Feel like I can't get enough air -- HELP!

I've had anxiety issues all of my life. One of the first symptoms I noticed, decades ago, was the feeling that I couldn't get a good, full breath of air. Even now, after so many years of therapy, medications, acupuncture, hypnosis, CBT, biofeedback training, yoga, and even spiritual healing (?!) I still have this extremely uncomfortable feeling every day of my life. It's not constant, but it is making my outwardly good life quite miserable. I've tried the Buteyko method but can't seem to put what I've learned from it into use when "the breathies", as I call them, start, unless I'm in a place where I can lie back and sort of play the CD I like to listen to in my head. What can I do when I'm out in public and get "the breathies", which sometimes turn into full-blown panic attacks?? I've become agoraphobic because of this problem and feel like I'm missing out on most of my life :(. I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with this problem successfully,
Thank you so much,
Lindy

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Originally Posted by Lindy

I've had anxiety issues all of my life. One of the first symptoms I noticed, decades ago, was the feeling that I couldn't get a good, full breath of air. Even now, after so many years of therapy, medications, acupuncture, hypnosis, CBT, biofeedback training, yoga, and even spiritual healing (?!) I still have this extremely uncomfortable feeling every day of my life. It's not constant, but it is making my outwardly good life quite miserable. I've tried the Buteyko method but can't seem to put what I've learned from it into use when "the breathies", as I call them, start, unless I'm in a place where I can lie back and sort of play the CD I like to listen to in my head. What can I do when I'm out in public and get "the breathies", which sometimes turn into full-blown panic attacks?? I've become agoraphobic because of this problem and feel like I'm missing out on most of my life :(. I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with this problem successfully,
Thank you so much,
Lindy

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Ive seen on research exercise (Mostly cardio) helps the lungs become more efficient and put more oxygen in the body and helps reset your breathing pattern.

They said eating a lot of vegtables help the body in this aswell

Me personally.. I felt like I could never catch a good breath when really anxious. Just relaxing my body and scanning my body for tension and relaxing it helped while doing this breathing exercise
Exhale fully
Breath in 4 seconds (1,2,3,4)
Hold 7 seconds ( 2,3,4,5,6,7)
Exhale 8 seconds ( 2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
(Sometimes I try to open my nostrils as open as I can while inhaling.. It helps catch a nice breath / also opening the nostrils and closing them constantly while inhaling will get the same effect)

Repeat 4 times. Then just breath normally. If you can't just breath 4 in 4 hold 4 out repeat untill you feel better.. Sometimes it's good to put on some guided meditation while doing this. But I feel like cardio will help you reset your breathing pattern which will help problem.

Hey Lindy,
That's a common anxiety symptom. First thing is first,anxiety disorders are caused by you fearing the symptoms. It's your fear of the uncomfortable sensations that causes panic attacks and anxiety. Anxiety is NOT a mental illenss so taking medication is not neccessary. Anxiety disorders are just bad behaviours and bad habit of looking at the world and easily being alarmed. What causing your anxiety is the thought that you might get stuck with this shortness of breath.
The first thing you need to realize is that the "shortness of breath" or being hyper aware of your breath won't harm you or is no danger to you. It's medically NOT a problem and you have lived long enough to know that it's NOT life threatening. Same with panic attacks. When you get the "breathies" or a "panic attack" you just continue whatever you were doing. No reason to avoid or change anything in your daily life.

The only way is to learn NOT to fear anxiety or the sensations. Try this next time you get the "breathies". Instead of trying to force yourself to forget about it or distract yourself instead actually fully focus on it. Let yourself experience it. Infact FORCE YOURSELF TO EXPERIENCE IT and do it on purpose and think whatever thought that comes up. And while doing that continue whatever you were doing at the moment. Whether you feel shortness of breath, or panic attack or anything. No reason to stop living your life.
When you do that and you don't fear your anxiety and you just keep on living life, life itself will distract you and you wont be thinking about it and so technically you're back to "normal".

But if you try to distract yourself on purpouse you'll actually think about it more, and the more you struggle the more you sink in like quicksand. Remember whenever uncomfortable sensations come. Put your focus on them and actually force them to be there. Think 100% about it and immerse yourself in the feeling without trying to get rid of it and just continue doing whatever it was you were doing.

I want you to notice something next time. When you aren't experiencing a panic attack or feeling the breathies, realize that you usually are distracted and thinking about something else. Distraction is the KEY to recovery but not how you think. By trying to distract yourself you are actually reminding yourself of it and making it worse. But by focusing on it and immersing yourself in it and letting it be you will let distraction come on its own time whether it be in a couple minutes, hours, or days. Just like quicksand. The more you struggle the more you sink. The more you let yourself sink the more you float and have a higher chance of getting out. If everyone did that then there would be no reason for an anxiety forum.Hope that helped. :)