I have no clue about my illness

26 year old male here. I have very strange symptoms which I cannot even explain properly. I don't know how do I get rid of it. I experience these symptoms most of the days which occurs sometimes a day. I have this problem since 2.5 years. Symptoms – I feel like I have to manually control my breath which makes me feel really uncomfortable. I fear I may lose control of my breathe and stop breathing. My breathing pattern becomes faulty during this phenomena. I also become fearful that I may lose my consciousness. It troubles me during lunch time, riding in a taxi or walking for long distance. If I manually take breathes, I may die of hyperventiation. I don't know how do I take breaths subconsciously. I am going on a vacation after 5 days in a hilly region. I hope I don't experience extreme discomfort.

Hey! Before I respond, I'll start by saying I'm not a doctor and you should listen to a real medical professional's advice over anything I say!! With that out of the way, let's see if we can get anywhere together on this. Would you say that this is a physical issue, or a mental one? As in: you feel anxiety or fear and then you can't breathe? Or is it more like something physical happens in your lungs or throat that stops you? Does anything in particular seem to "trigger" this, or does it happen by itself? Are you breathing quickly when this happens to you? And how serious would you say it is? Is it more like a small difficulty, or does breathing feel impossible? Have you seen a doctor about this?

Maybe it's more like mental one. I cannot even describe my symptoms well. These symptoms just come and go. These symptoms intensify when I eat lunch or walk long distances. This problem seems like as if I am not able to breathe normally. My breathing pattern becomes faulty when I experience this symptom. I also become less conscious and become afraid of loss of consciousness. Faulty breathing pattern and the need to manually breathe makes my very anxious. I don't breathe quickly when I experience this symptom. It's more like fear of losing control of my breathing as if I have to manually control my breathing pattern otherwise I will stop breathing. This problem is affecting my daily life. Cannot even eat my lunch peacefully. Cannot go for a journey and walk long distances. If my problem comes out to be a mental one, how can I get rid of it?

I definitely urge you to talk to a doctor about this. If it's physical then they're ready to help you, and if it's mental they can refer you to someone who can help with that. Without knowing more about you and the unique struggles you face I can't speak to how you'd "get rid of it." Do you have any family members or friends you can talk to about this? Is there anyone who might notice something you're facing that you haven't seen yet? If I had to guess based only on what you've said, I would ask if you had any social anxiety maybe? Taxis and lunches are very public places. Could that be a piece of this? On the other hand, it would make sense if walking long distances made breathing more difficult. Do you run to catch your taxis or walk to places to eat? Or maybe there's a history of respiratory illnesses (like asthma) in your family? To reiterate, I would definitely not wait to see a doctor about this. These kinds of things don't generally go away on their own, and at the very least you want to do your due diligence with your health.

Though i am not a doctor and i definitely recommend that you see one to me this sounds like anxiety. Before i was diagnosised with anxiety my symptoms were chest tightness to the point it would feel sore. I would be very aware of my breathing and felt like i had to think about how to breath. I checked my heart rate and it was always super high like 120-130s. I felt exhausted all the time. Anyway i was diagnosed with general anxiety and occasional episodes of panic attacks. I take medication for it which controls it very well but there are also lifestyle changes you can do to try to manage it.

@GRID : My family members are unable to understand my problems. Maybe I am struggling to express my problem clearly and very briefly. I don't know anyone who has problems like me. I have heard of breathing OCD on internet but I don't know whether I have breathing OCD or not. I cannot clarify. I don't know whether I have social anxiety or not. I become anxious about my breathing pattern. It's my strange way of breathing which makes me panic. I feel afraid of losing control of my breathing reflex. My paternal grandpa had asthma but he was a chain smoker. My biggest fear is that I may faint and collapse if I lose my control of breathing pattern. Will I die of collapse or die due to hyperventilation caused by manual breathing?

L212K is right about it sounding like anxiety. Since you also have a family history of lung problems, it could be two problems coming together, if that makes any sense? I definitely urge you to go see a doctor. When breathing gets difficult, write down as clearly and as detailed as you can exactly what you feel in your mind and in your body. This might give you a little clarity on what you're experiencing. Some ideas for things to notice are: Do you feel any pain? Is it dull or sharp? Is it a throat constriction? Or is it in your lungs? Do you encounter any people when this happens? Does it happen when you're alone, or when you think about certain things? If so, who or what? Does any other symptom come with it? Like a headache or nausea? I don't think you will hyperventilate and are very unlikely to die when this happens unless it's a very serious lung problem. Even if you do lose consciousness, the good news about that is that your body understands how to breathe without help; if you collapse, you might bump your head, but you won't suffocate.

Oh! I just remembered something I wanted to ask you. Do you use any breathing exercises? If it's a mental symptom, like anxiety, you can calm yourself again by controlling your lungs when it becomes difficult. One of my favorites is to inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and exhale for 7 seconds. This is called "paced breathing." There are many types of breathing exercises you can do, so you might want to try a few out and see what you like best. The goal is to bring yourself back into the present moment and take control when you feel afraid.

I don't feel any pain. No throat constriction. I don't encounter people when happens this. That's nothing to do with it. This symptom gets exacerbated even more when I feel anxious about my symptom. I feel like my consciousness is reducing when I face the problem of manual breathing. This is what makes me so stressed. It doesn't happen to me all day. I cannot even eat my lunch properly due to this.

I think I don't have any options left. I am considering to end my life in the most painless way but I am really afraid of taking my own life. I don't think I will ever get rid these symptoms if it is due to some mental illness. Living is now a big torture for me. I want euthanasia but my parents won't like to lose me forever. I am better off dead because I don't have to suffer. I don't own guns. I am facing these symptoms almost everyday. It got exacerbated in last 12-14 days. I can't eat my lunch peacefully. I can't travel peacefully. I can't sit peacefully in a cab. Daily life has become a nightmare for me. Only towards the end of the day I feel better. Tomorrow, I am going on a vacation. I fear my symptoms will haunt and trouble during my trip. I will be sitting in a cab for 3 hours straight and that will be huge torture for me. So sad that I won't be able to enjoy my trip. I fear I will have those symptoms in a very severe way while inside the car and walking around.

Death is a very permanent solution to what is likely a temporary problem! Have you spoken to your family or a doctor about any of this? Do you know of any hotlines you can call to discuss this? Don't write them off so quickly, it would be much easier to just try these simple things before you give up forever, no?