Get the Support You Need

Learn from thousands of users who have made their way through our courses. Need help getting started? Watch this short video.

today's top discussions:

logo

11 years and counting

Timbo637

2024-10-31 6:49 AM

Quit Smoking Community

logo

Feels like hell week all over!!

Timbo637

2024-10-30 9:38 AM

Quit Smoking Community

logo

Roller Coaster Withdrawal

Timbo637

2024-10-14 12:28 PM

Quit Smoking Community

logo

Smile....and don't shoot the messenger

Timbo637

2024-09-27 3:17 PM

Quit Smoking Community

This Month’s Leaders:

Most Supportive

Most Loved

Browse through 411.768 posts in 47.066 threads.

161,299 Members

Please welcome our newest members: Snootz, Poul Ilsøe, Trina J Kriya, SG1501, Clam123

Hyperventalating


22 years ago 0 90 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I wonder if women are particularly bad at this because of the age-old thing about 'big tummy bad big chest good'. I don't know how often I've been told to hold my tummy in and stick my chest out while I was growing up. You just can't breath deeply while you're doing that. Marianne
22 years ago 0 14 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Everyone! I recently read that women have a problem with upperchest breathing and that can lead to panic attacks. The article said that when we are born we use abdominal breathing which greatly improves your lungs ability to do their job. Somewhere along the way, most likely because of the amount of stress we are under, as a stress related side effect we begin to do only upper chest breathing. Which of course affects the amount of oxygen we get to our lungs which if it drops below a certain level engages the fight or flight response. This seems to make sense to me. I know I am guilty of upperchest breathing. I used biofeed back when I first was diagnoised and I helped tremendously! I put a red sticker around my house and in my car to remind me to breath correctly. The article also said it is more naturally engaged by laying on your back. They suggested putting your hand on your stomach to make sure you were in fact using your stomach. Count your breaths and breath in thru your nose and out thru your mouth. This feels very strange at first but it gets easier. I might not make your attacks go away altogether, but it sure makes it easier getting through them.
22 years ago 0 75 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Janice, That's a really good question, one which i would love to know the answer to as well! I don't know which causes which, but i ALWAYS hyperventilate when i have a panic attack.
22 years ago 0 77 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Breathless...I think hypoventilating is just that. I don't think it causes attacks, but might be ralated to them. Learning to control your breathing is the key to keeping this at bay. Too much oxygen in your lungs and simply breathing into a paper bag eases it right away. Its probably a sign on the onset of a panic attack, but don't relate to everything that happens negitively as a panic attack. Call it anxiety or hyper-tension. But avoid always referring to these things as PANIC attacks. I know they all relate to the same thing, but always calling these actions as PANIC ATTACKS can eat away at your mind-set and you'll never get a grip on things and how you relly feel.Its nice to have atag to put on every reaction you have, but not all of them are 'panic attacks'. I'm sure you know what a real full blown panic attack is. You loe complete control of yourself and the ATTACK takes over, and then you need outside help to get thru it. Try to catch things and feelings as they start to happen, and don't blow them out of proportiion. This morning, I was having a real bad time for awhile, and trying to deal with anger, which is raarelya problem with me, but it was caused by my smoking quit..not having sigarettes and no patches. But I just thought about it for a few minutes, and had a talk with myself..self, this is not you. You know why you're angry, so don't take it out on others. Deal with it the best you can, and explain your mood, don't just go thru it blindly and make it work....it worked, and I talked my 'self' out of that anger. It can be done with Anxiety Disorder too. That's what I prefer to call it. Lots of panic attacks are not just that.They are depressed thoughts, and CAN be controlled and worked thru. I'm sending you (((HUGS)))) and hope you're feeling better. Keep an UP attitude and we'll all work together to keep our lives happy and under OUR control. LUV, SUZY.
22 years ago 0 12 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hello, Am wondering if Hyperventalating causes Panic Attacks, or Panic Attacks causes Hyperventalating? Or...maybe they aren't related???? Any info on HYPV. is appreciated? Any website or help in controlling it? Regards Janice

Reading this thread: