Definition
Shortness of breath is the subjective feeling of a person not getting enough air. It may or may not be accompanied by an actual lack of oxygen. The psychologically caused shortness of breath has, as the name suggests, psychological components. A purely psychological cause can be the trigger. However, there may also be a physical problem, which is intensified by psychological factors.
Causes of psychologically caused shortness of breath
The causes of psychologically induced shortness of breath can be very different. Most typical are stress and anxiety-inducing situations as triggers. People who are permanently under stress and can no longer tolerate it psychologically may suffer from shortness of breath.
This does not, however, express an actual breathing problem. Rather, the body does not know how to help itself in any other way and expresses the actual psychological (usually suppressed until then) complaints in physical symptoms. In case of shortness of breath due to fear or panic, many situations can be triggered.
If you have claustrophobic traits in you, you will automatically breathe faster in confined spaces. Similarly, fear of certain social situations (meeting the boss, having a nice meal with important colleagues, auditioning in front of a large group, etc.) can trigger shortness of breath.
Especially people who have already had bad experiences in such a situation will find themselves automatically gasping for breath. Accidents can also trigger such panic attacks. Above all, people who have not sufficiently psychologically processed such an unpleasant or dangerous situation suffer later more frequently from various complaints, which always occur in connection with similar situations.
Stress puts the human body into a state of emergency. This reaction dates back to the primeval times of human development and causes the body to get ready to flee or fight in dangerous situations. It therefore prepares itself for physical exertion with increased oxygen demand.
The breathing frequency is increased accordingly. Although this reaction is no longer helpful in stressful situations of today’s everyday life, the body cannot help itself and puts itself in a state of alarm by releasing various hormones. The increased breathing frequency and other effects of the hormones can cause the feeling of shortness of breath.
Breathlessness is initially a subjective feeling and is not easy to objectify, especially in the case of psychological complaints. Often there is no oxygen deficiency that can be detected. On the other hand, an increased breathing rate can be found in a simple physical examination. The diagnosis of a serious anxiety or panic disorder, as well as a pathological state of permanent stress, can only be made by a psychologist or psychiatrist through detailed discussions or questionnaires.
