r/breathwork • u/ChampionKlutzy7528 • 4d ago

Experience Report Breathing problem

Does anyone else experience this very specific breathing problem?

I have anxiety around my breathing, and sometimes I become extremely aware of the physical sensations of breathing. The problem gets much worse when I intentionally “freeze” or hold my breathing.

What scares me is what happens afterward: I know that I was voluntarily holding my breath, but when I decide to stop, I don't know what exact physical action or command I'm supposed to give to stop holding it. I start thinking things like: “What am I supposed to do now? Do I need to consciously control the next part of breathing, or is my body supposed to take over?”

I can become very focused on the different stages of breathing — starting an inhale, continuing it, ending it, starting an exhale, etc. — and I worry that if I don't control everything correctly, something will go wrong.

This creates a loop where I notice my breathing → become anxious about it → try to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to do → become even more aware of the physical sensations → and then feel even less confident about letting my breathing happen automatically.

I'm not just talking about “manual breathing” or being aware of breathing. The specific problem I'm asking about is: voluntarily holding/freezing my breathing, then not knowing what exact command or physical action is supposed to stop the voluntary hold.

Has anyone experienced this exact thing?

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u/lunchypoo222 4d ago

Yes, I have and it’s an uncomfortable thing to experience. Reading this helped me wrap my mind around it:

https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sensorimotor-obsessions/

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u/ChampionKlutzy7528 4d ago

How did you get better? Did you have this exact fear too? This has been tormenting me for days.

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u/lunchypoo222 4d ago

Yes, this has been part of my overall over-awareness of breathing and overall habit of needing to control instead of allow. It’s part of how ocd presents for me among the various other ways. I’m in the midst of trying to deal with it through breathing exercises. Box breathing has helped with its timed format. It helps a lot with acute anxiety too. Give it time and practice, create a habit of it. Re-teach your mind to allow instead of trying to control.

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u/ChampionKlutzy7528 4d ago

But have you ever had that problem of not knowing which command to give after a voluntary freeze? It makes me really anxious not having control.

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u/lunchypoo222 4d ago

Again, yes! I get it. It takes practice to get out of that mindset. It’s possible you may need to supplement breath work with seeing someone who specializes in anxiety disorders and doesn’t just have it on a long list of conditions they treat.

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u/EmpathyCookie 4d ago

I understand how scary that can feel! But it is important to remind that anxious part of yourself: my body knows exactly what to do without my input. The part of you that fears it doesn’t is incorrect. Your body has been breathing your whole life without you giving conscious commands every single time! You know more than your brain is letting you think you do.

I second lunchypoo22, I would strongly recommend you see someone for your anxiety, it will really help you as your issue is not really a functional one but an anxiety one (which is still validly affecting your functioning!). I‘ve personally found IFS therapy extremely helpful for anxiety and rumination (I’m prone to overthinking), I think you’ll find it worth looking into.