I’m so sorry you’re going through all that! Being placed in a psychiatric facility is NOT going to help your symptoms get better. Stress is a major contributor to flare ups with dysautonomia (and not because it’s “all in our heads” or “anxiety”).
check out this article, it talks about breathing pattern disorders in people with Pots (and presumably anyone with autonomic system dysfunction):
https://www.potsuk.org/managingpots/breathing-pattern-disorders-in-pots/#:~:text=This can cause us to,heart palpitations%2C tingling and fatigue.
A similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago. My husband and I were going to go on a flight for the first time since I was diagnosed with POTS and I was exceedingly stressed out about it. We also ended up going to the ER one morning because I felt like I couldn’t breathe for hours. They did a work up and said I was breathing fine. We went home, but for the next week or so I had that feeling most of the time. Putting the pulse oximeter on really helped calm me down, because I could see it was just a feeling of not getting enough air, not a reality. They sell them at Walmart for around $25.
As far as I know, dysautonomia cannot make you lose your ability to breathe on your own.
Trust me, we went through the ringer trying to find people to believe me with my symptoms for years. A lot of times, if doctors don’t know much about it, they’ll think you’re mentally ill. One of the special trials of these diseases is finding a doctor who knows enough to help and is humble enough to listen and believe you. The second part is more important, in my experience.
The whole feeling like there’s just a dead space in your chest, I totally get that. I have that exact feeling from time to time. Hopefully knowing that other people experience similar things will help. I know it has helped me!
Also, don’t be afraid to go to the ER or even an urgent care if you’re not feeling good. I’ve gone to the ER multiple times a month on some occasions, before I got started on a treatment that’s helped me for my POTs. The peace of mind alone is worth it, in my opinion (urgent cares are just cheaper).
Will be praying for you! Feel free to reach out any time, I’m glad to try and answer any questions
Tiffany