"can't breathe" feeling on rides. help?

[angelfoxtv]

I know I'm not the only one that goes through this

Recently, I went to Epcot and went on Mission: Space with my family and we went on the orange one instead of the green one.
Once the ride started, and I know how fast the orange one goes, I started freaking out because I had this feeling that I just could not breathe
My stomach clenched up, my throat closed up, and I put my head on my shoulder while struggling to breathe and screaming.
Eventually my parents calmed me down and I could breathe again, but I was physically shaking and crying.

This just didn't happen on Mission: Space, it happened on almost every ride that was fast, dropped, or spun not just at Disney and my parents always had to be there with me or my sisters to help me calm down and breathe again.

At this point, I don't even go to amusement parks or go on rides anymore in fear of this happening again, and I really am sick of it happening EVERY. TIME. I do have motion sickness, but I don't know if that has anything to do with this happening.

Does anyone else have this same issue, or have tips for me? I really wanna go on rides and roller coasters again, and not ones that little kids go on that are calm and carefree anymore.
Thank you so much!

 

[Peaseblossom36]

Do you take anything for the motion sickness? That could help at least narrow down if that is the issue. If there’s anywhere near you with roller coasters you could test that.

Does it happen at any other time or only on thrill rides? Honestly, it almost sounds like a panic or anxiety attack being triggered by the ride. You might speak with your doctor and see what they think.

 

[angelfoxtv]

Do you take anything for the motion sickness? That could help at least narrow down if that is the issue. If there’s anywhere near you with roller coasters you could test that.

Does it happen at any other time or only on thrill rides? Honestly, it almost sounds like a panic or anxiety attack being triggered by the ride. You might speak with your doctor and see what they think.

I only take medicine for my motion sickness when I’m in the car, on the plane, or on a boat because thats when my motion sickness really kicks in.

The same thing does happen to me when I’m in the car and people take a sharp and fast turn around the corner, thats when my stomach tenses up again and I put my head on my shoulder until the turn is over and I feel better again.

I might ask my doctor when I go for an appointment again? but I’m not really sure why this happens so often-

 

[DLgal]

Sounds like anxiety. Your brain is telling your body that something is wrong and you are responding involuntarily to a perceived threat. Do you get shaky and have a racing heart when this happens? If so, that combined with the feeling that you can't breathe is classic anxiety. You might need to see a therapist for some techniques to overcome this. It's a lot of mind over matter.

 

[Timothy02359]

I also agree that it sounds like anxiety.

 

[Barbydoll8]

I experience this on thrill rides. I am not a thrill ride person. I like classic dark rides with very little drops. I do not enjoy that g-force feeling in the pit of my stomach like some do. I have a bad back and asthma and sometimes on any ride if it's tight, I panic a little.
Counting to your self or tapping your hand in between your thumb and pointer finger or your forehead by the bridge of your nose helps divert your brain from experiencing panic. I've used it several times.
It's not fun when it's not fun. Don't be afraid to tell your doctor about this. It's a legit thing that may go away over time but may not. Feel better.

 

[Sara_H]

This does not happen to me on rides, except for Mission Space Orange. On that ride, it was the first time that I realized how people die on rides...it was not enjoyable. I'm wondering if because it happened on Mission Space, you now have anxiety on other rides...a little PTSD type of situation. Not sure how to fix it but hopefully you can get help so you can enjoy rides once again!

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

I had anxiety attacks for years. It takes one triggering event, then you have anxiety attacks fearing other anxiety attacks. Not fun. Looks like the rides are triggering you. I would talk to a professional. Took me several years to figure out what worked for me. Also realize, some level of anxiety is normal for all situations, everybody has it to some extent. People never get rid of anxiety, but we can learn to deal with it. In the end, meditation was the key for me. Learning not to ignore what I was feeling physically until it became a problem was a really big help. I used an app called Headspace. Again, talk to a doctor or a therapist. Don't be afraid to switch doc/therapists if one is not working for you.

 

[SwanVT2]

Definitely anxiety. I deal with it to a mild degree. I don't like cramped spaces. I toughed it out and rode mission space with my husband but the guy that was on it had a huge panic attack and started screaming and kicking the door! That didn't help me. They finally let him out. I will.never go on it again. I also am not a fan of Star Tours. I take deep breaths when I ride it with DD and DH. I would seek counseling and agree about meditation. Check out EMDR. It is a type of counseling that has really helped with my anxiety.

 

[hsmamato2]

that's anxiety,and I went thru it myself. It seemed so silly to me, but it was happening anyway. I couldn't allow a ride seatbelt on tightly(had to be able to climb out if I wanted,which I didn't I just couldn't have it tight) or shoulder harness,I would put my hands on my shoulders to stop it from being too tight. I would still have the bad feeling...if a ride stopped it would cause me anxiety,and I lost my enjoyment of the ride. Eventually I learned that my anxiety was manifesting in other places in my life,and I joined a program that teaches deep breathes,meditating and a slowing down of that 'fight or flight' response. It's fine now. I learned to calm the amygdala/brain response and things settled down.

 

[jolynne28]

Agree with all PP's, you are experiencing anxiety attacks. Do some research, talk to a professional, find what works for you. The older I've gotten, the better I am at managing my anxious feelings. I used to have pretty bad anxiety on rides, and not just thrill rides. It was the idea that I couldn't get off if I wanted to. It's why I hate flying. But as I've gotten older, I guess I've learned to manage it and not overthink it as much.
Now, you couldn't pay me to go on Mission Space, that's a hard no for me. I also don't like the straight up drop rides, like TOT or Splash Mountain. But I'll ride BTM, SDMT, I've done SM, and my goal for this trip coming up is to ride EE, and possibly RotR if it's open. I still get super nervous when I step onto the rides, and when we're climbing that first hill, but once it gets going I'm able to have fun and I know that it's already almost over ; )