YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I've had a similar dream about once a week for a couple of years now. I always wake up at some point with my heart racing like it's real.

The gist of it is: I live in a small house and I have to pack up everything and move out ASAP because I am months behind on the rent and the landlord is coming after me. Sometimes in the dream I'm a teenager living with my mom and other times I'm an adult living with my wife.

I should mention I've lived in over 25 different places in my 37 years on this planet, which probably has something to do with the dream. I just want it to stop because it feels so real and I always wake up in a panic, which sometimes lasts hours.

Remarks! Sorry I didn't get to this excellent post sooner. Thanks for posting.

It is not often I am certain of something, and this is one of those cases:

Your psyche/subconscious/unconscious is trying to get your attention.

Of this I am certain.

Now, just *what* your psyche is trying to get you to pay attention, I have no idea.

Here is something you can do at your own risk: during a quiet, relaxed, but fully awake moment, ask yourself: "Psyche, what do you want me to know or understand from this moving dream?"

Keep in mind that our psyche speaks to use using poetic language.

Then listen. You may not like what your psyche tells you, but it is probably worth the cost. Remember: there is always a cost.

Thanks for the great insight, Oak. I will ask my psyche and hope to get some answers. Any relief from this dream would be great. I'll follow up when I have some more info.

I can guess at the dream.

But I have this to offer about the attacks.

Not all breathing techniques are equal.

If you are sucking in air to equalize, you’re going to continue to hyperventilate indefinitely.

This is what I can recommend from experience;

Through pursed lips, slow down your out-breath and focus on emptying your lungs. Count 4 slowly while breathing out. Let the in-breath come ‘normally‘, through the nose (don’t suck it in). Focus on that out-breath like that for at least 5 minutes; getting the lungs emptied with a long emphasized out-breath. No need to force it, just keep it going. Breathe normally once you feel comfortable. It won’t have any effect for at least 3 minutes minimum; and probably then only after some good practice.

I’ve been coping with panic attacks for 20 years and recently made that distinction about the out-breath and it’s the only thing that has effectively interrupted hyperventilation.

I sometimes do practice it when I’m not even panicking, just to bring myself back to an equilibrium point, to bank some calm for an upcoming moment. I also noted that similar techniques are used in Pilates and Zen meditation. I recommend both but under expert instruction.

I don’t know the science, just that you need to evacuate sufficient oxygen from your lungs for sufficient oxygen to naturally enter. Also the half way point of the cycle is not the end of the in breath. It’s when the lungs are halfway full, halfway empty. If you’re only sucking in air, (but not pushing it out again) you don’t effectively pass through that halfway point to oxygenate your lungs.

First couple of minutes you’ll be wrestling with it and thinking you’re not doing it right. Expected. Persist. You’ll know you’re near regular breathing again when you can sigh with relief.

Good luck

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Thanks for the advice, Beany Boo. It's funny how breathing is an essential part of life - we've done it since the minute we were born - yet we still forget how to do it sometimes. I will use your breathing tips the next time I find myself in that panicked mode.

Hello! My first post since the BBS update. Still poking around..

Just dug out of the 2 feet of snow we got here in the NY/NJ area.
(Doing the neighborhood sidewalks and driveways over the last two days with loaner snow-blowers was diverting, invigorating & rewarding. Also making sure the backyard birds and critters were fed thru the 2-day storm. But now, back to our regularly-scheduled-funk, already-in-progress )

About breathing (maybe a new thread is needed?) -

I just finished the book "Breath" by James Nestor. Entertaining and worth the read.
Generally positive reviews (A few haters, pointing out the anecdotal nature and perhaps some over-statements he makes)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48890486-breath

But still. Correct breathing is vital
He's got a website with breathing videos from various sources here.

https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath-vids

Cheers

SD