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Breathing | Relaxing | Controlling Anxiety | Negative Thoughts | Our Rights | Medications

Breathing

When we breath, we inhale gasses. These in turn are exchanged in the body for waste gas. This occurs in the small sacs in the lungs, called alveoli. The good oxygen is carried in the blood stream, to the brain, and is distributed to the cells that need it. It then returns as waste gas, back to the lungs to be exhaled.

However, if you stop breathing, or breath too quickly...(which is just as ineffective as not breathing...) your brain becomes starved of oxygen .................hyperventilating............ (see Symptoms) and can create a disastrous cocktail of feelings and symptoms which are interpreted as fear or terror or death, or being out of control A panic attack

Therefore, the most important aspect of your treatment is to learn to control your breathing (see Keeping Control) and to learn to relax, (Relaxation Therapy) you must try to reassure yourself you are not in a life threatening situation, and that the bad feelings will pass in time. You could print off a Panic Sheet to keep with you, to help you talk you through the worst of it.

I am aware that this is far easier to say than to do!

To breath correctly during an attack of anxiety, all you need do is to take slow, measured breaths, using the solar plexus, rather than sucking in gulps of air with your chest. Allow your tummy to relax; and as you breath in, let the tummy expand and force it outwards (slowly). As you breath out, relax the tummy and let it return to its' normal position. Or even stop for a short while...hold your breath! Practise, practise, practise!

Breathing into a paper bag does help too, because you are changing the air.
This is probably one of the most common treatments for people who hyperventilate.

Explanation of why it works...air is comprised of many gasses, for the air entering our lungs oxygen is around 21% and carbon dioxide 0.04%, but when we breathe out this alters, as we breath around 4% of carbon dioxide out. So when someone uses a paper bag, they are stabilising the blood gasses in their body.

This should be completed in as calm a manner as possible. The technique is very good for acute attacks, but if the problem is chronic in nature, this will only bring short term relief. The best method for chronic hyperventilating problems is to re-learn the correct way of breathing. Focusing on breathing control can reduce the possibility of a panic attack.

Concentrating on your breathing also keeps your mind off any worrying thoughts!
If you can; learn the art of Yoga... specifically Uddiyana Bandha, which is very useful.

Uddiyana Bandha

This lock is located in the area two inches below your navel to your diaphragm, it means flying upward.

To engage Uddiyana Bandha, exhale fully, lower your body by bending your knees, and pull your stomach inward and upward while lifting your diaphragm. During practice, this intensity will not be maintainable, because to inhale fully, Uddiyana Bandha cannot be completely engaged. Imagine keeping the area between your navel and two inches below your navel still while drawing your navel upward towards your spine. This is a more subtle contraction than fully engaging Uddiyana Bandha.
Perform fully engaging Uddiyana Bandha to get in touch with the muscles involved and working your diaphragm.

In the beginning practice standing, then in a sitting position, and then, while you are practising asana's, work at developing the more subtle engagement.

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