INTENTIONAL OVERBREATHING
Introduce
overbreathing by gradually increasing depth.
Emphasize depth, not rate.
Increase rate sparingly.
Avoid “panicky” breathing mechanics.
Increasing depth will decrease rate automatically. The recommended duration and severity of overbreathing
varies considerably, but generally maximums during evaluation are two minutes
at 20-25 mmHg. Symptoms appear,
sometimes immediately at high ETCO2 levels (30-35 mmHg), sometimes
only at severe levels (20-25 mmHg), and sometimes not at all. There is no need to unnecessarily lower ETCO2
levels.
Take
proper precautions:
●
Have a paper bag available.
●
Be vigilant, don’t overlook behavioral nuances.
● Advise the client that s(he) may
discontinue at any time.
●
Be prepared to stop the induction when you see
a contraindication.
● Be ready to implement
short-term interventions.
See how different levels of ETCO2
affect your client. Ask your clients these kinds of questions:
● In your fingers, hands, and arms? What happens when you stretch them?
● In your jaws
and cheeks? What happens when you bite
down, or move your jaw?
● In your
upper back and chest? Do you feel tight,
constrained, limited, uncomfortable?
● In your lower
body? Can you feel your feet? Do they feel connected to you?
● In your
sense of self? How do you feel about
yourself, your self-esteem?
● In your
relationship with others? Do you feel
confident, vulnerable?
● In your
face, your forehead? Do you feel
relaxed, tense, or alert?
● In your
vision? Look around. Can you focus? Can you see clearly?
● In your
attention? Can you focus? Can you think clearly?
● In your
throat? Can you swallow, can you talk
normally?
● In your
abdomen? Do you feel nauseous? Are you cramping?
● In your
heart? Is your heart racing? Does it worry you?
● In your
thoughts? What thoughts are coming to
you?
● In your
head? Do you feel dizzy, disoriented?
● In your
emotions? What are you feeling?
LEARN WHAT CHEMISTRY CHANGES FEEL LIKE.
Copyrighted by
Behavioral Physiology Institute,