So recently my anxiety has been getting worse. I use to not have a problem reading things out loud in class. But now when I have to read something out loud I run out of air and can't breath. It happens in mid sentence. It's like I forget how to breath or something and my voice gets all shaky. I then have to stop and catch my breath as if I just ran a marathon. It's really embarassing. I try to play it off as if I need to cough because something is in my throat. Does this happen to anyone else?
Can't Breath
- Thread starter sadday
- Start date
anomicdeer
Well-known member
this use to happen to me. when iwas in middle school for some reason I volunteered to read and i couldnt read loud enough for people to hear me and i was short of breath.
danstelter
Well-known member
My girlfriend has the same issue during panic attacks...feels like she can't breathe but she doesn't suffocate either. I think that playing it off as a cough is a good way to work through it for now. Try to convince yourself that you are a good speaker and a confident reader and that everything will be okay, even if you run out of breath mid-sentence. Just accept that you will be anxious to some level, but that you will get through it and be okay on the other side, and everything will turn out all right. It might take a few weeks or so to get back out of this funk and back to the point where you can read without this problem...but you can and will do it if you stick to it!
pandamonium77
Well-known member
Yea i get this way too - kind of.
Im always worried about what people think when I'm reading out loud
Am i annoying? Am i too loud? Am i not loud enough? Can people understand me?
All of these thoughts are racing through my head and i find it really hard to read the sentences, i always lose my place and stop mid sentence and kind of gulp/swallow
and it makes me blush and get really embarassed
Im always worried about what people think when I'm reading out loud
Am i annoying? Am i too loud? Am i not loud enough? Can people understand me?
All of these thoughts are racing through my head and i find it really hard to read the sentences, i always lose my place and stop mid sentence and kind of gulp/swallow
and it makes me blush and get really embarassed
kuhtreen
Well-known member
OMG YES. I definitely experienced this when I was in school. My chest felt heavy, my heart raced, my voice shook, and I could hardly breathe. It's strange because it happened all of a sudden one day, but before that day I used to love reading out loud. Once it happened the first time, it happened every single time after that. Horrible.
