Breathing anxiety

[HLeon]

If someone can help me out with my problem I'd REALLY appreciate it. Here it goes: For the past week I have had some kind of difficulty breathing. Instead of me breathing subconsciously, I am doing it manually all the time, and it feels really bad. I know its mental because when I occupy my mind doing something it goes away and I breath, without me knowing it. But when I am not doing anything it seems that I am just concentrated on my breathing, and cant think of anything else. I pass the whole day like this, and unless I am doing something, I am going thru a living HELL. I really hope that someone can help me out,because I just dont know what else to do

[HLeon]

I have heard that Valium is pretty strong. And that it makes you VERY sleepy. I have been taking Clonazepam 0.5 mg for about 2 weeks now and it has helped a little bit with the breathing anxiety. Sometimes I think about it, sometimes I dont. I mainly dont think about it when I am doing something I enjoy. Its very difficult for one to understand this breathing problem, if they are not experiencing it. Its like sometimes I feel that I do it manually, instead of it being a nonthough process. I dont know how it started, I just woke up one night feeling like this. And it has gone on since Sept. 10.

[jjthebay]

follow what your breathing wants to do.Hyperventilate if your body is trying to do it. Anxiety is about fighting something. Dont fight it.  trust your body. Dont listen to fears -yours and other peoples. Theres nothing wrong with you. Your body is sending you a signal. Follow it. Changing breath is an important healer, -like laughing and crying are healing breath changes, so is gasping and hyperventilating.

[MariaA]

I'm not sure if the valium has made me forget the breathing or if it's a team effort between changing my thinking...focusing on something else and taking valium.
All I know is that it has been the "kindest" med i've taken. I don't feel so depressed on it. It kind of just evens me out. Sometimes I get nervous about thinking about going off of it because it is addictive BUT my doc says I may never need to go off. The effect of valium is not something that changes over time apparently according to her.
There are GOOD doc's out there. You need to find one. It seems like once you get caught in the system it's like a spiderweb. You have to take control of your situation and start making choices that feel good to you even if that deters from what someone else may think. You know your body better than anyone out there and if something isn't working than find another solution. It took me a while to do this...I'm on the road though.
But sometimes my problems seem minor to those I have read in this site. I try to remember that too.

[HLeon]

My doctor is just like that. He always has an attitude, and always wants me to admit myself. He actually tells me: "I dont know how you are attending school". Instead of him encouraging me to attend school and try to do something with my life he tells me negative stuff like that.Psychiatrists dont want their patients to get better, because its one less patient they have. Hes been talking to me about changing psychiatrists (for a second opinion) and I think thats what I am going to do because he always has an attitude, and it seems that he just doesnt care.But if he were going thru some of the stuff his patients go thru he wouldn't be so cool and calm. He actually has a tick in his eye! So he probally has more problems than me, but he should leave his problems at home, not take them to work. I am going to try and talk to him about prescribing valium, but I doubt he will, because I've gone to his office a nervous wreck, and he just sends me the same pills. Its like he was saying here take these, now go away and dont bother me no more.I got one question, does the valium make you forget about the breathing to a point that you're just thinking other things rather than the breathing?

[HLeon]

Well yes I am also seeing a psychotherapist, and all she does is ask me questions, and I answer. I have started to see her about 2 weeks ago, and when I go there it feels go to just let go some of my emotions. She has told me to try and occupy my time doing something. She told me she was going to teach me some distraction techniques, so that when the breathing problem starts I can think about something else. (If only it were that easy) I asked her yesterday about valium, and she told me that valium is very strong and psychiatrists dont often prescribe it because its very addictive and makes you dopey. Hey I was just wondering how do you take valium? 2 times a day? before going to sleep? The psychotherapist that I am seeing seems real nice. But my psychiatrist in my opinion is just a plain a**hole. I told him that the lorazepam wasnt doing nothing for me. He just prescribed it again. He tells me to take it before going to sleep, and that the effects last 4 hrs!? What am I supposed to do with that?? I told him that the geodone(which is for the voices) really accelerates my heart, and he just prescribed more milligrams. Its like he wasnt even listening to me. He was talking to me about changing psychiatrists, and I think thats what I am going to do, because he always has an attitude, and I just dont like him for some reason. The general medicine doctor that did a checkup on me and sent me clorazepam has done more for me, than the psychiatrist has done for me in the last couple of months. The general medicine doctor sent me clorazepam, and it has helped a little with the breathing, although I think about it sometimes.(mainly when I am just laying around, doing nothing)So hey I was wondering about the valium, do you feel that it has really helped you out? And how often do you take it? In the morning, and before going to sleep?

[MariaA]

Im glad your seeing someone!!!!
I think she can help you w/ the distraction techniques...it's hard to master but does work.
She's right...valium is not prescribed very much anymore because it is a longer acting drug and MAY be more addictive.
But see according to my therapist its really no worse because w/ the shorter working drugs like Lorazepam every time it starts to leave your system after 4 hours you go through withdrawels. With Valium it stays in my system until next dose and I don't deal w/ withdrawels on a daily basis. I take 5mg. 3 x a day. AM, mid day and evening. I really don't need it to sleep. I actually use more of a natural sleeping thing...right before bed I take 500mg of calcium and 500 mg. of magnesium. It relaxes and helps sleep to be more restful...maybe that's an idea.
At first the valium made me sleepy but that happens w/ all until your system gets used to it. It has made me more normal than any other anti-anxiety drug out there and it's been around for a very long time. I think the others made me more anxious and depressed. Valium stays in the system longer than Lorazepam.
Sometimes I think Pschiatrist are jerks. It's all about the medication w/ them. Mine can be like that too. I only see him when I ned med refill. I think they see more serious people than us and think we aren;t worth their time! Poop on them! Our lives are just as valuable! I am also into a lot of alternative therapy...yoga, natural remedies, massage therapy, chiropractic thereapy. Some people can not break out of the box especially some docs...a lot of it is about money and it pisses them off when you try to find something on your own that may not be synthetic made.
Talk you later!