Has anyone expirenced this before?

[hellokittygurl1992]

I have bad anxiety and I feel like I'm suffocating all the time but I recently came down with a cold and am all congested sounds gross but spitting up mucas and I am panicking bc it's even harder for me to breathe!! Does anyone experience there anxiety even more worse when they hAve chest cold?

[PinkCookie]

Yeah definitely but I think its more the thought, because that feeling with anxiety isn't actual as bad as our mind tells us but we're worrying about it and it's getting worse so we think we are geneuenly suffocating and then obviously the cold is very real and we get nore chesty then you get into a massive panic about oh no no I have a cold i cant breathe but obviously we can or be wouldn't be typing, just try to ignore the feelin and it will pass!xx

[hellokittygurl1992 in reply to PinkCookie]

It's really hard to ignore it bc I have had the suffercating feeling like I can't breathe every day all day and it doesn't seem to let up and my dad had it when he was my age the same way I do and my siblings still have it as we'll but my father is on clasapam for it and he does good on that but I am afraid to death of meds

[PinkCookie in reply to hellokittygurl1992]

Yeah I know its near impossible to ignore it just takes a lot of practise :/ do you know for sure it's your anxiety? As your family suffer too? Yeah I'm the same hate meds they put me on some and too scared to take it everyday :/ its a common symptom which all come and go its a pain I had that for a week learnt it wasn't bad as if had it for so long so I stopped worrying and it went until something else came up :/ if you know its anxiety playing up just try not to worry and tell yourself it will be ok xx

[BigChatterBox]

Hello Kitty.........

The feeling that you can't breathe is quite normal with anxiety. I do not get this actual symptom any longer but it has affected me in the past and was terrifying. The fact that you are sitting at the computer typing means you are obviously breathing OK. Take my word for it, if you were actually suffocating you would not be able to do anything. I am now 60 and have had gad since I was 7. My suffocated feelings started just after my mother died - she chocked on her dinner - no one home and a neighbour found her on the bedroom floor. I started to imagine what it must have been like and that's when it all started. Once I got a cold with mucus so bad that it scared me so much, my husband had to stay home from work till I stopped coughing. It will pass. You need to learn some breathing exercises - inhale deeply and try to expand your lungs - breathe out slowly and try to relax. My main anxiety feeling now is first thing in the morning at the beginning of 'yet another day'. Once I'm in the swing of things I'm fine. I love evenings. My husband retired one year ago and we moved to the city. I was going nuts with nothing to do so got a part time job. So practice your breathing - deep and long and expand those lungs - you'll soon realise you are not so worried. Hope I've helped you a bit. Jude

[Mcminn1]

I have it at night I'm terrified. It feels like I can't breath in and it's tight I can hold my breath tho and talk in long sentences it's scary.

[hellokittygurl1992]

Thank you all for responding.. I no it's gotta be anxiety bc the doctors checked my lungs out when I take deep breaths in and exhale and they heard nothin my lungs sounded good. I do need to learn how to take deep breaths but sometimes it's hard too especially when you feel this way all the time.. I am gonna see about meds as I really am sketchy about them but I just wanna feel normal again

[idawmn]

Yes I have had the suffocating feeling 24/7 for the past 13 weeks and no relief from it, not even for 5 minutes. This came out of nowhere 2 1/2 weeks after gallbladder surgery and yet I have never suffered anxiety in my life. I'm still asking myself where the heck this came from. I'm 55 years old. I'm set up to see a therapist next week after all tests were done to make sure there was no physical problem. I was worried about catching a cold on top of it but knock on wood that so far it hasn't happened. My doctor has prescribed me Xanax and Ativan. I use the Ativan on a "as needed" basis for sleep only and it works out for me. I won't and haven't used them on a regular basis. I get out everyday and do something despite this suffocating feeling as I refuse to be held hostage to it and I have hopes that with help from a therapist, I can get this turned around.

The posters here have great advice and I have learned alot from them. I'm even learning more and more which therefore puts my mind at ease a bit more.

Go back to your doctor and see about getting help for it. Good luck to you. Keep us posted ok?

[hellokittygurl1992]

Yes thank you idawmn I plan on going back I get in to see my doc may 5 so hopefully I can get on somthing

[idawmn]

Hey that is good hellokittygurl. I see mine the day after you. We will both surpass this, I know it.

[BeautifulxWreck]

You sound just like me, I'm constantly controlling my breathing, taking extra breathes when I shouldn't be and just taking a breathe randomly when it's not needed. I haven't been out my house in about a year I just can't relax. I don't take medication as I don't see how that's going to relax me and I'm also scared of what it's going to do to me i have spoken to people who have said medication made them worse, I don't think I could cope anymore if this gets any worse

[Mcminn1]

I've noticed it's a good feeling in a way to know othersb have the same. It's just so hard to accept its panic and normal when it happens.