus balancing the gases goin in and coming out! It's the inbalance that makes us feel so spaced!!

Piglet

[kimmy]

When mine first started I was hyperventilating- because I thought i stopped breathing. This lead me to have a panic attack then to on going anxiety about my mental health.

[Evie]

As well as having past experience of bad panic attacks I sing first soprano. This involves tremendous support from the diaphragm so I have had to learn some pretty effective methods of breath control. Try the following:

1) Find your diaphragm and make friends with it! If you watch a baby lying on its back, breathing you will see that its whole tummy seems to fill up when it breathes in. This is the proper way to breathe but we get into bad habits as we grow older. Stand up straight and breathe out. Place your hands together, middle fingertips touching across the bottom of your ribs and breathe in. If nothing happens to your fingers you're doing it wrong. See if you can make your fingertips move apart as you breathe in and then back together again as you exhale.

2) Stand with your feet slightly apart, shake your arms and shoulders a little to loosen them up. Make sure you have an arm's length of space to the left and right (don't knock any ornaments off the mantlepiece!) and with your arms straight down by your sides, slowly raise them upwards to a slow count of three...breathing in slowly through your nose...until your arms are straight up above your head. Now hold for three and then drop your arms equally slowly back down to your sides, breathing out slowly through gently pursed lips but - the IMPORTANT bit - keeping your ribcage raised. This is done by gently pulling in your tummy as you breath out. Repeat. When you get better at it, simply slow the count or else count to five instead of three.

Once you learn to twitch your diaphragm (pulling your tummy in) you'll be able to push it out and pull it in on demand, which will help regulate your breathing.

And best of all, your waistline will be amazing and your tummy will LOVE you.

[mirry]

Thanks Evie, my rib cage is fused so I do have difficulties with my breathing, but I will be trying out your method tonight.

where did you learn this ?