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dman2316 t1_jegh07w wrote

Reply to comment by timmmmehh in ELI5: If benzodiazepines are CNS depressants, why is it so hard to die from a overdose of them alone? by psychrolute

You know that feeling when you randomly forget how to swallow and no matter how hard you try you just can't make it happen until suddenly the issue just goes away? It was like that, except with my lungs and being unable to breathe, like i knew how to perform the motion but no matter how hard i tried i couldn't take in a breath, if a nurse hadn't been right there at that moment there is a good chance i would have died due to passing out before being able to alert someone. They ended up putting me on a ventilator for 4 days and then took me off it. Had slight breathing problems ever since.

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luciensadi t1_jegr6ao wrote

> You know that feeling when you randomly forget how to swallow

Is this a normal thing? I don't think I've ever experienced it :o

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INtoCT2015 t1_jegs5br wrote

Take a deep breath, hold it in, and try to swallow five times in a row before exhaling. If you can, just up the number to like 6 or 7. You can experience it right now if you want

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reverendsteveii t1_jegv66m wrote

Once. I was able to swallow exactly once. I tried a second time and my body simply rebuked me. What a weird little thing.

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Attempt101 t1_jeh4jty wrote

I almost hit 7…tapped out when I could barely do 6…

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WarthogWarlord t1_jegu4op wrote

What?! I managed to swallow only four times, and after that it became completely impossible! Why? How?

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Geodude532 t1_jegxhs5 wrote

Another fun one is to stick your face into the blast of the shower and breath through your mouth. Your body will fight you on that one too.

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seeking_hope t1_jeh1d80 wrote

That reminds me of learning to scuba dive. That first breath on a respirator was like everything in me screaming not to do it. Our body has some pretty strong instinctive responses.

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live4thagame t1_jeh2my2 wrote

Oh my gosh, not the same but similar, went snorkeling for the first time last year and It was SO hard to make myself breathe while my head was underwater

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scnottaken t1_jegwjit wrote

Unfortunately I'm very well practiced in this mechanism. It's how I get rid of hiccups lol

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rich1051414 t1_jegtik3 wrote

I do sometimes when I have to swallow a pill. My brain forgets how to swallow long enough for the pill to melt in my mouth and ruin the next hour of my life.

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dman2316 t1_jegrfca wrote

Alright, maybe an example that you should know what it feels like, you know when your foot/hand/arm is dead asleep and you try to move it but no matter how much effort you put into it you just can't get it to move until it's not asleep anymore? Like that.

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BalineseCatLady t1_jegxgpf wrote

My autonomic nervous system doesn't function properly, and so I get feeling of "forgetting" to breathe. Like my body isn't automatically doing that for me anymore. Even mild depressants like alcohol or benadryl can trigger it. Is that the feeling you had but amplified?

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TBSchemer t1_jeh46kf wrote

I feel that way several times a week. I don't know why. It's really scary, and all I can do is just remind myself that the feeling will pass in an hour or so.

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