Wake up focused on breathing

[KatieRichie94]

I do not understand my anxiety at all. There is no pattern with it. Some nights ill go to bed anxiety free and wake up feeling like I'm so focused on my breathing that if I stop then I will stop breathing or pass out. Ive been like this since last night. Ive been so focused on my breathing that I feel like its the only thing I'm thinking about... This is so awful and I really want this cycle to be broken..

[adds]

a k.r morning its cors your focuseing on your breathing why doing it like counting the in breaths out in head then keep doingitin till youforgetall about it and jus start to breath norm agane when not thinking about it ha ha iv iv dun that put anxiety it past

[smjtty]

mot only can i not breath i belthch all the time im a mental joke to the doctors want to give meds like candy not good my friend it dosent seem to stop juat as worryed as you are

[Terri28]

Hi! Trust me I feel the same way with my anxiety it sucks so much! One day I'm focusing on my breathing all day long then the next day I'm focusing on my heart beat. I understand what you're feeling I've had anxiety for over 5 years now I know it's hard to take advice from ppl but what they tell me is to distract myself from what I'm focusing on all I'm doing is Magnifying the symptoms & the anxiety gets worse.. It's hard but you will get through it! Take care & hope you feel better!

[panicnomore99]

Hi katie! What about your breathing is making you have anxiety? Do you feel like you aren't getting enough air? I know sometimes when my anxiety is high, I feel like I am not getting enough air. It is like I have to forcefully breathe in deep to feel satisfied. Anyhow, my therapist told me that people that suffer from any anxiety are shallow breathers. We dont know we are doing it, but we need to pratice breathing exercises. It will help breathe like we are supposed to. Hope this helps. You will be ok. May our heavenly Father bless you and keep you safe.

[Pearwig]

Dear KatieRichie94, As far as I know, the body has automatic reflexes which won't let you stop breathing, even when you are asleep. Mindfulness is good therapy for depression/anxiety and encourages sitting quietly thinking about nothing except ones breathing for up to half an hour at a time. i hope you have family and friends who love you, support you and encourage you. Best Wishes, Pearwig.

[Jojo176]

Hi katie! Did you try propanalol?

It certainly takes away the rapid heartbeat and sense of doom and gloom for me! It helps with my breathing as well.i couldn't cope without it! Anxiety for 16 years now and I've tried everything!

Take care

[chase2080]

hey i wouldent worry to much i was like that to and it got to the point were i would be tired and try to fall asleep and i would like wake up with a huge gasp for air witch might happen to you witch should be ok im on citalopram/celexa now for my anxiety and feel a lot better on it

[Stevie721 in reply to chase2080]

I suffer from anxiety when it first started I'd be dozing into sleep and I'd push myself up gasping for air it's a horrible feeling I'm on visteril and it has helped but last night I found myself gasping for air I felt like my heart was going to stop

HELP

[chase2080 in reply to Stevie721]

ya ive gotten that too last night i tryed to sleep after taking a celexa and and rolled over with my eyes closed and woke up at 2 am with my eyes still closed and felt like i was laying there for hours it really scared me

[Cforte]

I get that a lot. I am so afraid to sleep some nights because I don't know how I'll wake up in the morning. My doctor wants to do a sleep study to make sure it is not sleep apnea before recommending a therapist or prescribing meds for anxiety because, according to him, most anti-anxiety meds are sedatives and if you have sleep apnea that could be dangerous. Have you ever been tested for sleep apnea? With sleep apnea you actually do stop breathing in your sleep. but usually, it doesn't wake you all the way up, just awake enough to start automatically breathing again. But maybe it is different with people like you and me who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Maybe our minds are too sensitive to this stuff so the sleep apnea wakes us up all the way, which is why we wake up sometimes gasping for air. I could be all wrong, of course, but my doctor suspects this could exactly be the case. What did your doctor say?