I have been holding my breath during every difficult conversation for thirty years and now my chest feels permanently tight and I cannot seem to remember how to breathe normally.
More people experience this than they realize.
The nervous system has learned to contract defensively in social threat, creating a feedback loop where shallow breathing perpetuates the very anxiety it was meant to manage.
“Where Are You with Nervous system regulation?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.