Always conscious of my breathing

[AbnormallyAnxious]

This is SO annoying. For about 2 months now I've been conscious of my breathing. Meaning I'm always controlling my breathing I don't forget about breathing, my body doesn't breath on it's own it's like if I stop myself from breathing I stop entirely until I begin again on my own. It's very frustrating.. idk if you guys get me? please how do i breath on my own without being aware??
Only when I sleep is my body normal so I've been sleeping for 10-11 hours because I know unhealthy/irregular breathing raises heart rate.. but right when i open my eyes in the morning my mind immediately goes to my breathing and i have to make myself breath/control/monitor my breathing it's just soooo annoying....

[kmwondering]

You need to get help with the anxiety.

[sixpack]

One of my new favorite quotes by Soren Kierkegaard that I came across recently in a book:

There are two ways to be fooled.  One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

One of my new favorite quotes by Soren Kierkegaard that I came across recently in a book:

There are two ways to be fooled.  One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

What does that quote have to do with being conscious of breathing?

[sixpack]

One of my new favorite quotes by Soren Kierkegaard that I came across recently in a book:

There are two ways to be fooled.  One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

What does that quote have to do with being conscious of breathing?

BECAUSE all you can think about, all you believe, is that you have a disease or illness.  you are being fooled into believing something that isn't true.  and you refuse to believe what is the truth which is in order to get better you have to address the anxiety disorder that you have.  so far you have not done this.

but again that is your choice.

[gcalex]

AA -- it's a VERY common symptom of anxiety to get focused on breathing.  I very much doubt it is affecting your heart rate or heart. 

[LindaRK]

Abnormally Anxious ... I think you need to look at your other posts .... you're looking for a definitive answer. There isn't one.  This is anxiety.  The only way you will be able to help yourself is to accept that you have an anxiety disorder and move on from there.  Constantly focusing on symptoms is only going to make it worse for you.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

YEAH guys I know I have anxiety. I'm just worried it'll affect my heart in the long run.

You guys are telling me to address it. How do I start?

[Muggles]

Hey I don't have much advice to offer but just wanted to let you know that I totally understand what you are saying and have experiences it before. Your body does know how to breathe on its own and it will if you let it.

[sixpack]

look back on your previous threads.  there are numerous suggestions imbedded in them.

and here are my usual suggestions.  ALL of them require you abandoning googling, "researching," seeking reassurance, self-checking, repeat med testing....

forgive the cut and paste.

but here are the usual things I suggest to people when they are struggling.

first and foremost you should do things that distract (completely) from your fears.  I have some suggestions within the link and then the other 'bolded' text.

btw at the near bottom of the link I posted, I have 7 suggestions to get people started.  Of course all of these suggestions require a real commitment.  Not a one time read through and then deciding they don't work.  anything worth ANYTHING in life take time and energy and commitment. 




within it has other links.  One is common anxiety symptoms

CLICK THIS link.... it is a long message.
 
http://www.anxietyzone.com/index.php/topic,60476.0.html



another message I sent to a member a while back may have some helpful info:

it is pretty easy to let the symptoms scare the crap out of you and easy to attribute all manner of horrors to these things.

one of your questions was: "so what, just because you feel these things at least they are not life-threatening",    I would look at like this:  if the symptom actually, physically prevents you from doing things, then you need to look at it as something a doc should check out.  IF it is something like twitching or sore muscles or muscles feel weak or fatigued but they still carry you around then, you should just say "hey this doesn't feel good but it can't stop me from doing my daily tasks or job or hobby or what have you. And say "I will not let my fear of these symptoms stop me".

As I alluded in a post earlier today about my first fall into the pit in '97, I had to do that to get myself out of it.  I had all the med tests and was seeing a therapist.  They wanted to put me on meds but I was nursing my daughter and, at the time, SSRIS were not given to nursing mothers.  I finally decided that I had two choices:  1. sit around in fear waiting for MS (that was my fear at the time) to slowly remove my life from me or 2. TAke charge of this anxiety.  So what I did was delve head first into a huge gardening project.  Turns out it helped a great deal because it REALLY took my mind off of my bodily sensations.  This allowed my mind to calm down and thereby allowed my body to relax.  It wasn't over night.  It took several weeks.  During that time I didn't monitor the symptoms that I had been having NON_STOP for months---ie twitching, face pain, arm pain, leg pain, numbness, tingling, shooting pains, jerking limbs.....   there were many more but you get the idea 

What is your thing?  IDK.  I didn't know gardening was my thing until I tried it.  Turns out I'm damn**  good at it AND it was so engrossing to me that I didn't even have time to think about my symtpoms... which, imo, is key....

I eventually got into some other things:

volunteering.  I got heavy into several things at my church... social responsiblity sorts of things---helping the sick (AIDS person), the poor, those who suffered miscarriages or other woman issues dealing with children.  I also got every envolved with our neighborhoods homeowner's association:  ie the welcome committee, social concerns committee, neighborhood socials (helped with planning parties for the 'hood) and I served on the board.

we've since moved so I'm not so involved where we live presently.  However I do volunteer with a dogrescue...

So my suggestion for things to do are:

hobbies----crafting, gardening, scrapbooking, jewelry making ( I had a douzy of a headache last week that advil didn't help----made a couple of pair of ear-rings and the tension headache went away)
volunteer work..... lots of organizations you could help out in
exercise:  I walk my dog 1 1/2 miles----to 2 miles a day.  today was rainy and I was running my kids all over so not much of a walk today... poor dog
eat right-----yeah I SUCK at this one, myself.  Although I did have a nice shrimp bisque which only had about 300 cal today...


I am not symptom-less.  When I experience anxiety/stress symptoms now, however, I don't look to disease X.  I look at what is going on in my life that is causing them.  At this point you are likely not able to find A stressor.  THis is, inpart, due to the fact that you are in the anxiety cycle of:  fear/stress/symptoms/fear.....  However once you are able to reduce your stress using a variety of tools, your mind will calm down and things will get easier and you will be able to manage this without BEASTY taking you for a ride.

you can get better though, you can.   

   


and again:

   adding to that some other posts to another member a while back:




I certainly don't have all of the answers.

however think about it-------------what causes us pain in our bodies?  I mean what controls how we feel pain?   It is our brain/nerves right?  When we fall and scrape our knee, we feel pain because our nerves send signals to the brain, the brain interprets it and says, "I'm hurt".   This a normal thing.  Our brain interprets stuff and tells the nerves to send a pain signal back to our knee and then we feel the pain.   Our brain and nerves are powerful buggers. 

Let's say there is a bear approaching.............  what happens---- we become hyper aware.  we get the fight or flight so we can survive.  We get all those lovely adrenal surges......  We have to survive.  That is all well and good.

now what happens if we have our thinking go awry?  What happens when we are stressed?  what happens if the stress isn't relieved or realized?  Our brains gets wiggy!!!!  THis causes fight/flight all of the time---sometimes at a high level and sometimes at a lower level.  but doesn't matter really cuz now we are "clicked" on the ON position.  We never are truly relaxed.  Our "fight/flight" brain is always switched on to some extent.  THis leaves a body sensitized----muscles are tight, nerves are over reactive (which causes burning/tingling/buzzing) our organs aren't running optimally (ie digestions slows or speeds up).

when these goes unchecked we get in that cycle of fear-------which came first the chicken or egg? 

bottom line our brains control our bodies.  If our brain is scared or stressed or whatever, it doesn't send out nice calm rational signals to our bodies.  Our bodies don't question the brain.  the brain is THE MASTER.....  Our bodies just react.  That is why the answer to feeling better doesn't come from treating the physical but the mental.

and why do you only have symptoms that come and go?  well some peeps have stuff all the time.  Some have them come and go and some have a combo of the two.  Guess it depends on the individual.





AND





sometimes anxiety symptoms are relieved when one is TRULY occupied.  BUT remember a body has to be relaxed for a while before a body calms down.  So one cannot expect the brain to say----oh I"m working now and I'll just forget that I'm a mess really and give up on the aches and pains."    anxiety doesn't really have an on/off switch.

Personally speaking:

back in '97 I got very involved in gardening.  I mean really involved.  It took about 2 or 3wks working up some new garden beds.  in the end I noticed most of my symptoms were either gone or diminished.  But I had an extended amount of time in which I wasn't monitoring.

I've also had times when I've been stressed and decided----Okay I'm going to get involved in something to get my symptoms to go away.  guess what?  it doesn't work then.  cuz, on some level I'm still monitoring.

a year ago I was having, what I knew were stress/anxiety related headaches.  THey were pretty bad.  Well one day I went to help out at a dog rescue.  I walked 7 or 8 dogs over a period of two hours or so.  When I arrived, I had a headache.  At the end I got in the car and drove away with the realization that the headache was gone.  Within 5 minutes it was back.  YEAH can you believe that.

Had the same sort of thing on Monday with a headache.  took my dog to her training class with a headache... left without one.  believe it or not taking my dog to obedience class relieved it.

I've even had gardening or exercise that has made me more shaky

YES I am a mixed bag of tricks like most people I imagine.


JUST like any physical malady, a mental malady needs REAL time to heal   Unlike a physical malady though, with the mental WE have to make the DECISION to heal by changing our actions/thinking/behavior and continue to work on it even when it is hard.    Personally I believe mental issues are more difficult than getting through physical issues   **although I'm getting pretty SICK of this toe thing I've had probs with since mid may.....  I'm getting tired of changing my usual routines to accomodate it***     



thing is there are no easy do 1, 2, 3 and off you go.  This takes time.  Even more than that, imo, there is no cure to anxiety but more of changing your reactions and mindset.  That doesn't mean one is miserable. It means that one must be cognizant that anxiety can, if allowed, take over during times of stress.  Then all it will do is sit back  and LIE and watch the spin.    [/color]

[nj]

Being overly aware of body sensations, even something like breathing, is a big part of health anxiety.

Let me restate...a BIG part of health anxiety!

[AbnormallyAnxious]

I've also had times when I've been stressed and decided----Okay I'm going to get involved in something to get my symptoms to go away.  guess what?  it doesn't work then.  cuz, on some level I'm still monitoring.

So how does it work?

[vardnas]

I've also had times when I've been stressed and decided----Okay I'm going to get involved in something to get my symptoms to go away.  guess what?  it doesn't work then.  cuz, on some level I'm still monitoring.

So how does it work?

It doesn't work because you haven't done it long enough.

Look darling, your anxiety didn't get this revved up in a matter of minutes or hours or days. It probably took weeks/months/years to get to the point it's at now, right? So what makes you think trying to distract yourself ONE time from your anxiety is going to make it all go away?

As I and MANY others on this board can attest, getting over an anxiety disorder takes, first a foremost, a LOT of time. I'm talking (in my case) months. There is no quick fix. One does not exist. So you can poo-poo and say, "oh I tried it, it didn't work," but I guarantee you haven't tried hard enough. Recovery takes a strategy and it takes commitment and more than that it takes a DESIRE to get better and a WILLINGNESS to face the fears that are driving your anxiety. This is no small feat. But, if you PAY ATTENTION to what we keep telling you and APPLY yourself and turn away from self-defeating behaviors, you WILL get better.

[london23]

Yes it's totally your mind..because breathing is a automatic mechanism produced by your brain...the problem is u have nothing else to think about so u focus on stuff like this...it's the same with me but other pains...as soon as I get out of the house and my mind is distracted I don't really notice them...this is how you know it's all in you're mind..

[AbnormallyAnxious]

@vardnas
Yeah it took me like 2 months and a half to get in a situation this severe and with each day it gets worse so maybe if I stick to a new, positive, productive plan of getting better I will feel better instead of worse each day. I have the desire and willingness to get better. Just gotta put in commitment.. and what do you mean by strategy?
It's just hard to get my mind off the terrible way I'm feeling and concentrate on anything else. Today I've this bad headache, palpitations/heart fluttering, sick-feeling, and a heavy body. Sometimes I just want to die so all this suffering will end but then my mind is like 'nononono, cancel that!!!' and I start worrying maybe God will make that happen...
I'm out of control..

@london
Actually, I think about a lot of different things. I think about me, my life, my family, my bf, my desires/goals, the future, the past, the present, my anxiety, what I want/don't want, and the list goes on and on..
Also I'm in the process of taking classes to obtain my GED so I'm outside as well but being outside and being distracted doesn't change an inch of anything :L.

[sassparella]

You need to convince yourself that as your body is breathing fine when you're asleep, it can breath fine when you're awake. It doesn't need you to monitor it, it can manage just fine on its own. This is easier said than done however, as the more you try not to think about something the more you think about it.

The best ways I can think of to help are
 
1, distract yourself with other things, things that you enjoy and are absorbing and take your mind off of everything else and

2, not to panic about thinking about it. Just say to yourself 'so I'm thinking about my breathing again' and go with it, try not to fight it. The more you fight it the more you'll panic about it.

It will take time but you can overcome this if you try.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

It just creeps me out knowing this has been going on for nearly 3 months. In the past I get this but it doesn't last more than a day..

And I don't enjoy anything anymore..

[LindaRK]

What you're experiencing is completely normal for someone with anxiety.  Normal for lack of a better word. 

I've had anxiety for about 36 years now.  I still have setbacks when I find myself having time to think about it.  Boredom isn't good for anxiety ..... it gives us time to focus on our minds and our bodies and every little physical sensation we've got going on.

I work, I volunteer, I get outside and do things in my yard, I ride horses ... I do lots of things to keep myself busy.  Doesn't mean that if you keep busy it will all magically go away - it won't.  But it will give your body and mind a rest so that it can gather enough strength to be able to manage it when it does creep back in.

I've accepted that my anxiety is a lifelong sentence - that sounds horrible, doesn't it?  I did the resting routine so many times ... I have a great diet, I exercise ... I do what I'm supposed to be doing, but it's still there.  I can cry about it or I can both mentally and physically stimulate myself to where anxiety doesn't take over my life.  My mantra is "it could be worse" .... and it really could be alot worse.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

Hey Linda.

Well, I see that anxiety has never left your sides throughout your whole life. However with my past case of panic attacks at 13 (when I first experienced anxiety), in a matter of months I was completely healed and back to the way I was before the panic attacks/anxiety. So I believe that I can be the person I once was again, however I don't how how to achieve that...

[LindaRK]

None of us can ever be the person we once were - we're always evolving.  Even people without anxiety.

I've gone years without any anxiety symptoms - it comes and goes.  When it comes back, I accept it - I don't fight it.

I'm curious - how old are you?

[Barrsgirlmichell]

When I first started this forum I decided that I would come on here with fellow folks like myself. Qell, I started to obsess abouty breathing and google the causes instead. Well, coming back here an reading the advice from those with experience dealing with anxiety has sent me some peace tonight. Thanks again for helping me to not feel so alone or crazy.

[AbnormallyAnxious]

None of us can ever be the person we once were - we're always evolving.  Even people without anxiety.

I've gone years without any anxiety symptoms - it comes and goes.  When it comes back, I accept it - I don't fight it.

I'm curious - how old are you?

I'm turning 19 on February 5th.

And I believe we can be the people we once were.