Convinced that there is something wrong with my breathing

[guitargirl]

I woke up about a week ago feeling like the air in my left nostril was blocked and the entire left side of my face was numb. I started using a neti pot but it has not helped anything. I was bothered by this and it has gotten increasingly worse. I am obsessed with my breathing and have gone through phases of being convinced I cannot breathe and breathing manually, as well as convinced that not enough oxygen is going to my brain. A few days ago I kept feeling a sensation as though my chest was going to collapse and crush me. I also have a passing feeling that I am suffocating. I also feel the need to lay down all the time. I do not feel as bad as I did a few days ago but I am still convinced that either the airway on the left side of my nose is blocked, I accidentally got bacteria in my sinus with the neti pot, and that I am going insane/experiencing brain damage. I was convinced I had COVID for a few days but am now fairly certain I don't I guess I'm looking for reassurance that this is all part of my anxiety as well as advice as to what to do, thanks!

 

[Cuchculan]

Once people with anxiety get an idea, things begin to spiral out of control. Just takes one little thing to enter the mind. We react to that one little thing. That in turn can bring on symptoms. Make us feel like there is really something bad going on. Truth is, it was that one little thought only. Had we not of reacted to the thought, nothing else would have happened. We simply would have moved on. You have had these thoughts before about your breathing. You were fine then. Just as you will be fine now. Just remember that you have had all this before and it was nothing but your mind.

 

[oranges and lemons]

I lay in bed the other night and I suddenly found I couldn't get enough air. I felt panicked about that and of course made it worse. I remembered feeling like that before and just slowed my breathing right down, tried to think of anything else and it went back to normal.

 

[Joshua1]

Major stress can create breathing difficulties. Relaxation methods are important for you. When breathing gets hard, try to use your mind to put your body at ease.