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Is it normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack?

34 Answers
Last Updated: 04/27/2021 at 10:33am
1 Tip to Feel Better
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I provide non-judgmental, person-centered, objective therapeutic treatment for individuals of all ages to improve social, emotional, mental and other areas of functioning.

Top Rated Answers
dkotabarrios
April 6th, 2015 8:30pm
Yes, that is the main way you can tell if you are having one. During a panic attack we often struggle to breathe and begin to hyper ventilate.
Anonymous
August 1st, 2017 9:39pm
Having trouble breathing can be one of the symptoms of a panic attack - whilst there are plenty of people that experience this, it still feels scary at the time. Try to practice some grounding or mindfulness techniques that may be able to help you focus on breathing regularly if you have another panic attack.
ladycat946
June 28th, 2016 5:13am
Yes it is! Because when you are having a panic attack, basically you are super anxious so you are breathing faster than usual and your breathings are not as deeper as usual, so this is why you have trouble to breath and you feel pain on your chest.
MPuffin
June 30th, 2016 10:34pm
yes it is. panic attacks are the bodies response to feeling threatened which sometimes causes the person to find it difficult to breathe. in fact it is very common
LordLovesAll92
July 2nd, 2016 5:30am
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension of sudden onset accompanied by bodily or cognitive symptoms of variable duration. The most common symptoms are hyperventilating, shortness of breath, light headedness, stiffness, nausea, and so on.
Melody293
July 25th, 2016 6:18pm
it's very normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack. Panic attacks can restrict your chest, and as you try to get more air in, it is common to only get small bits of air. It's important to focus on your breathing during panic attacks because of this!
HopieRemi
July 25th, 2016 9:18pm
It is normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack. It happens because when you panic, you get in the flight mode of fight or flight.
Anonymous
September 12th, 2016 3:07pm
Yeah, it is completely normal. You'll feel like you can't breathe, you just have to take deep breaths, even if it feels like it's not helping, take deep breaths, it'll regulate your breathing
Anonymous
June 6th, 2017 1:44am
It is normal to experience trouble in breathing. The experience is different for everyone, but very extreme cases cause shaking, crying, and abnormal breathing patterns.
ThePunnyPunkin
July 17th, 2017 11:25pm
Based on personal experiences and the experiences of those I know, difficulty breathing during a panic attack is completely normal. My own therapist has told me that it is completely normal. Yes, itʻs scary; breathing becomes extremely heavy, you hypervenalate, and sometimes you canʻt breathe at all. But the most important thing is understanding that it is completely normal and as terrifying as it may get, it will NOT last forever.
Anonymous
May 31st, 2016 6:39pm
Yes, it is common to find it hard to breath, because when you are anxious people tend not to breath deeply enough and their breath is quick. So this cause hyperventilation, and you feel that you lack oxygen. Try breathing more deeply, without forcing too much, as this helps decreasing the panic itself.
Potatofry
February 9th, 2018 9:23pm
Everyone experiences panic attack in a different way. However having trouble breathing or painting without physical exertion are common signs of having panic attacks.
ConnerAlexzander
February 13th, 2018 7:54am
It is very normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack. You may feel like you are suffocating, or dying. Everything will hurt to you, but it's ok. Remember that you will be fine, maybe carry around a security item? (I constantly wear the same jacket, that way no matter what I have something that will stay normal)
DustyRose22
February 26th, 2018 10:08pm
Yes. Many times, during a panic attack, people report having trouble breathing. In my university psychology class, we did an activity where our professor gave us thin straws and instructed us to only breathe out of them for a full minute - which was supposed to help simulate what having a panic attack feels like. If you are experiencing panic attacks, it may be helpful to go see a doctor to rule out any possible physical conditions that could be causing similar symptoms and to get professional help and support! :)
Anonymous
March 19th, 2018 1:45am
It is normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack because when you are in one you're mind stops thinking of possible ways to resolve it and instead you are left to wonder why it all happened during this you may have trouble trying to breathe.
Anonymous
April 23rd, 2018 8:22am
Yes. People tend to have breathing problems during a panic attack, but what you should do is try to breath in and out slowly, that will help you get to the normal rhythm of breathing again.
Anonymous
April 30th, 2018 6:06pm
It is normal to feel short of breath during a panic attack. I also often experience a paralysing fear that sometimes makes me stop in the middle of a crowd or make me cry in difficult situations. Physical responses to stress are normal and can be delt with as you deal with anxiety
friendlyHeart9279
April 27th, 2021 10:33am
Absolutely. One of the common symptoms of the panic attack is shortness of breath. Interestingly enough, regulating your breath is also the solution to calm your panic attack. Bringing in oxygen will tell your body that you are okay and all the other symptoms will soon go away. Practice the 4-4-8 breathing method. Inhale for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Then exhale for 8 seconds. Focus on the movement of the belly going up and down. In order to calm down, you must avoid thinking that you are sick, or dying. Panic attacks feel awful, but they are not dangerous and nothing bad will happen to you. So focus on your breathing and not on your fears.
Carriekats120
March 16th, 2015 7:07am
In my opinion he's it is because when you panic your heart beats faster with then can cause you to breathe faster
mayssamk
February 22nd, 2016 6:40pm
It is, your body goes off in Panic mode, which makes your heart race and your breathing quickens until you feel you can't breathe anymore. It's completely normal, a tip for when that occurs is to concentrate really hard on your breathing, and picture the air going in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make yourself take deep breaths, filling your stomach with air as much as possible. soon, you'll start to feel a bit calmer, your breathing back to normal which will clear your head.
gentlePeace95
December 8th, 2015 12:13am
Yes, but if you ever do have trouble breathing during a panic attack be sure to ring your doctor as soon as possible or things could get worse .
Anonymous
November 27th, 2015 2:00am
This is one of the many symptoms of a panic attack, your breathing usually quickens or you struggle to get enough oxygen to your brain. This can make you feel dizzy or disoriented.
takemeawayx
November 18th, 2015 12:03am
It is absolutely normal! Panic attacks take over your senses and you go into fight or flight mode - all your senses are heightened. A panic attack is a physical reaction to an excessively anxious or stressed situation and as a result you will experience physical symptoms such as short or shallow breathing, sweating, shaking, a racing heartbeat, pins and needles, the list can go on and it varies for different people. It is very normal and you are not alone.
Anonymous
November 16th, 2015 6:45am
Yes it is normal. When you panic it becomes difficult to breathe. Your heart is pacing and sometimes you become sweaty. Also when you cant breathe it causes you to panick. Ie panick attack
supportiveFreedom51
August 10th, 2015 2:19am
It is totally normal to have trouble breathing, I learned that having trouble breathing was actually a symptom of a panic attack. It will pass. :)
nalabadu
August 3rd, 2015 6:17am
yes it is normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack. one of the many symptoms is difficult breathing.
thantophobiaxo
July 13th, 2015 12:42am
Yes, it's very normal. Especially if there's a lot of people around. But when it happens try steadying your breathing. Close your eyes and count to 3, picture a happy memory or place. Take a deep breath in and hold it, then release. Try repeating this multiple times.
Batman94
July 6th, 2015 10:06pm
Yes, this is one of the normal symptoms of a panic attack. It can sometimes be helpful to attempt to control your breathing to help combat this.
bunniesgomoo
June 9th, 2015 5:10pm
Yep, it's completely normal to have trouble breathing during a panic attack. Some people start to hyperventilate whereas others find it difficult to breathe; it would be helpful to practice breathing exercises often to help when you experience a panic attack
Anonymous
May 27th, 2015 8:12am
Yes, it is not unusual to experience shortness of breath during a panic attack, there Is also breathing techniques which can help control this.