Cosmopolitan: Feeling stressed and panicked? Don’t take a deep breath!

A new treatment that helps people with panic disorder normalize their breathing works better to reduce panic symptoms and hyperventilation than traditional cognitive therapy, says SMU psychologist Alicia E. Meuret.

Cosmopolitan magazine has taken note of Meuret’s research with a Jan. 3 article that warns readers to forget about taking a deep breath when they’re feeling stressed and hyperventilating — it will only make the problem worse.

Cosmopolitan magazine has taken note of the research of SMU psychology department Assistant Professor Alicia E. Meuret. Their Jan. 3 article “The 3-Second Trick to Beat Stress” tells readers that if they want to conquer that panicky feeling of suffocation when stressed and feeling anxious — forget about taking a deep breath.

EXCERPT:

By Zoe Ruderman
Cosmopolitan
You’ve probably been told that one of the first things you should do when you’re feeling panicky is to take a deep breath. But according to a new study, not only will that technique not help you calm down, but it could make you freak out even more.

Researchers at Southern Methodist University in Dallas say that found that when a person faced with nerve-wracking situations takes deep, slow breaths, she may feel like she’s hyperventilating, therefore making her more worked up. So what should you do when your boss calls you into a meeting you forgot about or you’re stuck in traffic? Take shallow, slow breaths.

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By Margaret Allen