Breathing feels funny

[JaimeW]

I have anxiety, and I used to have the problem where I felt I wasn't getting enough air, and I would have to take several deep breaths before getting a good one, or yawn a lot. I can deal with that now, but I have a new problem, and I know stressing over it makes it worse. I'll try to explain as best I can!
My breathing feels funny, like my throat and lungs are a cavern and I'm not breathing enough air to fill them. I have anxiety, and I know it's all in my head, but I want to know, has anyone else ever felt this way? And how did you cope with it?

[AM1995]

I too have been having a breathing problem recently.  It kind of started when I was sick in February with a cold and respiratory congestion that seemed to last forever - or at least a month.  That has pretty much cleared up now, but I have this strange feeling in the upper part of my chest almost like it's fluttery or something - or maybe it's like when you breathe in and you feel like you have to cough...  it's pretty annoying and I'm really trying not to let it completely freak me out!!  I had gone to the doctor a few weeks ago when I was still coughing from being sick and had him check my lungs - he said they sounded fine.  So I'm not real sure what this feeling in my chest is from, other than an anxiety related thing.  I've got horrible knots and spasms in my back too so I thought it may be from that as well.
It's so hard to refocus onto something else when you've got pain/discomfort/sensations in your body that can suck up every minute of your day mentally.... :-(
Did you have a cold or anything before you started noticing your breathing issue?  
Not sure if this was helpful at all...

[BerryBootiful]

Hello I am 24 years old & female from Australia,  :), ( no we dnt surf all day )

for any one that may come across this please don't fret out. I also suffer anxiety and it is all in our mind. The mind controls everything. Now if you tell your self that you cant breathe then you can't. Breathing is a intelligence of it's own because if we had to remember to breathe along doing other daily tasks, alot of us would be dead already. So trying to breathe because you can't is really in your head. The only way to beat anxiety or cure it, is to really focus on things that don't make you feel like your losing your mind/marbles. Ok i know this to be true because I am #1 for fretting and losing my mind. It also could be due to hormonal imbalances and diet changes. When the body receives to much sugar or not enough it can turn our moods into something else. Also stress related issues according to family and work maybe also change our hormones.

If your anxiety is taking over remember this one golden rule - YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST, YOU CANNOT LIVE IN THE FUTURE.....all you have is NOW. focus on your current task. Anxiety is usually the focus on the future and events of what could "go wrong" thing is, the very thing your freaking out over may never occur, but i know its hard to focus on positive when we have patterns in our thinking that have formed, which become habits.

To break habit is what we need to do, in order not to worry, and release anxiety that is fear based and ruins every bit of happiness you could really encounter instead RIGHT NOW. I know all this because i am living proof of being a complete nut case sook. I learnt it's best to go with the flow. Its seriously time for humanity to chill out and have longer weekends. Do we really need to worry over making $90,000 a year to fit into culture? for god sakes - live for today! amen!!!!

[Caveman24]

You answered your own question you know it's all in your head so now you need to make yourself believe it. When I first started having these anxiety problems that was one of my symptoms I went to the doctor had my pulsox checked it read 98 so I knew I was getting plenty of oxygen the next step was making myself believe I am fine. Good Luck