Anxiety and yawning so much it hurts!

[Krytie]

Hi all, just joined up today so please let me know if this is not the right way to post.

 Anyway, I have depression and by what's happening to me I'm guessing anxiety, hoping someone can offer some suggestions. So any time I'm not hugely distracted by something else, I find myself feeling like I need to yawn or take a very deep breath. Constantly. Like, 3-4 times a minute pretty much all day every day, and it's really getting quite painful! It just feels like when I'm breathing normally I'm not getting enough oxygen. Does this happen to others too and have you found any way to cope with it please?

I suffered from severe depression and anxiety after having PND but haven't really had any problems for about 4 years now (except this yawning thing happened for a few weeks a bit before christmas), until I lost my job about a month ago and now can't get another one so I feel stressed, useless and hopeless. I went to my GP who gave me a referral but it will be weeks until they call apparently so I'm hoping to get some suggestions to try in the meantime as my jaw is getting very sore.  I try distracting myself, mindfulness, sensory games, etc, distraction helps a little but everything else seems to make it worse as I'm overtly aware of it, if that makes sense. TIA!

[white knight]

Hi Krytie, welcome

Diagnosis isn't possible from us here.

However, a sound sleep is important to anyone with depression.

I ended up being found to have sleep apnea. Whereby one stops breathing during sleeping. This condition is serious and can shorten your lifespan. A sleep study is needed and very worthwhile. If you have it you can buy or rent a machine that stops the symptoms, pumps air into your lungs while you sleep.

See you doctor. Cant help you with anything else. Cheers.

Tony WK

[Saltbush_boy]

Hey there krytie

i myself find sleeping in general a very hard thing to do has been years since I haven't seem the sun come up and go down. I average about four hours a night and find myself yawning to the point where I get lockjaw I find being outside helps I will say tho that I average over 100k steps a day on a slack day so ice gem starvation is a huge problem. I've also had a coronary by pass and OCD so I over exert myself constantly and end up in hospital frequently with oxagen starvation I find the being outside and feeling the warmth of the morning sun calming and after that moment I yawn stretch go for a walk and that takes my mind off things momentarily and stops me yawning until I'm ready for my poppy nap after lunch. Hope something in all that helps in someway. Happy Easter !

[Maureen]

Hello krytie, not sure this will help but I was told that due to anxiety I wasn't breathing properly. Doing the fight or flight thing, I was slightly panting, which made my body more anxious. This caused me to not get proper oxygen into the lungs. I did breathing exercises with my psychologist to relearn proper breathing. This helps with decreasing the anxiety as well as bringing in proper oxygenation. I haven't used any, but I know there are applications on the web to help your breathing. Perhaps you could find one and practice with that and see if it helps. I believe we yawn because we aren't getting enough oxygen. 

[Krytie]

Thanks guys, maybe I should have explained better, I'm not yawning because I'm tired, it's more as if I feel I'm not getting enough oxygen. It's a very deep breath, like so deep it hurts, or sigh just as often as a yawn. I get quite light headed from it.

[blondguy]

Hi Krytie

and Welcome too...great post!

I am very sorry to hear about you job....that never helps anything. I lost my job in January....ugh!

Yawning...This is only an opinion...My brother has been doing the same for years and I understand it has nothing to do about sleep....for my brother it seems to become a habit and he done it for so long I think he is unaware of it. I think its a very basic habit...maybe a nervous habit. He yawns more around people and during interaction with them....Im still trying to work it out..He wont talk about it.

I have had anxiety for 25 years and Depression for 10 years. If I hear anything about this habitual yawning I will let you know.

Thankyou for posting Krytie 🙂

Kind Thoughts for You

Paul

[Krytie]

Thanks so much Paul. I googled it this morning after it didn't seem to be a common issue here, it is apparently usually an anxiety thing and yep nothing to do with sleep. A few sites said it's basically because of the body's fight or flight reaction, it interprets the anxiety to mean something scarey is happening and that increased oxygen is needed. And that it can make you get light headed because the constant yawning/deep breathing causes too much oxygen. Seems a legit explanation, now I just need some strategies to cope as Google didn't really have too much on that except to breathe slow and shallow which makes me feel like I'm suffocating so not much help there. Does it bother your brother, does he find it painful too?

[blondguy]

Hey Krytie

My brother plays his cards close to his chest and doesnt talk about it.....When I google anything medical I use the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK or an Aussie Govt website...The advice may be too varied because of the monolith of information available...Just stick to sites that are well respected and without ads 🙂

With 25 years of anxiety all I can say is what I have learned regarding breathing....and maybe find a quiet place to practice...(if you can close your eyes it can help too)

1. Inhale through your nose slowly and deeply...not over deep though....then...'let go' of that breath...ahhhhhh

2. Exhale gently through your mouth...........ahhhhhhhhh

3. When you are ready to inhale again repeat step 1 then 2....

This may sound really silly but some people burp (belch) a few times and it becomes habitual for months.....I am 95% certain that my brother's yawning is his habitual way to cope/distract himself....from anything...

The breathing technique above is just something I learned from my therapist to use with my anxiety. You may be breathing too shallow to start with. Please disregard the slow and shallow google technique...I would be very anxious and yawning if I even started doing that..

I do agree with you totally that their is very little info available on habitual yawning....If you are going to google anything go to plan B and google breathing techniques to help stress...anxiety...well being?

Please let me know how you go....very interesting post Krytie...I will do a search as well in the meantime:-)

Kind Thoughts for you

Paul

[saviourseth]

I suffer the same condition. I have nearly lost jobs over this yawning. Not a good look for a dental nurse.

The jaw aches and my eyes hurt because to make matters worse every time i yawn tears come out of my eyes

The not being able to get enough oxygen feeling is very scary. I have been waking up in the night like this recently as life is trying me at the moment.

I have done a lot if reading and had no joy.

We are indeed special!

Saviourseth

[Queen_Diamond]

Hi Krytie;

I get the yawning thing too sometimes. I've read that because you are anxious and tense you are not breathing correctly and breathe more shallow breaths so your body yawns to try and get more oxygen in. You could try some meditation with deep breathing exercises or some refocusing exercises. I found the more I focused on how much I'm yawning the more it happened. Even now just typing the word yawning and thinking about it makes me want to yawn!! Hope this helps. xx