Automatic breathing has stopped for about a year now

Hey sorry to hear that about your mom cancer sucks. It sounds like you have got yourself trapped in a routine of worry I would go see a doctor and talk to them about what is going on. some medication might help you get out of anxiety like a tranquilzer which calms you down it really helps me get out of my health anxiety 

Hi Dillion

Ibannsicsirry ti heat about your mom

I lost my father at 14 heart attack horrible to deal with for anyone at any age although this age can be note difficult as it’s a time your hormones are running wild as you mature 

The breathing is 100% anxiety and it is caused by your mind telling your body to stay in constant alert which means the Adrenalin produced keeps your body alert and your breathing difficulties are because if this , there is no easy fix to anxiety,

The best advise I can give you is

1. Start therapy for the loss of your mum and to discuss your anxiety in general

2. Concentrate on living a healthy lifestyle diet excercice social life with friends doing things you enjoy

3. Educate yourself on anxiety books etc the more you know the better it is to understand it’s effects

4. Be kind to yourself don’t think all about the bad there are a lot of good things in your life I am sure to remind yourself of these daily

5. Maybe get involved in a local cancer charity help focus on a positive that is close to you

6. Learn some breathing exercise and practice them they can become a big freind to you moving forward there are lots on you tube

Stay strong try to be positive but hey you are also allowed to have a bad day cry feel upset this is normal also sometimes a bad day and some crying releases stresses building up so call them healing tears there is nothing wrong with then

PM me if you need and further support

I have been where you are it’s hard but you can get through it I promise you that  

Even a councillor just someone for you to talk to.

I used to think like you before. I also think about that sometimes. I know the feeling that you think you can't breath and then your heart skip a beat and you feel like you out of breath. Suddenly you feel like if your heart may stop beating. And the more you're panick the more you struggle to breath. It's just anxiety which cause you feel like that. It's not real. Don't worry cause your body it automatically breath in and breath out. Your heart keep beating. You may feel awful and uncomfortable but it's just that. Nothing more. It will be gone eventually.

Hey Dillon honey, I'm sending you a really big hug. I'm so sorry you've lost your" mom". Something as huge and emotionally upsetting as that can absolutely impact your mental health. Such a young age to have to deal this. It's truly heartbreaking. I just hope you have got plenty of support right now? As I feel that's exactly what you need. I won't change what has happened, but It may help you at this difficult time. Confide in family and friends. And talk about how you feel, if you can. This may not always be easy but I think it is better than bottling everything up and trying to cope with how you feel. I hope everyone on this sight reaches out to you honey. I want you to know that you can message me this way or privately if you'd prefer. If you find it all "too much" it might be a good idea to have a chat with the doctor. I will be keeping an eye on you! Donna xxx

I do this all the time !!! It started last July put the blue but after numerous tests scans etc I'm finaly accepting its just stress and it's happening less and less ...I bet when your sleeping or bust it doesn't happen so if it was anything serious it doesn't just stop when you aren't thinking about it 😆 ..we all have that 1 thing that pushes us over the edge but it can make you stronger and you will get over it just go with it , when it happens don't panic just keep telling yourself it just anxiety and it will happen less and less ....and don't feel bad if you struggle remember tomorrow is a new day ....Good luck and hang in there kiddo 😆

Hi Dillon.

Sorry to hear you are having such a bad time. I've had this breathing thing - I thought it was one of the worst symptoms of anxiety and found it really hard to deal with. I'll tell you what I did for the breathing and for the anxiety as a whole.

Firstly, I would very strongly advise not to take medication. I was given medication years ago for ME (chronic fatigue syndrome if you are in the USA) and when I tried to come off I had terrible problems. That was what led to my anxiety starting. Anti-depressants are really strong and quite poisonous and can lead to problems later, especially because you are young and your body and brain are still developing. What you are experiencing with your anxiety and depression is a normal response to a major life event - it doesn't mean that you necessarily have mental health problems. My mother died of cancer when I was 22 and it took several years to get over it. Going through a period of depression after the death of a parent or someone close to you is not unusual. It would be best to find other ways of coping rather than turning to medication. If you have had anxiety for most of your life it will be worth finding ways to deal with it now as it will set you up for dealing with it in the rest of your life. Someone else in this thread had a lot of good suggestions, like eating properly and exercising regularly. Eating a lot of sugary stuff will make your blood sugar go up and down and that increases anxiety; and exercising produces all sorts of chemicals which help with depression. Trying other stuff like meditation might help too. Meditation certainly calmed me down and now I try to do it every day. It doesn't have to be a long session - just 10 minutes every evening can help loads. 

What helped me with the breathing thing was slow deep breathing into my belly. I know that the automatic response to what you're feeling is to gasp for breath and your breathing becomes irregular. I know how horrible that feels - like you're suffocating or something. But try to breathe into your belly - put your hand on your belly, not your chest, and make it move up and down as you breathe. Breathe as deeply as you can into your belly and make a pause at the top of the in breath and the bottom of the out breath so you slow your breathing right down. It's difficult at first because you feel like you're not getting enough air and slowing your breathing down feels counterintuitive but it does really help. Above all try not to gasp for air, even though you feel like doing that. It won't take long before breathing feels easier. For some people this technique cures it altogether. It didn't for me but within a very short time it became easier and felt more comfortable. Deep breathing helps with anxiety anyway so it's a good technique to learn for all sorts of situations. The actual syndrome is called hyperventilation syndrome - you can google it for more websites. The other thing that I have been recommended for treating anxiety is cold water swimming, oddly enough. I saw it on a documentary - swimming in cold water outdoors, like in a lake or something, produces various chemicals that counteract anxiety. 

I am assuming that at 15 years old you are going through some kind of school exams too, GCSE's if you are in the UK. I'm a secondary school teacher and I know how stressful they are. My advice is to not worry about them - they are not as important as your happiness and they are a lot of pressure at a time when you are dealing with bigger things. I know that everyone is telling you how important it is to do well and the pressure to progress and get good grades is huge but you can always retake them if you don't do as well as you want or take a few this year and the rest next year. It's really not the end of the world if cut down on the amount of subjects and end up a year behind. If it reduces the stress on you and relaxes you then ask if you can. Go and speak to a teacher you like and trust if you haven't already and let them know what you are going through. 

I wish you all the best with dealing with the breathing and the anxiety. I know how crap it is and I really hope you find a way through it. And be kind to yourself, whatever that means. It takes a while to get over the death of a parent so don't beat yourself up about how you are dealing with it. 

Hi Dillon. Sorry about your Mom, I lost mine last year as well.

Feeling like breathing needs to be forced is a common sensation to those undergoing severe anxiety-and that sounds like you. Respiration is controlled by our brains and they coordinate the expansion and contraction of special muscles in our diaphragm. 

I was undergoing some severe stress many years ago and I was home alone-suddenly, I couldn't seem to breathe enough and felt like my respiration had to be forced or I wouldn't breathe. Just like you. I ended up going into the emergency at a local hospital and they told me, 'Probably just a stress reaction.'.

I'm sure it's the same in you, but you may want to go in and have your Doctor run a full physical on you to make sure everything is OK. I have it done every year, just to play it safe. Good luck.