ust the breathe in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4-5.
Okay...not quite.
Maybe try imagining a
square out in front of your body.
Try this when you're not panicked before employing it when you are.
Start at the bottom right & in your mind trace it whilst breathing a squarish pattern.
Breathe in for,
four seconds, climbing up the side of the square,
hold for
two, at the corner,
turn left breathing out for
five seconds,
hold for
two, at the corner,
breathe in for
four, running down the side,
hold for
two, at the corner,
breathe out for
five
& repeat.
It's not easy to keep it up because there's an natural inclination to rapid breathe whilst panicked.
It doesn't have to be that ^timing or that shape..like you could imagine the frame of one of your favourite paintings or photos...something calm and that means something good to you. Obviously lung damage and other physical limitations may make that timing hard. But try to start with that.
If you feel out of breath, more than likely it's because you may have been
holding your breath too long (sometimes panic attacks can instinctively cause us to hold our breathe, then gasp rapidly and then hold and that pattern doesn't allow for sufficient exchange of gases. So the whole technique relies on slowing breathing down and ensuring there is sufficient gas exchange.
This technique is to try and walk back from that panicked breathing response.
To succeed it must be slow, steady and rhythmic. Not rapid.. resist the urge to add in another breathe if that comes along and probably will if you are feeling panicked.
*emphasis is always on the breathing out - push the carbon dioxide as far out as you possibly can. Completely empty your lungs. That leaves enough room to inhale deeply.
*change the number of seconds you breathe
in, hold, out to whatever feels most comfortable. But, after maybe four circuits if you can manage it add another second to the in and out phases.
*concentrate on the rising of your chest, the drawing in of fresh air and the expulsion of used air.
*if your mind wanders off to unwanted non-calming thoughts, gently re-focus back to the breathing - but if you start imagining nice thoughts let them come. (of course)
*do it for 5 minutes or more if you can.
(I frequently fall back to sleep after a while)
*Practice, as with most things, makes it work better :)
The idea imo with breathing is simple but also complex. It's aim is to use your body with rhythmic breathing to 'trick' your brain that the 'traumatic' event, panic etc - response- ie rapid breathing etc - is not necessary in that moment, or that is has passed.
Focusing on deliberate, steady breathing indicates to all of those muscles, heart & etc that there is no need anymore to run, hide, fight.
It stands down the panic response because the
response is what it's all about. It's the middle of the night so you cannot resolve past trauma right then. But you can rest your body and mind for the coming day with intentions of dealing with some of it when you're ready and rested?
That's how I understand it to work. But if anyone has more or better information - go for it.
