Posted 5/11/2013 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hi L.B. and welcome!
It sounds like you could benefit from some breathing and progressive muscle relaxation exercises.
These will help to relax you and bring down your overall anxiety levels...especially when you are trying to sleep.
You can find links to instructions for both in our Resource Guide (main page, 1st post)
If you practice these everyday consistently, you should see an improvement in your symptoms, and yours fears should be relieved as well.
Assuming you are in good health, nothing can really disrupt your air intake or blood flow. Anxiety can just make it seem that is a possibility. A good imagination is almost always a good thing...but can be an element to our anxiety at times. It is said that intelligent/imaginitive people are prone to this disorder!
There is nothing wrong with having imaginary friends...I think that you should called them "Creative Companions"...sounds more grown up. They may even be a sort of coping mechanism for you, and that is okay as long as you still recognize the lines between what is imagined and what is real.:) Be sure and also cultivate your actual friendships as well!
Keep posting with us if you find it helpful. We are here to listen and support anytime.
Talk to you soon,
Scaredy Cat