Anxiety and Breathing

Hi, I saw this question on the Tapir Discussion Board:

 

 

Does anyone ever feel like they can’t get a deep breath? I feel like I can’t get a full breath in and when I keep trying it makes my lungs actually HURT … its starting to bring on a panic attack. HELP!

 

 

This is a common complaint of anxiety sufferers and posters on Tapir gave some good answers and responses:

 

 

My last panic attack which was my worst and darkest one made me feel like i couldn’t breathe and that i was going to die. Since then every now and then at work, home or when i’m at the gym i remember and become really conscious of my breathing, but as has already been said let go, cos it’s automatic anyway and it won’t just stop. Just relax, and know that it won’t suddenly give way. I get it a lot but i’m learning to accept it.

 

 

I had that for a bit a few years ago. What I discovered was that after I started taking a low does of asthma medication (allergies) it helped emmensely. Can’t remember what it was though. Also, square breathing is great, breath in to 3, hold for 3, breath out for 3, hold for 3, repeat. Its something to focus on, very calming and assures that your not hyperventelating. Most times when someone feels they can’t breath they just breath all the harder which in effect turns into a bit of hyperventalation and doesn’t do any good at all.
Hope this helps.

 

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That’s pretty much exactly what i go through. it starts out with not getting a full breath and then i think something may be wrong and it goes from there. but ever since i learned that it’s just a symptom of a panic attack i just layback and breath in only through my nose and constantly remind myself it’s just anxiety and it can’t hurt me. like the previous ppl said you won’t just stop breathing so when you feel like you didn’t get a good full breath just remind yourself oh ya that’s just my anxiety and also realize you are getting plenty of air, and don’t struggle for deeper breaths that just makes it worse. that works for me, hope it works for you. and if you want the lingering feeling of not enough air to go away then you have to find out the trigger. for me it was over thinking and dwelling. you should try to find your trigger. hope it works.

 

 

I use to get that all the time! When I was younger my mom would bring me a paper bag to breath in! As I got older I realized I could just cup my hands around my nose and my mouth and breath in and out slowly through my nose would help.

Sounds to me your hyperventilating which is definately part of anxiety!!!! Try not to fight it when it happens. Try the hand trick if your in public and if your at home use the paper bag until you get good at it!!!!

 

 

 

 

i also had that really bad years ago,and it lasted about a year,of course this was before they new much about anxiey.what was happening is my chest museles were so tight from the anxiety every time i would take a deep breath it would hurt,and of course that made me have more anxiety,but after finding out that is was just my musels i slowley began to feel alot better.even whlie i slept i was holding such i grip on my hole body,that really i hurt all over,but of course always noticed how my chest and back hurt the most.i hope you feel better soon………cathSometimes I feel like my ab muscles are so tight around my lungs that I can’t get a good breath in. Then, I start forcing the deep breathing which leads me to hyperventilate. I actually don’t experience panic attacks, but I panic at the onset of the side effects of hyperventiliation. Sheesh!Here is what I am going to try –
1. deep breathing exercises daily while calm
2. when I start to feel like I am not breathing in enough, I am just going to focus on relaxing all muscles in my abdomen (I read somewhere that you should try to go limp) and breathe subconsciously. i’m going to focus on something else besides my breathing – like my favorite beach.

 

 

 

 

8 thoughts on “Anxiety and Breathing

  1. I get this a lot. I also have anxiety. It is scary and if does feel like hyperventalition will happen but you just have to focus on something else other than your breathing. I stare at a picture of my dog or I talk to someone. I do get bad anxiety when I drive the interstate though. I need to conquer that trigger point as I haven’t yet found out what causes me to get anxiety then.

  2. I get this too, I think it’s tight breathing muscles because there’s no heart/lung problem, I’ve been to MANY doctors over this and all of them are telling me it’s stress/anxiety related. It’s amazing what anxiety can do…

    When I relax or distract myself I do notice breathing becomes automatic and full – but it’s easier said than done. Distracting yourself from breathing is next to impossible sometimes. You just have to ride it out.

    Mine usually lingers for an hour or two then subsides when I get ‘used’ to it and start focusing on other things.

  3. This is the worse symptom i have ever experienced feeling u have no air is so scary. With me it keeps coming bk dont know how 2 get rid of it. The panic of it leaves me in tears

  4. Im adding this to my favorites. Ive been having breathing issues for the past 3 years and no relief, im even taking a asthma pill once a day and still have trouble. My doctor just prescribed me an anti-anxiety one a day pill, hope it works.

  5. what a horrible problem, i have suffered acute anxiety on and of for years, but the breathing symptom is the worse, been having this problem now for about 2 month, sometimes you feel like you cant get any breath at all, and your gonna die, but just as you feel like your gonna pass out, you level out somewhat for about a min then its back again, only relief you get is when you get that breath thats feels like a full one, but thats short lived and off you go again till you hyperventilate, its a visious circle, i found the beat thing to do is think of those poor sods in hospitals that are paralised from the neck down, then it seems a little less fierce, and as soon as you know its only anxiety causing it your half way there

  6. I’ve had problems breathing for about 3 months, I also had the feeling of my lungs not getting enough oxygen,it felt like it was closing up,I also had sharp shock pains in my chest that would go down my right arm making pins and needles in my fingers and mouth,also I couldn’t climb a flight of stair without getting out of breath, nothing seemed to help. This seemed to worsen at night. I went to the docter and his diagnosis was that I had hyper sensitive airway,that makes it difficult to breath becuase you airway narrows and that gives the feeling that you don’t get enough oxygen in your lungs,as for the sharp pains in my chest,arm and mouth he said its becuase you start to hyperventilate from breathing to fast. He gave antibiotics some cortisone and a pill that’s used to prevent asthma attacks, and I must say that helped a lot,my lungs and chest feel much more open now!

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