|
Dysfunctional breathing mechanics, when and where
Breathing mechanics
are invariably involved in deregulated chemistry, and are a very important part
of initial as well as ongoing evaluation. Significant deregulated mechanics include: ● failure to breathe
diaphragmatically ● failure to exhale
completely ● failure to allow
transition time between breaths ● reaching for air through deep breathing ● intentional
manipulation of breathing ● mouth breathing ● using accessory muscles, when not required
These breathing
mechanics are significantly correlated with overbreathing, however they may not
necessarily be the cause of overbreathing.
Mouth breathing and overbreathing, for example, although correlated with
one another may both be caused by a third factor, such as worrying about
breathing. Correcting any one of these
mechanics may only incidentally increase the likelihood of regulated breathing, but may not
significantly address the fundamental causes of overbreathing, e.g.,
dissociating from traumatic memory.
Dysfunctional
breathing patterns can be identified by monitoring with a CapnoTrainer. When clients see their breathing on a
computer screen, the information convincingly speaks for itself. It allows clients to see for themselves how
mechanics may be interacting with changes in PCO2, and how these
changes may be triggering unwanted symptoms, deficits, and emotions.
Identifying faulty
breathing patterns, however, is only the beginning of a personal exploratory
process: the factors that originate and sustain these patterns must be
addressed. There are many ways to explore
these factors, such as monitoring PCO2 during guided recollection of
previous experiences, public sharing of previous experiences, story telling,
physical challenges, thought-challenges, emotional challenges, psychodrama,
breathing mechanics challenges, in vivo testing, and intentional
overbreathing. Testing constitutes evaluation, education,
and training.
Breathing behaviour,
like other behaviours, is tied to specific contexts, states, and stimuli. Measurement during actual circumstances, in
vivo testing, is undoubtedly the best of all worlds. Examples include monitoring breathing during:
relationship challenges, making an oral presentation, recital performances
(playing the piano for an audience), piloting in a flight simulator, before
performing a sport (getting ready to swing a golf club), reading a paragraph
and being tested on it, composing a paragraph on the computer, and taking a
competency test. The impact of
overbreathing on these activities can be devastating: emotional outburst,
anxiety, anger, attention deficit, loss of focus, poor memory, inability to think
clearly, perceptual-motor deficit, and feelings of low self-confidence.
Copyrighted by
Behavioral Physiology Institute, |