I can remember after my first lung collapse that I had a problem when I would first lie down to go to sleep.  I would begin hyperventilating and knew that I was well saturated, and I would try to calm myself down by trying to slow down my breathing.  That is when I came upon the idea that the fight or flight mode had taken over and that I needed to get my cognitive brain to take over.  I began naming the things in my room by very specific names like the bronze lamp with a crimson shade.  After a few minutes of doing this, I could regain control over my breathing.

I then read about pursed-lip breathing in the “learn more” tab on the COPD Foundation 360social site. Breathing Techniques | COPD Foundation  I actually learned to combine diaphragmatic breathing with pursed-lip breathing.  I learned to say, “ok I’ve got this” and begin my pursed-lip breathing when I felt the panic beginning.  Once I remember being in the Kroger parking lot and finding myself in panic mode because I did not want to be embarrassed by stopping and doing pursed-lip breathing.  I then combined my naming everything in my vision with the pursed-lip breathing to get myself under control.  Yes, you guessed it.  I made quite a spectacle there bent over and muttering to myself.  I learned it was better to be noticed a little as to being the center of attraction.