What can I do to address meltdowns that leave me feeling light-headed, short of breath and exhausted whenever I face stressful situations?

Doctor's Answers 1

Feeling light-headed is commonly due to over-breathing. When we are under stress, we tend to breathe faster than is normal or usual for us. This means that we will lose a lot of carbon dioxide as the air that we breathe out (expire) is rich in carbon dioxide. Once the level of carbon dioxide in our blood declines, we may feel a bit light-headed as the blood vessels in the brain tend to constrict (vasoconstriction).

You can try to slow down your breathing so that the level of carbon dioxide in the blood will become normal again. Feeling light-headed, short of breath and exhausted are all signs of anxiety. You may have an underlying anxiety disorder.

It can be:

  • generalised anxiety disorder,
  • social anxiety disorder
  • or adjustment disorder with anxious mood.

Do seek treatment from a psychiatrist so that you can be helped to feel better. Both medications and psychological interventions will help you. One useful method of dealing with stress is to learn to break down the challenging tasks into smaller tasks that can be tackled one at a time. If you feel anxious when talking with your supervisor, then it will be good for a therapist to help you deal with the anxiety by exploring the thoughts that will automatically come to your mind when you are in such stressful situations.

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Answered By

Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Psychiatrist

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