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Buzz Feed
15-04-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
"Air Hunger" Is A Symptom Of Anxiety We Don't Talk About Nearly Enough
When Seeley Lutz, a 26-year-old from Alexandria, Virginia, feels overwhelmed — either in a social situation or by all she has to get done — she said she feels like her body starts to shut down. 'I often feel like there's something heavy sitting atop my chest or blocking my airways, leaving me unable to breathe,' Lutz said. 'It truly feels like you're suffocating even when there's plenty of oxygen available.' What she's experiencing — and what many people experience — is called 'air hunger.' John Scott Haldane and James Lorrain Smith coined the term in a 1892 paper. And it's a common symptom of anxiety, although people rarely talk about how it feels ― or even know that it has a name. Simply put, air hunger is the feeling that you can't get enough air. From a medical standpoint, it's referred to as dyspnea. When anxiety causes it, it's tied to the 'fight or flight' response. 'When we perceive a threat, whether real or imagined, the brain signals the body to enter fight-or-flight mode,' explained Gayle Watts, a clinical psychologist with Turning Tides Psychology. 'This activates the sympathetic nervous system, which increases heart rate, tenses muscles and alters breathing patterns.' To the body, a threat isn't always as primal or life-threatening as being chased by a bear. It can also be giving a presentation, experiencing a trauma trigger or anything in between. When your sympathetic nervous system is activated, you may hyperventilate or breathe too quickly or shallowly. That's where the feeling like you can't get enough air comes in. And unfortunately, what may feel instinctual can make matters worse. 'Paradoxically, the more we focus on our breathing and try to 'fix' it, the more we reinforce the cycle of anxiety and air hunger,' Watts added. Anxiety and air hunger can become cyclical: You feel anxious, so you experience air hunger, and then struggling to breathe triggers more anxiety. You may then become anxious about, well, feeling anxious, rather than the original threat. Kyle Elliott, a tech career coach who has anxiety disorders and lives in Santa Barbara, California, has experienced this firsthand. 'The stress of the situation caused further anxiety and panic, which only made it seemingly more difficult to breathe,' he said. 'I've never experienced something so scary before.' What exactly is behind that? 'Anxiety can amplify the perception of breathing difficulties by increasing attention to respiratory sensations, sometimes even when there is no actual physiological distress,' said Harry Cohen, a psychologist and author of Be The Sun, Not The Salt. 'The bottom line is that it appears very real to us and feels bad.' The good news is it won't last forever. 'Air hunger typically subsides relatively quickly,' said Jenelle Thompson-Keene, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks in Champaign, Illinois, specializing in anxiety, coping skills and stress. If it happens frequently, is intense, or lasts longer than a couple of minutes, or is accompanied by chest pain or nausea, she encouraged seeking help from a professional. Otherwise, the coping skills below should do the trick. How To Manage Air Hunger Several physical and mental techniques can calm your body in mere moments. Here are some examples the mental health clinicians shared: Expose yourself to cold temperatures. Going outside on a colder day, washing your hands with cold water, taking a cold shower and even dunking your face in a bowl of ice water can calm your anxiety. Thompson-Keene explained it can slow your heart rate. Basically — and at least in the case of dunking your face — you're triggering the ' dive reflex.' Ground yourself with your senses. Another way to manage anxiety — and therefore air hunger — is by getting in touch with your five senses with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. 'Try naming five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste,' Watts said. 'This brings your awareness back to the present moment and helps disrupt anxious thought patterns.' Change your posture. Even in comfortable positions and when air hunger isn't an issue, you may not be able to breathe as well. So, it's especially important to be mindful of how you're sitting during an air hunger 'attack.' ' Sitting hunched over can create a sense of restriction, making air hunger feel worse,' Watts said. 'If you're struggling with breathlessness, try sitting up straight or standing and rolling your shoulders back to open up your chest.' Do a breathing exercise or technique. As Watts mentioned, people may try to take deeper breaths when they're experiencing air hunger — it's only instinctual. And it can make symptoms worse. 'Instead, slowing your breathing and focusing on a structured pattern can help rebalance oxygen and carbon dioxide levels,' she said. Watts encouraged the 4-7-8 technique: Inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth for eight seconds. 'This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which signals to your body that you are safe and can relax,' Watts added. Cohen also suggested controlled breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing. Essentially, that technique is about taking deep breaths, feeling your stomach rise as you inhale and sink as you exhale. ' Studies show that focusing on breath patterns enhances respiratory stability and reduces the unpredictability that often fuels panic,' he said. Try cognitive reframing. This cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skill encourages changing your perspective to be more realistic and helpful. In the case of air hunger, it might look like this: 'Air hunger is a perception, not a true lack of oxygen.' 'By understanding the role of the brain in amplifying sensations, people can learn to reinterpret the experience as non-threatening, reducing the emotional distress associated with it,' Cohen explained. Repeat a positive mantra. One Thompson-Keene suggested was 'I'm safe and this will pass.' She added, 'It is a way to help ground your mind and body in the present moment.' Practice mindfulness-based stress reduction. This toolkit is similar to some of the other tips. In practice, it might look like breath awareness, body scans and mindful movement. Its usefulness is research-backed, too. Cohen said it 'has been shown to decrease anxiety by improving one's ability to interpret bodily sensations accurately, reducing the tendency to catastrophize normal fluctuations in breathing.' Further, a study in JAMA Psychiatry found it as effective as the gold-standard drug, escitalopram, for patients with anxiety disorders. Give yourself a 'butterfly hug.' This technique incorporates breathing and cross-body tapping, Thompson-Keene said, which many find helpful. She shared this YouTube video that explains how to do it. In short, put your left hand on your right arm and vice versa. Then, tap your arms, focus on breathing, and repeat positive mantras to yourself. Lutz is a fan of this one. 'I've found that butterfly hugs sometimes help with this feeling, which is great,' she said. Whichever tip you use, and however long it takes to work, remember you will survive this, too. 'In a very short period of time, you should be feeling much better,' Cohen said. 'Remember, what you're feeling does feel unpleasant, but it will soon pass.' HuffPost.
CBS News
20-02-2025
- CBS News
Plane crashes can spark fear of flying. Here are tips to help you cope and ease airplane anxiety.
If headlines of recent plane crashes and close calls have you worried about air travel, you're not alone — but there are things to keep in mind to help ease anxiety about flying. While most Americans still believe air transportation is generally safe, confidence in air travel and the federal agencies in charge of air safety has fallen, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that 64% of U.S. adults say they think plane travel is "very safe" or "somewhat safe," but that's down slightly from last year, when 71% said so. About 20% now say they consider air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024. The poll was conducted shortly after the deadly Jan. 30 collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., but before the Feb. 17 incident where a Delta flight from Minneapolis flipped upside down while landing in Toronto. In an interview with CBS News Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sought to reassure Americans that "of course" it's safe to fly. "If you get in a plane, if you look at how many people fly, how many flights we have, of course it's a safe space," Duffy said. He noted that there isn't a pattern behind the recent incidents, calling each of them "very unique," and said investigators will determine what went wrong so systems can continue to improve. Psychologist Harry Cohen told CBS News it's "completely normal and understandable" for people to deal with fears around flying, especially after seeing incidents like these. But experts say there are ways to cope and manage these anxieties. "There are so many (strategies), and it really depends on the person. Number one is, do what works for you," said Cohen, whose work, including his book "Be The Sun, Not The Salt," focuses on helping people become their best selves. Here are some suggestions to consider. Remember the odds The odds of dying in a commercial air accident was about 1 in 13.7 million from 2018 to 2022 — a much lower rate than car crash deaths in 2023, where the odds were 1 in 95, according to the National Safety Council. "Statistically, flying is way safer than any other form of transportation. However, the stories, the tragedies, the crashes — they make us think that it isn't," Cohen said. This is called "availability bias," explains Alyssa Mairanz, a licensed mental health counselor and owner of Empower Your Mind Therapy. "Our minds tend to recall events or pieces of information more easily when it's been viewed recently, making it seem more common than it actually is," she told CBS News. Avoid triggering content Avoiding or limiting your exposure to upsetting content related to flights can help calm your thoughts. "Stop watching the news or obsessing over it, because ruminating with negative thoughts can sometimes make you feel worse," Mairanz said. Cohen said to be mindful that you can't un-see an image. "Once you've seen the plane flip over and on the Toronto tarmac, you can't not see that image," he said, adding that you'll likely have to pair this with other coping strategies. Take steps to prepare To reduce anxiety around flying, Cohen suggests preparing as best you can. "Anything that creates more generalized anxiety is not going to be helpful," he said. This includes giving yourself enough time to avoid rushing. And he suggests avoiding caffeine and alcohol. "People might think taking a few drinks is helpful. It usually isn't," he said. Take time to mentally prepare, too. "Remember all the things that you know about flying, because you've flown for many, many years and it is a very safe means of transportation," he said. Seek out support Traveling with a friend or striking up conversation with your seatmate can also help. "Talking to someone next to you, holding their hand... it can help," Cohen said. Don't ignore the flight professionals, either. "Flight attendants are skilled at talking to you and helping you feel less anxious. They can give you more information and come by and check on you," he said You can also talk to a doctor about medicinal support. "There's medication that can calm your nerves prior to flying so that you're prepared — whether that's a an anti-anxiety medication, which you take on occasion, or a beta blocker, which is for performance anxiety ... it calms your physiological symptoms," Cohen said. Reach for healthy distractions While on a flight, use healthy distraction to avoid negative thoughts. This could be a movie, a game on your phone, a book or any activity that keeps your mind busy. "It's not going to change the fact that you're not in control — you're not flying the plane, but you have to relinquish that control and do only what you can do, which is, I can control my body. I can control some of my thoughts, and I can regulate my emotions. I can listen to music that is either calming or uplifting. All of those things are are good emotional shifters," Cohen said. Mairanz said the acronym TIPP, a exercise used in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, can help regulate extreme emotions quickly. Here's how to adapt it for travel: T - Temperature: Whether it's putting a cold drink to your cheek or blasting the A/C in your face, the coolness can "trigger the 'dive response,' which lowers heart rate and activates your parasympathetic nervous system," she explained. I - Intense exercise: "Intense exercise can bring down the 'flight-or-fight' response, releasing endorphins and taking your mind off negativity," Mairanz said. "Try fast-paced walking in the airport for a moment or opening and closing your arms quickly inflight — within reason to avoid hitting your seat mate." P - Paced breathing:"Focusing on your breath helps gain control of your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe in deeply. Can you feel your belly move in and out? Try it again several times, lengthening your breath in and out, trying to exhale longer than inhaling. Focus on your breath, not your mind, as your body begins to calm," she said. P - Paired muscle relaxation: Tensing and relaxing your muscles can help let go of stress tension in the body, Mairanz said. "As you inhale, clench your muscles tightly and release on the exhale. Try this several times focusing on different parts of the body," she suggested. When to consider additional help It's valid to have anxiety over flying, but recognize if it's starting to negatively impact your life. "If it starts to become all-consuming, it may be best to talk with a therapist about your fears and additional skills to overcome it," Mairanz said.
