Panic Attack Sufferers!!! Have you ever not been able to breath when you lie down?

Question

Thank you all for your answers. You have made me feel much better. I was really scared!

Answer 1

This breathing problem occurs because a panic attack is nothing more than the effects of adrenalin, which makes a person take rapid, shallow breaths - called 'chest breathing.' With chest breathing, air is inhaled and exhaled by raising and lowering the rib cage, but the rib cage doesn't have much room to move when lying down, so a person feels like they cannot breathe. If this happens again, concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths using your abdomen, while consciously trying to relax your arms and shoulders by letting them go limp.

Answer 2

Yes. But thank goodness for Ativan.

Answer 3

Yes... especially if you're lying on your back..it has something to do with your spinal cord..

Answer 4

yep its called tension ,,,when you go to bed ,and lay down its like a great weight on the chest ,you might think to yourself my heart cant take this preasure ,,,,but if you stop trying to worry for a moment ,you can take in and feel the inside of your body ,,,use the mind as you lay there and start at the top of the head and let your self feel how that feels ,,,tight maybe ,tired ,tension ,now think about the neck ,oh my god now you know thats tight ,now the shoulderes ,,,they are tight also and very tense,,,now try to let the shouders relax ,,,lol thats right you cant its too hard and if they do relax with in a mo they are tight again ,,,you must try to relax work on getting the shoulders to lossen up ,you will feel as they do so do everything else including the heart and chest area ,,,not feeling as if you can breath is the tension in the neck and shoulderes,,,causing tight feelings in the chest ,making you worry that your breathing is too shallow,,,ive sufferd panic now for 5 years ,ive learn a lot and the one thing i had troble with is the laying down and trying to sleep ,but as you lay there with out realising untill you have trained yourself to realise it ,,,you are taking note of your breathing ,you are worrying that you cant get enough air ,this makes you more tense and makes it harder for you to breath so much so that the heart can start to beat fast and you start to feel you are going to have a heart attack ,,,which causes you to worry more and more its a nasty little bugger and one you need to get level headed about ,the thing is your mind is telling you ,,,,i cant breath ,my chest is too tight i cant get enough air ,but infact its the tension in the shouders and neck that is causing the tension as you are tence and havent learnt as yet to feel it ,,,its very hard to do but you must lay on the bed ,,,,,forget the chest ,and feel the head and neck and shoulders ,now think only of them and try to make them lose,,,,let the shoulders flop and the neck and head ,,as they do go floppy and you can feel the tension going you will suddenly feel the chest go light and for the first time you can breath at ease ,,,,but you have to kp the mind on relaxing,,,if you let the relaxing thought go you will tihghten again ,if you feel this happen straight away get back to the relaxing feeling again ,back to the head neck and shoulders ,,,,,and the chest will lighten again and you will feel great ,hold this feeling remember how you did it and do this throughout the day as well learn to do it when you need it,even if you dont think you are tence ,try it just to make sure and i bet you are and just didnt notice ,,,,now keep this up and i tell you now in a couple of days you will have got this right and be sleeping like a baby ,,,as i di now ,but i have to go through this every night,but it works ,and makes you realise how tension can creep up on you ,with out you seeing it ,its a nasty little devil ,,,but one you can get control of ,,,try it now you will see what i mean its not easy to get the tension to go it takes a lot of practice but you can do it ,,,feel the tightness slide away ,,,,the heavyness lift off ,the breathing get easy,,,,,,,,shame i cant be there with you id show you how to do it ,ive told you how ,,,now you have to learn how ,,,,maybe it will also help for you to know im off to bed soon and will be doing this as well lol ill be thinking of you tonight and hoping that ive helped you to have the most peacfull nights sleep you have had in a long time ,,,i also play relaxing music ,i listern to the sea ,i find it helps me relax and get the tension out faster ,,but you need to feel whats going on inside the body ,,,and when you find a tight plae demand it to relax ,and keep focused on that part untill you feel it relax ,and then note when it do relax just how many other parts of you unwind as well ,,,,you are not going to stop breathing ,and you are not going to have a heart attack,,,our bodys are actually made to cope with this tension ,its just very uncomfortable ,and it makes us think the worst,lol but as you may have noticed the worse never happens somehow you get through it lol and why ,we are feeling so bad all because we are tense,,,,,so breath slowly ,relax ,only think of becoming loose ,,,,floppy,,,,it will slide away ,and you will slide into a loverly relaxing sleep ,and you will feel great in the morning and remember do this in th day as well where ever you are you can do this ,,,it helps with it all ,,,,if you fail ,try again ,but do not worry if you fail ,it just means you need to feel deeper into your body ,,,,try again ,as i said its hard to do but i know you can do it ,keep the mind slow and rested ,forget the chest and work on the tensness ,,,,relax the shoulders and the chest will follow on its own ,,,,i promise you ,,,bless your heart ,,,just really really relax ,,,,,,sleep well ,,kat