“It’s hard to explain how much anxiety can affect breathing. Here is an example. I dream that I can’t breathe. Then, during the day I feel like I’ve been running a race. There is nothing wrong that I can tell, but I simply can’t breathe. My breathing is shallow and I start to worry that I’m having a reaction to a medication or that my lung is punctured. I used to go the ER with shooting pains in my ribs. My symptoms did look like a heart attack. Once I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it was easier to see what was anxiety and what was an actual physical illness in my heart or lungs. Even today, when I know everything I need to know about anxiety, it still scares me and really scares my husband. We have a plan for when I get sick like this, but I still have to live through it. Julie, what do you do about your anxiety? How are we supposed to survive this?”
Angela in Alaska
Hello Angela,
What a perfectly timed questions. How do I live with my anxiety? These days, anxiety is getting the better of me on some days, but overall, I am learning to keep it at a simmer instead of a raging boil. It affects my ability to work and affects my ability to deal with real health issues that need a calm mind and body. But, Angela, I can tell you that there is help and there is hope. The first thing is to address what you eloquently describe. The breathing problem. Anxiety is all about breathing. If you can get your breathing back to normal, you will decrease your anxiety within minutes.
You can end an anxiety attack just using your breathing.
Right now, if you are having anxiety, notice your shoulders, mouth, stomach, back and overall body language. Let everything droop and breath out a nice long breath that makes noise as it comes out. As you breath back in, visualize your body in a relaxed position and use the breath in to put your body in a space that is comfortable. It’s like you are putting air into your marionette. You are the puppet master. Focus on breathing only. Breath out with a noise and get it all out, then, while you are slumped over, use your breath to breathe life back in to your body instrument. Breathe into all of the nooks and crannies of your body. Get the oxygen in your cells. Feel this oxygen energize your cells to help your body pump blood in your heart and get the right amount of air to your lungs- think of this breath as an anxiety soothing breath……
From Web MD: After absorbing oxygen, the blood leaves the lungs and is carried to your heart. Your heart then pumps it through your body to provide oxygen to the cells of your tissues and organs.
As the cells use the oxygen, carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed into the blood. Your blood then carries the carbon dioxide back to your lungs, where it is removed from the body when you exhale.
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It is about the GASSES! You need a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide when you are anxiety. The gas balance is off.
Now, you have reinflated your body into a relaxed position with this lovely oxygen and in return, you will release the carbon dioxide back into the world at a normal pace. It’s circular.
Anxiety is many things, but first of all things, anxiety is a breathing problem. When you can control this, you are starting to get the anxiety under control as well.
Breathe it all out. Go limp. Breathe in a lovely and deep dose of oxygen that goes to every part of your body. Hold it here. Hold a pose of relaxed alertness. You are human and ready to go. Now, release with noise and let your body go limp and do this until you can stand up and breathe regularly.
I am also posting another idea below from my blog that helps with panic attacks.
Angela in Alaska, anxiety is telling us something. 0ur balance is off. Getting our breath back in balance is 100% in our control. Once we do this, we can explore what is causing the anxiety to take over our lives.
