Bad breathing today... anxiety has crept up!

[lozenge]

Hi everyone, I have been managing really well with my anxiety for the last few weeks, in fact I pretty much felt rid of it apart from my breathing problems - but even that for the last 5/6 days have been really manageable and almost gone. However for no apparent reason today is bad again, my breathing is really shallow and I feel like my chest has tightened up despite me taking antihistamine (as I suffer from hay fever type asthma which worsens my anxiety) and using my inhaler twice already today. I have gone lightheaded and got pins and needles three or four times, each time talking myself out of it and trying to regulate my breathing again but now I feel really bad and feel verging on panic again. Trying really, really hard to battle it but struggling majorly! I feel really down that it has crept up on me again having felt so good for what feels like a long time and am now sitting at my computer scared to stand up for fear of the dizzines//lightheadedness feeling. I know it gets worse when I have low blood sugar but I have eaten quite a lot today so can't justify why it is feeling worse. Can anyone else relate to this? The breathing feels like I can't get enough air in to my lungs which makes my chest tighten up and I feel like I am breathing in to my shoulders and heaving them up rather then breathing right down in to my lungs. Is this real or is this anxiety? Feel like I have gone twenty steps backwards

[Scooby1234]

Hi lozenge, sorry to hear you're feeling bad at the moment, try to stay positive, that's amazing that you have been managing your anxiety,that is a real achievement!!! Try to focus on that and how positive it is, remind yourself how you felt at your best x I can relate to the breathlessness as iv been experiencing this bad over the last couple of weeks. I suffer from asthma too, I'm not very fit and s any exercise at the moment almost sends me into a panic because I can't breath very well. I too suffer from the shallow breathing, I feel like its all in my shoulders, neck and it leaves me feeling dizziness and almost drunk like!!! I try to control it but it's very difficult when you feel on the verge of panic! X try not to feel down and as I say focus on how well you have been doing x

[lozenge in reply to Scooby1234]

Thank you for your response - it is good to hear I am not alone! I am quite a fit and active person so when I feel like this I worry about doing exercise incase I pass out or something. I have actually made the muscles in my back hurt from tensing so much through this - I hate that anxiety comes back when you least expect it!!! It does feel like when you are drunk, so much so that I can't really drink at the moment as it makes the anxiety worse! Am sure that isn't a negative as far as my health is concerned but would be nice to have a drink now and then! I am trying really hard to push on through this and not let it get to me - now just have to pluck up the courage to stand up!! Lx

[lonestar]

u can do it lozenge we r all here 4 u !!! : )

[lozenge in reply to lonestar]

Thank you lonestar!! This website is such an inspiration!!! Lx

[lonestar]

definatly ,thought i was prity much alone till i stumbled upon it lol !! lots of good people on here ,im always around if u want a chat : )

[lozenge in reply to lonestar]

Thank you!!!

[milo1]

hi lozenge good to hear you have been doing so well you have fought the battle and you are almost there you know how to control it so go ahead and dont let it control you you are now the boss x YOU WILL DO IT x

[lozenge]

Thanks guys - it has really helped, I stood up and didn't faint - wahoo!!! Every step counts and I am looking ahead to tomorrow being another day and a better one! I found myself slipping towards the anxiety pitt but just by posting on here and speaking to you guys stopped me hitting the bottom of it and now I am heading back on up! Even feel hungry which is always a good sign as when I am in my worst place I can't even think about food!! Another battle commenced! Am thinking about starting a diary of all the times I beat anxiety to remind myself of these moments. You are right milo1 I AM THE BOSS!! Lx

[lonestar]

ive just started a thoughts diary ,just so i can write down how i feel each day 2 find out my triggers etc and 2 c if my meds r working and c.b.t and 2 keep me focused !!! good idea and well done lozenge well pleased 4 u X

[lottysunshine]

sit in a comfortable chair , place your hands on your tummy close eyes .breathe out slowly and concentrate on your tummy expanding. breathe in slowly and concentrate on your tummy going in ..... this distraction exercise is good for slowing everything down I do it daily for about 5 mins .. it may take your mind away for a while from alcohol or in my case junk food .. x

[Paw52]

I know this sounds stupid but whenever I have problems with breathing I start whistling! Breathing problems are always one of the things I get when my anxiety is bad, my chest feels very itchy and tight, so I have learned two things - one, if I start whistling it distracts me and seems to calm my breathing down, if the whistling doesn't work then I try "yoga" breathing where I have been taught to breath in through my nose for a count of five and then out for seven through my mouth. By the way, I'm a really bad whistler!

[rouri]

I have the same exact things you are talking baout, correct breathing is very important in anxiety.

maybe someone professional can tell us a correct way of breathing and give us an exercise to do it on a daily basis.

Lozenge that is exactly what I do as well (The breathing feels like I can't get enough air in to my lungs which makes my chest tighten up and I feel like I am breathing in to my shoulders and heaving them up rather then breathing right down in to my lungs) how weird!!!

we have soemthing in common

Professional help pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee

xx

[lozenge in reply to rouri]

Exactly the same, and the more I do it the more lightheaded I go, and the tighter my chest gets, so then I think I am going to pass out, and when it gets really bad I get pins and needles in my legs and arms - the doctor was explaining it all to me and it makes perfect sense but even though I know it is anxiety I can't seem to stop it! EBy focusing on my breathing it actually makes it worse - the only way I can stop it is if somehow by some miracle I can totally distract myself! Very hard though! Lx

[rouri in reply to lozenge]

Hi Lozenge, I have every day now, it is very difficult to concentrate while i am at work!! at the same time I have to look normal in front of my manager as I don't want him to think I am coucou if you know what i mean sometimes i can't take it and sometimes I am like I would be able to cope. being at home does not help much, at work i might forget about it for an hour or so, but at home cz I feel upset I don't do anything except sitting on the sofa watching TV and thinking about it!!! i get the pins and needles feeling but not all the time, I used to get half of my left head/face numb which scared me a lot, now i have it from time to time. lightheaded all the time, and when i walk it feels like I am walking on a smal boat in the water, very woobly!!!!

xx