# Constant Shortness Of Breath



## Jayden (Feb 9, 2011)

I have constant shortness of breath. I imagine it is just anxiety, just thought I would put out there if anyone else has this same symptom. I've actually had this when I was really little too and my mom thought I couldnt breathe, i felt fine, but her reaction to me made me panick and we ended up going to the hospital and everything was fine.

Hmmm....maybe I've always subconciously had a bit of anxeity.

DP sometimes feels like solving a big puzzle.

Well thats it,

- Jayd


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## ValleyGirl (Nov 10, 2017)

Yes, it is from anxiety. I have it too.


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## never_giving_up (Jun 23, 2010)

It is the muscle tension in your chest / upper body. Try breathing exercises to help loosen the muscles. Breathing deeply and slowly increases blood flow to the muscles and thus can help relax them.


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## Nichole (Feb 22, 2011)

I also have it.... I keep thinking there's something wrong with me............. But it's the anxiety/panic that comes with depersonalization...... or vice versa

The only thing I have noticed that helps is Ativan/ Lorazepam.

I don't regularily recommend medication... but if it weren't for that I would be in a psychiatric hospital thinking I was losing my mind/dying


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## never_giving_up (Jun 23, 2010)

Also I should say,

the shortness of breath + muscle tension is linked to the emotional numbness. As such, breathing exercises are a way of releasing trapped emotional energy in the body.

Of course it's easier said than done. If you're like me, it's an effort to even concentrate on breathing. Maybe that's because I'm lazy, but there does seem to be some unconscious aversion to it, which is perhaps linked to why I am breathing this way in the first place. Like a part of me is fighting to stay numb.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

Jayd said:


> I have constant shortness of breath. I imagine it is just anxiety, just thought I would put out there if anyone else has this same symptom. I've actually had this when I was really little too and my mom thought I couldnt breathe, i felt fine, but her reaction to me made me panick and we ended up going to the hospital and everything was fine.
> 
> Hmmm....maybe I've always subconciously had a bit of anxeity.
> 
> ...


Is it that you can get a deep breath? That you breath shallow or hold your breath? Or you just feel like you don't get enough air even when you breath deep?


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## Jayden (Feb 9, 2011)

Visual Dude said:


> Is it that you can get a deep breath? That you breath shallow or hold your breath? Or you just feel like you don't get enough air even when you breath deep?


Sorry I dont get your question, usually when I breathe it feels like only every so often I can get the big deep breath in.


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## never_giving_up (Jun 23, 2010)

Jayd said:


> Sorry I dont get your question, usually when I breathe it feels like only every so often I can get the big deep breath in.


Yeah I get this. Like big sighs every so often


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## never_giving_up (Jun 23, 2010)

Kind of feels like you're only using half your lungs or something like that


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

Jayd said:


> Sorry I dont get your question, usually when I breathe it feels like only every so often I can get the big deep breath in.


Just trying to understand what you mean by shortness of breath.

While anxiety can cause stuff like this, I get it without anxiety. It is resolved by increasing Gabapentin. This is due to over activity of sympathetic nervous system (thus under activity of parasympathetic nervous system). Been told it is a minor CNS issue since also have other brain issues, mainly visual.

For me, it is like needing to make conscious effort to breathe deep. Feels like not getting enough air.


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## WithYourSigh (Nov 25, 2012)

One of the symptoms which I repeatedly describe to (ignorant) professionals is shortness of breath. While it is clear that I experience this intensly when anxious, as a result of anxiety, most of the times it is present as if independently. When I sink into brain fog and DR, I immediately feel severe weakness and shortness of breath. That is, my lungs seem to be weak and my breath is extremely shallow; I need to force myself to breathe normally. It does not seem probable to me that such shortness of breath always stems from anxiety.


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## Skynet (Jan 21, 2005)

I defintiely have this problem and I know it's related to DP. It feels like when I breathe, the air doesn't reach my brain anymore. It feels like it stops half way up my nose. I don't feel air in my lungs like I used to either. This could be another thing that just keeps me stuck in DP. Feeling like you can't breathe with put anyone in a panic!


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