What you explain as "the body forgetting to breathe", happens to me. I actually have to consciously breathe for my body several times during the day. I am positive this has nothing to do with anxiety. There really is no rhyme or reason for it. I never even told the doctor about it because it sounds insane. It started slowly probably as far as 2 years ago. The first time it happened I was driving and I felt kind of dizzy and irritated and I realized I wasn't breathing. I thought I was having a panic attack for no reason for the first time in my life. Well, it continued happening every now and then and I thought it must be something like hormones or thyroid (always something simple) I am the kind of person who just blows everything off and thinks things aren't a big deal.

It took me until the neuropathy and numbness spread all the way up my leg and into my groin, heart palpitations, incredible weakness, muscle spasms to seek medical attention. So I consider myself the opposite of anxious in my belief that the body will take care of what ever is going on. Even after everything I've gone through, I still believe it.
I have some anxiety now in anticipation of pain, shakiness, weakness, wanting my life back..... but my anxiety is being caused by literally "frayed nerves" all over my body. It's not the other way around. I'm sure there are many of us here who were going along fine, dandy, and on top of the world before this struck. I would think, of any condition that would provoke anxiety in a pretty stable person it would be one that damages the nervous system. It's like it turns you into someone else at times.

As time went on I just learned to live with it and now it happens more often. I never had a way to explain it so I didn't bring it up as I refuse to hear that it is anxiety. As soon as I realize it's happening, I calmly take about 10 breaths and it kicks back into normal. I was diagnosed with autonomic disorder- so I guess that is part of it. No one really discussed that part of my diagnosis. I just have the report.

That is very different than what is happening with the not getting air in. This is a new issue. I feel like I did when I was 9 months pregnant walking up a flight of stairs. I will try the darn inhaler next time it happens.

Anyway thanks for listening