Deanne's articles have been featured on highly respected health and
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and she has appeared as a Guest Expert in publications worldwide.

Overcoming Concerns about Breathing

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deanne Repich is the Founder of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., an anxiety educator, teacher, and former anxiety sufferer. Deanne created the Conquer Your Anxiety Success Program, a simple, action-oriented "how-to" course that has helped thousands across the globe conquer their anxiety. She also conducts seminars, writes articles, and publishes the free "Anxiety Tips" newsletter.

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Do you feel short of breath? Do you often worry that you're
not taking in enough air? Do you fear that you're going to
stop breathing and faint, or even die from feelings of
suffocation?

You're not alone. Concerns about breathing are common
among anxiety sufferers. When you're feeling anxious, it's
easy to believe that your shortness of breath means that
you're in grave physical danger, when in reality you're not.

There are several things you can do to overcome concerns
about breathing. First, consult your doctor to determine if
asthma, allergies, emphysema, obesity, or another illness
may be causing the symptom and seek appropriate
medical treatment as needed.

Once you've completed a medical examination and have
confirmed that no other ailment is involved, educate
yourself. Finding out the reasons for your feelings can
help alleviate your breathing concerns and reduce your
anxiety.

Here are some breathing myths and realities that will
help you breathe easier (no pun intended).

Myth:
"If I feel like I'm short of breath, that means I'll die from
suffocation."

Fact:
Feeling short of breath and suffocating are two
completely different things. When the fight or flight
response is triggered, the neck and chest muscles tighten,
which can make it feel difficult to breathe. This has
nothing to do with suffocation. No matter how difficult
it feels to breathe, it's impossible for your chest
muscles to be so tight that you suffocate. Even though
feeling this way is unpleasant, it's not dangerous.

Myth:
"If I feel like it's difficult to breathe, that means I'm not
getting enough oxygen."

Fact:
If you feel like it's difficult to breathe, it's likely that you
are overbreathing, also known as hyperventilation
syndrome. Your symptoms are caused by breathing
too frequently, not from a lack of oxygen.

Overbreathing is an excessive rate of breathing that
causes a loss of carbon dioxide. This loss of carbon
dioxide results in intense physical symptoms such as
feelings of choking, gasping, being smothered, panic,
trembling, and feeling like you're dying. This pattern
of breathing feeds on itself because the more you
overbreathe, the lower your carbon dioxide levels get,
and the more intense the symptoms become. It's a
vicious cycle.

Hyperventilation syndrome is a common problem that
is estimated to affect about 10% of the population.
It is not dangerous, and is easily alleviated by
deep breathing. Deep breathing involves deliberately
learning to slow your breathing rate and breathe from
the diaphragm (a muscle in the lower abdomen).

Myth:
"If I was hyperventilating, I'd know it."

Fact:
You may take shallow, frequent breaths and not even realize
it. Hyperventilation does not necessarily mean that you are
breathing loudly or visibly gasping for air. Some people
tend to overbreathe when they are in an anxiety-
producing situation only. Others overbreathe all of the
time.

Take a breath and observe yourself. If your chest or
shoulders move when you breathe, you're probably
breathing from your chest, which can lead to
hyperventilation.

If you take more than 15-17 breaths per minute
while resting, this can also signal overbreathing.

Myth:
"Feeling short of breath (like I'm suffocating, choking,
etc.) is dangerous."

Fact:
These feelings can be scary and may feel uncomfortable,
but they are NOT dangerous (assuming you've had a
clear medical exam). What's important to realize is that
if you feel short of breath or tend to overbreathe, you
can learn to change it. YOU are in control. Train your
body to react more calmly using deep breathing and
relaxation techniques.

Myth:
"If I faint or stop breathing for a few moments, I'll die."

Fact:
Our bodies are hard-wired to breathe. If you stop
breathing your body's built-in reflex mechanism will
naturally kick in. You'll gasp for air and automatically
start breathing again. When you faint, your autonomic
responses kick in and you start breathing automatically
too! So you see, although feeling short of breath is
uncomfortable, it is NOT dangerous or life-
threatening.

Myth:
"If I feel short of breath, I need to breathe faster to get
more air."

Fact:
Some people think that when they feel short of breath they
need to breathe more often. The opposite is true. The more
you overbreathe, the lower your carbon dioxide level
becomes and the more intense your symptoms get.

Myth:
"To get a deep breath, I should breathe from my chest."

Fact:
Chest breathing creates shallow breaths, not deep ones. To
get a deep, restorative breath, learn how to breathe from
the diaphragm.

Myth:
"I need to constantly worry about and monitor myself to
make sure I keep breathing."

Fact:
As we discussed earlier, the body is hard-wired to breathe.
Stop watching yourself to make sure you continue breathing.
You will! After all, your body can't help but breathe. It's a
process that even babies do naturally, without thinking or
worrying about it.

Concerns about breathing fuel anxiety and make it MORE
difficult to breathe. Instead of worrying and constantly
monitoring yourself, channel your thoughts and energy into
a productive solution. Learn deep breathing techniques.
Practice them daily until they become second-nature to you.

When you think about your breathing, think thoughts that
reflect the type of breathing you want to create. Instead
of worrying that you're choking, for example, say to
yourself: "My breathing is slow, deep, and restful. My
throat feels open and it' easy to breathe."

Myth:
"I'm the only one that feels this way. I should keep my
concerns about my breathing secret."

Fact:
Millions of people feel the way you do. You are not alone.
Whenever you are confronted with a fear about breathing
or feel short of breath, remind yourself of the reality -
you are NOT in danger. By naming your fears about
breathing and bringing them out into the open, they lose
their power over you.

It's important to realize that most causes of breathing
difficulty can be easily corrected. In addition to learning
deep breathing techniques, challenging your fears with
reality can help you breathe more easily.

Š Copyright June 5, 2002 by Deanne Repich and the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc.

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