BF,
Some of was related to me as the fight or flight syndrome. Instead of normal deep tummy breathing with tighten, and chest breaths. Because so many nerves run under the chest wall muscles, the tightness of brathing presses on the. Some people even will go to the ER thinking it is heart attacks. You can get the arythmia off making it even more painful.

Learning techniques to slow the breathing, put the hand on the tummy, focus on the breath in through the nose and slow out through the mouth, feel the tummy rise not the chest helps. So does biofeedback. Visualize and feel letting go of tightness from the finger tips, neck head, body, arms legs to toes.

All good in theory, but man when you are in a panic attack or heavy anxiety it is hard with out treatment or help from an outside person to focus.
I had to be treated at least twice in the ER and another time by medics.

It is as if My heart is broken in pieces as dgs says,,,,don;t squeeze me your breaking me to pieces!
di

Di... Thank you for the advice. That's what I need to do. I need to practice breathing right. I've noticed a heaviness around my lungs at times when My anxieties where calmer in the middle of my chest. A psychiatrist told me that's called free floating anxiety.

I've felt below my heart something that felt like a broken glass. It might be nerves that have been stretched when I had that pain in my chest,and I'd wake up after a nap,and those muscles where starting to relax. I don't know why all of this happens.

I have a triangular area in my head that needs to relax also. It starts just above my eye's,and goes half way up my forhead,then down to the top of the muscles in my neck. If that area just above my eye's gets dizzy,sometimes the bottom of my head will shake. All of this seems to be tied together. No one understood this if I tryed to explain it when I was growing up.

When I breath from the tummy area,I'll try to relax the upper neck area also. Does anyone else here have that?

Thank you Di...I'll try that. I haven't worked on my breathing for relaxation in a while. Thank you for mentioning this. BF

yes, BF. I was 40 years old and learning how to breathe. It does help. Di is telling you right. I take in 3 slow, controlled breaths and it's amazing the releases that can happen. I do this in bed, when I can't sleep or if I'm feeling the tightness in my chest from anxiety.

I also created a quiet area, in my bathroom, where I go to retreat from the stresses and anxiety of everyday life. I have candles and soft music. a portable heater to get the bathroom toastie. I will often take a shower, bubble bath or just soak in hot water. I'm able to get in and out of the tub now. I relax and breathe and think of positive things. sometimes 10 minutes to a couple of hours. I look forward to my visits there.

It's hard to stay calm when you have a lot to be upset about all the time.

Hope you have better days.

(Broken Wings)

Thank you for your kind words. I'm so glad that you have found a way to feel calm. Thank you for caring about me. I live in a rural area now,so I don't have many people to talk to anymore. I don't even know many people in this area. BF

Hi, I suffer from very bad anxiety have for over 4 years On a daily basis.When i have these attacks I have vision changes,rapid heartbeat,burning in my chest,dizziness,forget fullness and dry mouth.I have about 10 attacks every 24 hrs. sometime the burning in my chest comes from my heart beating so fast against my chest wall and causes it to burn even hrs after the anxiety has calmed.nothing helps now its to the point where if i get upset angry or stressed i get the same burn but it happens on the left side of my chest only and i also get sore muscle like pains in my left arm and shoulder lasting only a minute or so. You are not alone.

You bet anxiety can do this. I had nightmares, sleep disorders, tight in chest, all kinds of stuff relating to anxiety. this can be scarry. all the posts offered the right advice. Try deep breathing, meditate. I drink sleepy time tea, which does seem to relax without drugging me. I also do a no no and read in bed, which has a tendancy to make me relax despite being worried over something. I hope this goes away for you, so you can rest easier. We all care about you. ginnie

check costochondritis/ Tietz Syndrome / or if you were in Gulf War in 1991 may be more serious