Feeling
as though you’re "Unable to Breathe" is a common
anxiety symptom, whether you’re phobia is related to being
at the dentist, driving, or being enclosed in a small place like
an elevator. And the feeling has one source and one source only…
fear thoughts.
It is difficult
to think clearly when you feel panicky because you think you
can’t breathe. So the first thing to do is look at the
facts: you may have difficulty breathing, but you are able to
breathe. Think about it. If you are aware of the change in your
breathing pattern, you are conscious. If you are able to form
the thought that you are not breathing as rhythmically, smoothly
and automatically as you’d like to be, you are conscious.
If you are conscious, you are breathing. That’s important,
so I’m going to repeat it: If you are thinking, you
are conscious, and if you are conscious, you are breathing. People who are unable to breathe are unconscious, unable to
monitor what’s going on with their bodies and quite incapable
of conscious thought.Feeling
as though you are not able to breathe, is a feeling… not
a fact.When you
have the thought: "I can’t breathe," replace
that insecure, false notion with a secure fact: "I can
breathe, I can breathe." I know it sounds very simplistic,
but I assure you it does work. The key is to throw out the fear
thought, and replace it with a more calming one.Each time
you think, "I can’t breathe," each thought keeps
setting off your internal fear alarm, and your body responds
with more tension, more anxiety, more panicky symptoms. It’s
like adding fuel to an already burning fire. To douse the flames
and calm down, you have to think more securely, with facts.For some
of you, repeating the replacement thought "I can breathe,
I can breathe," will calm you down in a few seconds. Depending
on the depth of your anxiety, you may have to repeat it several
times, for it to sink in and for you to get some relief. And
don’t be surprised if you feel a little better and the
scary thought comes back, that’s common as well. Insecure
thoughts have a way of being stronger and more persistent than
secure thoughts. Especially when you’re in a fear filled
situation.Each time
you repeat, "I can breathe, I can breathe," to yourself,
you are sending an "I am safe" message to your brain.
Your brain then sends neurological messages to your body, and
it will calm down automatically, maybe not as quickly as you’d
like, but more quickly than if you keep saying I can’t
breathe.
Whether
you get short of breath or feel like you’re not getting
enough oxygen when you’re just thinking about going to
the dentist, in the waiting room, or in the chair, go back to
the fact, "I can breathe, I can breathe." The sooner
you start changing your thoughts, the sooner you’ll start
feeling more calm. It takes conscious effort, but you can do
it.
Rose
VanSickle is the author of Peace of Body, peace of Mind. Click
here for more information about this remarkable book that
hold the key to regaining control of your life.
