Is this anxiety???

[BigK75]

Hello All:

Does this sound like anxiety. For the last few years I have noticed that I am always taking a deep breath like I cannot get in enough air. Up until now this has been a minor disturbance but not something I was extremely worried about. In the past few months these symptoms seem to be getting worse. I have been through a pulmonary test, stress test, countless blood work and nothing seems to help this. I think about it all day long and most of the time I waiting to drop dead. This is ruining my life. I am the point now where I don't know how else to deal with this. I have made an appointment with my family doctor this week and I am going to tell him that I must crazy and he should send me to a physciatrist. I am not sure if meds are going to help this or not. I desperately do not want to go on any medication but I feel I have no control over this problem. I cannot seem to relax enough or doing anything to control. Please help does this sound like anxiety?

Thanks,

Claude

[plasticjack]

Definitely sounds like anxiety to me. For starters because you say you are thinking about it all day long definitely is a sign of anxiety in my opinion.

But take it from someone who has been down your road before. If you are concentrating on your breathing you WILL find something odd/irregular etc. about it. Because in your mind there is something wrong the brain will make it feel like there really is something wrong. It's just the way anxiety works. Trust me, I've had every disease known to man (or so I thought) and I always had the symptoms that went along with those diseases. But guess what? When my mind would become tired of that disease it would latch on to a new one and the previous symptoms would dissapear!

When my anxiety is running high, my breathing is VERY VERY shallow. And sometimes I will consciously notice it and realize I'm out of breath. I also will get dizzy from my shallow and irregular breathing. Also it will feel like I have a 20lb. weight sitting on my chest. Anxiety at it's best!

[Belle]

I agree, it's definately a symptom of anxiety. Have you ever tried breathing techniques? Breathing correctly is a natural relaxant and over time with practice, you will do it automatically. Shallow breathing is part of anxiety and can cause anxiety. I also think thinking about it constantly is adding to the anxiety.
I have this thing called the breathing box (book and cd's) and I have them on my ipod, it's different breathing techniques with someone talking and guiding you and they go for about 20 minutes each. They're very helpul, maybe check out some stuff on google, amazon.