Managing anxiety post-surgery when you can't take a deep breath?

Post date: 2026-08-02 01:06:15

Best strategies for managing anxiety, panic, post-surgical sleep deprivation, and physical pain (not involving deep breaths)?

Next week, I am having outpatient nasal surgery (septoplasty and turbinate reduction). Both my surgeon and nurse have warned me that I am in for a week of significant unpleasantness until the nasal packing is removed.

While I was specifically counseled not to read about the recovery on the internet, of course I immediately did exactly that. Now, I am freaking out about how I am going to manage the lack of sleep, intense sinus pressure, and the total inability to breathe through my nose for seven days. I'm looking for strategies I can use if I fall into a claustrophobic panic spiral.

Deep/box breathing has helped with past anxiety episodes, but due to the nature of this surgery that is not an option (nose will be fully blocked with packing for 7 days). Of course, everything feels so much worse and unbearable if you aren't sleeping and it sounds like getting more than 3-4 hours at night won't be likely.

I asked my GP for a short-term anti-anxiety medication just to get me through the week, but they said this wasn't necessary.

Any tips on making it through this?

Bonus: If you have had this procedure and the recovery actually wasn't that bad, reassurances would be highly appreciated right now!

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