Anxiety effect on breathing

[Kevin160]

I think many people here might find it in common that anxiety can make your breathing feel unnatural , or voluntery rather than something that happens without much thinking of it

Yesterday i felt a bit short of breath and i kept feeling like i tend to hold my breath without noticing and i needed to remind myself to breathe normally, it made me a bit anxious because im worried this might happen in my sleep , doed anyone have n experience in this and can reassure me or help me get my breathing to become more normal please

Because I've been getting more anxious when i have to sleep worrying about my breathing because i feel if i dont focus on it i cant breathe or i would suddenly feel like i cant breathe or stop being able or know how to breathe as silly as it may sound 🤦🏻‍♂️

[Blue202]

Hi Kevin160,

I feel this way sometimes when I have to work through an anxiety attack. It's awful feeling like you can't breathe. I am new to anxiety so I don't have much advice to offer. I am seeking that as well. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I will be expanding my search to maybe YouTube for some breathing exercises. I'm sure practicing when ever you can will make it easier especially when it is needed the most. As for the breathing while sleeping part, you can do a sleep test. You are probably breathing just fine when you're sleeping but the test can offer reassurance. And if you're not at least you'll know and DRs have things for you to use while you sleep to make sure you keep breathing.

[Kevin160 in reply to Blue202]

Thank you , i appreciate all the support, i did get this about a year ago , i just kept feeling short of breath and that breathing became a voluntary thing it doesnt happen on its own, i realized that i tend to hold my breath without noticing and i think it might have made me more tense and caused some problems like headaches and irritation i dont know , but atleast knowing im not alone and that it does get better make me fall asleep more relaxed, again thank you

[newbie56]

Hi Kevin,

It's not silly at all.

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

Feeling nervous, restless or tense.

Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.

Having an increased heart rate.

Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

Sweating.

Trembling.

Feeling weak or tired.

Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.

The dizziness that accompanies anxiety is often described as a sense of light-headedness or wooziness. There may be a feeling of motion or spinning inside rather than in the environment.If one already has a tendency toward anxiety, dizziness from the inner ear and anxiety can interact, making symptoms worse. But all are just symptoms of anxiety.

Trust me, you'll be okay

[Kevin160 in reply to newbie56]

As always you know how to reassure me , i guess deep down i know its all ok , but reaching out and being reminded of my irrational thoughts is really comforting , because i know that i will always know how to breathe , but when you think about every move in your body which we tend to do while we are anxious it feels odd , so everything i do feels forced and feels planned , doesnt feel voluntary , So i know this fade away with anxiety , but i guess i let it get the best of me

thanks you so so much ❤️❤️

[newbie56 in reply to Kevin160]

You're welcome, Kevin... <3

[CNDmoonchild]

Ahhhhh....that is just the wonderful world of anxiety. Be the boss and fight any worries before it becomes fear. You are closer to managing your anxiety and even better..........beating it???? It is up to you my friend.

[Kevin160 in reply to CNDmoonchild]

Thank you so much, i will definitely try my best i suppose ;). ❤️

[Hidden]

This happens to me as well. I just try to remember that my body WANTS to breathe. Even if you held your breath until you passed out (which I bet is really hard to do, as your mind would start to panic), your body will automatically start breathing on its own even if you are unconscious. I have this same problem with other things too, such as blinking. If I focus too hard on automatic bodily responses, for some reason it feels weird, out of sync, like I am no longer doing it correctly now that I have started to think about it. I too find that I unconsciously hold my breath when I am anxious. I just trust that my body knows what it's doing, wants to survive despite my anxious mind, and that things will eventually reach equilibrium. It IS hard, though. When I am having a panic attack, I feel like I can't get a full breath.

[Kevin160 in reply to Hidden]

That is so relatable i couldnt have described it better , i appreciate your feedback i actually feel more comfortable reading this, because i forgot that my body knows best

Thank you so much ❤️❤️

[Hidden in reply to Kevin160]

Let me know if you ever need to talk.

[Kevin160 in reply to Hidden]

Sure , i really appreciate that , and thank you for all your support ❤️