Feeling Incredibly Lightheaded?

[hollyberrytea]

Sometimes I'll get these fits of being lightheaded. I had one yesterday, and thought I might pass out(at the wheel, of course, it was scary and was hard to shake out of it, must've lasted 2min at most). It was incredibly uncomfortable, as I've never experienced one so intense.

Does anyone else get really lightheaded?

 

[LittleGirlLost]

Were you feeling high levels of anxiety before you felt lightheaded? When I get lightheaded, which I do quite a lot, it is almost exclusively because I'm -- and I know, I know, you'd think I'd have learned or that my body would just KNOW, but -- NOT BREATHING.

And if I am trying to breathe, if I'm aware of it and attempting to calm down or doing breathing exercises or whatever it is, sometimes that's not enough. Sometimes I just can't get my breathing all the way into my body instead of just at my chest (because, in fact, breathing is a full-body experience and not just about your lungs).

So I do acting exercises. Specifically, I squat. It is almost impossible not to breathe into your pelvis if you're squatting. Obviously you can't do that while you're driving, but if it gets really bad, you should probably pull over until it passes. The other thing that I've been taught to do -- for acting, hooray! -- is that if I'm really not breathing and I'm getting lightheaded because of something I'm bringing up, I find something to hold onto with both hands and I squeeze as hard as I can. I'm not totally sure of the mechanics of that one, but I imagine it's a relieving of pressure and it also allows for grounding.

I feel like I should start a thread of helpful acting exercises or something.

 

[Venusian]

I get light headed at times. As Littlegirllost said, it is when I am having anxiety. I have had it in the car too when I was leaving a stressful or triggering situation or when I know that I am going to a stressful situation. I do the breathing exercises too. One thing my therapist told me and which I have also read in books, is that most adults breath wrong. Take a deep breath and look at your stomach or put a hand on it, make sure it is your stomach that is moving outwards and not your chest. That way the air goes deeper into your lungs.

It may also be something else, I was also recently diagnosed with severe anemia at the same time I was diagnosed with asthma. The asthma was a double whammy since the symptoms triggered the PTSD. It doesn't hurt to talk to a doctor about your symptoms and rule out any medical conditions.

 

[LittleGirlLost]

It doesn't hurt to talk to a doctor about your symptoms and rule out any medical conditions.

That's true. I also have hypoglycemia, which means when I don't eat, I get shaky and lightheaded because my blood sugar gets low. I didn't mention it because you said in another post that your anxiety's been pretty high lately. But, you know, it never hurts to get other causes checked out just in case.

 

[MissMacD]

Whenever I feel off medically I always make a doctors appointment. The peace of mind that nothing is physically wrong with me always helps a little. There have been times when I have been facing an old trauma and felt like I would pass out. When I feel really bad my diet and sleep suffers badly. Are you eating nutritious food and sleeping enough?

Exercise has been my saving grace. Jogging and yoga turn the volume way down on my anxiety and make day to day life far more manageable. It regulates my sleep and appetite and being in good shape gives me a huge confidence boost. Hope you are feeling better and that you are taking care of yourself.

 

[Dennis # 121]

I get dizzy all the time. I believe it is the medication I was given to help me sleep at night. Hopefully once these are gone, I can get back to a normal sleep patterns. Also make sure your on a well balanced diet, I still battle with eating, never hungry and almost have to force myself to eat. Only good thing out of this is I lost 35 lbs that I put on when I quit smoking 20 years ago.

 

[Anna]

Get dizzy as well, especially if I stand up too quick. I have problems with sugar levels, need to have something sugary with me all the time.