Mental Health

Biofeedback/Capnometry: Treating Stress, Anxiety and Panic Attacks

We live such fast-paced lives that we never have time to slow down and relax. This constant go-go lifestyle affects us in many ways, including changing how we breathe. These changes in breathing become ingrained and unfortunately, further increase our stress. Through a simple, but powerful biofeedback tool, a capnometer, we can easily assess your breathing patterns and see the effects of stress on how you are breathing. It is then possible to learn breathing patterns that can undo these effects.

Stressed, upregulated breathing causes or contributes to many problems:

• Panic attacks

• Generalized anxiety

• Depression

• Asthma attacks

• ADHD

• Stress and burnout

• Cardiovascular disease

• Performance anxiety

• and others…

Common symptoms of dysregulated breathing includes:

• Feeling light-headed, or inability to focus

• Frequent sighing

• Yawning when stressed

• A sense of air hunger or a need to breathe more

• A feeling that you can’t catch your breath

• A general sense that something is wrong with your breathing

• A sense that you are holding your breath

In extreme situations this can build into a panic or anxiety attack with full hyperventilation. Learning how to breathe correctly can be a powerful tool to reverse these challenges. The first breathing assessment will evaluate your breathing and find a corrective breathing strategy. Usually a couple follow up sessions are required to make sure the technique is being applied properly and to follow progress.

If you are interested in exploring naturopathic options for supporting mental emotional wellbeing, you can schedule a visit with me at The Refinery Integrated Wellness Center in Palm Desert, California. The phone number is also listed on my contact page.