Has anyone else gone through this? I feel like I’m constantly fighting for a deep breath
I honestly feel exhausted and scared by this now. After going through a really bad period of severe anxiety and panic attacks, my breathing has never felt normal again.
Every single day I feel like I have to keep taking deep breaths or yawning just to try and feel satisfied, but it never really works. It feels like I can’t properly fill my lungs or get that “complete” breath, and it’s become obsessive because I’m constantly thinking about my breathing 24/7.
On top of that, I get chest pain, rib pain, and upper back pain that feels similar to costochondritis at times, which then makes me panic even more and focus on my breathing even harder. Sometimes my chest feels tight, sore, burning, or strained from constantly trying to breathe deeply.
I’m struggling to know what’s anxiety, what’s muscular, and what’s actually caused by the breathing pattern itself.
Has anyone else experienced this after anxiety or panic attacks? Did it eventually calm down? What other symptoms did people get from dysfunctional breathing/breathing pattern disorder?
Would honestly help just to know I’m not alone because this has completely taken over my life lately.