Trouble Breathing and Feeling Like Dying? Panic Attack, Don't Endure It Alone Anymore

Hello. This is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. # Trouble Breathing and Feeling Like Dying? Panic Attack, Don't Endure It Alone Anymore Have you ever experienced sudden heart racing, feeling like you're choking, and being gripped by a fear that you're about to die? These symptoms, appearing without warning in your peaceful daily life, are hard to control and significantly lower your quality of life. The desperate plea, "I can't breathe and I feel like I'm dying," is one of the most common feelings for those experiencing a panic attack. 💡 **[Key Answer]** **3 most common causes of panic attacks where you feel "I can't breathe and I feel like I'm dying":** ① **Autonomic nervous system imbalance** due to excessive stress ② Malfunction of brain neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, etc.) ③ Negative learning and avoidance reactions to specific situations Dalimchae Clinic helps you regain the balance of body and mind through **autonomic stabilization** treatment. ## Why do I suddenly feel like I'm choking and dying? A panic attack is a key feature of panic disorder, characterized by unexpected intense anxiety and various physical symptoms. Just like being chased by a hungry predator, your heart races, you breathe rapidly, and you feel dizzy or numbness in your limbs. These symptoms mostly occur when our **autonomic nervous system** is overactive. The autonomic nervous system regulates essential functions like heart rate, breathing, and digestion. The **sympathetic nervous system** prepares the body for emergencies, while the **parasympathetic nervous system** relaxes and stabilizes the body. A panic attack occurs when the brain sends wrong warning signals, causing the sympathetic nervous system to become excessively overactive even when there is no actual threat. ## Everything is normal on tests, but why do these symptoms continue? Many panic disorder patients are confused when they get "normal" results from heart or lung function tests. However, the body is clearly sending distress signals. This means that while there are no organic problems found in Western medicine, the delicate balance of our body is broken. In Korean medicine, we see panic disorder not as a simple anxiety symptom, but as an imbalance in the functions of organs like the heart and gallbladder and problems in the circulation of Qi and Blood. Especially, the malfunction of the autonomic nervous system connected to the brain is seen as a key cause. Accumulated stress or fatigue breaks the balance, leading to an overexcited sympathetic nervous system and an underperforming parasympathetic nervous system. This causes unstable heart rate variability and puts the brain in a state of overload, leading to a vicious cycle where small stimuli cause easy panic. ## How does Dalimchae Clinic treat panic disorder? Dalimchae Clinic focuses on **autonomic nervous system imbalance**, the core cause of life-threatening fear in panic attacks. When the autonomic balance is broken, the brain cannot rest and always reacts hypersensitively. We perform **autonomic stabilization** treatment to stabilize and readjust the functions of the brain and autonomic nervous system. This is connected to the principle of **Suseunghwagang (水昇火降)** in Korean medicine—lowering the hot energy to the bottom and raising the cool energy to the top. This calms the overheated brain and overactive sympathetic nerves, helping the body maintain a comfortable and stable state on its own. Customized herbal medicine prescriptions according to individual constitution and symptoms regulate the balance of brain neurotransmitters and increase resistance to stress. Acupuncture, moxibuncture, and pharmacopuncture treatment are used to soothe the excessively excited sympathetic nervous system and restore body balance. --- "I can't breathe and I feel like I'm dying"—extreme panic attacks are not problems to be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending. If you approach in the right direction, the body can respond faster than you think. Bring your symptoms as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic Incheon, we will find the cause together and help you regain your lost peace. Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first! This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Brain/Autonomic Nervous System Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Yang Yuchan (Panic Disorder Column)