COPD AND ANXIETY

[spud22]

Like many of you out there I to am feeling the strain of coping with COPD. I have recently gone down with a really nasty chest infection. This has left me in a really bad state of mind.The pain in my back is excruiating and this coupled with my copd has left me with such a fear of dying while I sleep that i keep putting it off . Even with my wife and daughter urging me to try to sleep I insist on just sitting on the edge of the bed and almost falling over because I am so tired. Its been three days now and I have just made do with cat naps . I know my illness is getting worse because of this but the feeling of anxiety that I keep getting has stopped me getting a good nights sleep. now it has gone from a niggling worry to a full scale panic attack . All the antibiotics and painkillers seem to make no difference. Has anybody else felt like this ?

Its a feeling of not being able to cope and feeling that I am not in control of my life.

[Hidden]

You're making it worse for yourself. When you become anxious it constricts your airways so the more panicked you are the harder it will become. I know where you are coming from though because my fear was losing control of my breath and I got bronchitis over Xmas period a few years back and I could not breath which made my anxiety goto plus 10. I sat up in bed to sleep and got a lot of hot baths to relax my muscles, I also had a humidifier on in the room. I doubt very much you'll die when you sleep but the strain of an illness and panic will not be doing your body any good at all. Get a hot bath it will relax you and your muscles.