When we become anxious we are familiar with the fact that our pulse rate increases, our palms may become sweaty, our muscles tense and our mind and emotions become singularly focussed on the anxiety-causing event. Another physiological change in our bodies at this time is an increase in the rate and depth of breathing. We enter what is termed the ‘Fight or Flight’ state. This is a normal response to stress.
In a person with a normal anxiety response once the anxiety-causing event has passed the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems return the body to normal physiological baselines. If a chronic state of hyperventilation exists (that is, the person breathes more than physiologically required all or much of the time) then this will trigger changes in the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems producing a chronic state of anxiety. The person will feel as if they are permanently in a state of ‘Fight or Flight’ and have a permanently elevated level of anxiety. Hyperventilation and anxiety form a ‘vicious circle’, one leading to the other. The process may be ‘pushed’ or initiated from either end. In one person they will experience anxiety which then leads to hyperventilation, another person will hyperventilate leading to feelings of rising anxiety and/or panic. One feeds the other in an increasing spiral. The Buteyko Institute Method program acts like a circuit breaker by teaching people how to reduce acute anxiety producing hyperventilation thereby reducing the resultant anxiety and panic. It also teaches participants how to retrain their breathing back to a normal level with the result that they no longer have to live constantly in the ‘Fight or Flight’ state. Their body is enabled to return to normal after cessation of the anxiety-causing event.