About breathing...

Hyperventilation means breathing too quickly. More than half of all people with panic disorder hyperventilate. When we hyperventilate, we take short, rapid, gulping breaths using our upper chest muscles.

Hyperventilation mixes up the normal levels of oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in our blood, which results in a number of temporary but strange and upsetting symptoms.

It’s easy to check how you're breathing. Just rest the palm of one hand on your upper chest and the palm of your other hand over your stomach. Notice which hand rises first when you breathe in. If your upper hand rises first, you're 'upper-chest breathing.'

If your lower hand rises first, you're 'diaphragmatic breathing' (it's pronounced die-a-fram-attic). If both hands move at the same time, you're using a mixture of both.

Diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce feelings of anxiety and panic.