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Duncan117 wrote:Is adjusting a mental thing

Ahhh, now you are getting somewhere. The answer is yes, this is often a common reaction to beginning CPAP. The user is thinking about the pressure from the machine and concentrating on his breathing. This is perfectly counterproductive.

The trick for many people is to distract the mind from breathing and CPAP. Try to think of something relaxing that you enjoy. Concentrate on that, relax and forget entirely about breathing. For me, it was thinking about lounging on a sunny beach with a light breeze and the sound of surf. Then, after a couple of weeks, I did not even need to use a distraction technique. I could no longer feel the pressure when the machine started up.

Your body knows how to breathe without thinking about it. If you are ever able to fall asleep, your body will breathe gently with little effort against the pressure. Even small, elderly ladies can breathe nearly effortlessly against pressures as high as 20 cm once they fall asleep.

Try some relaxation and distraction techniques.

@Duncan117,
Your medical history might indeed be the cause of your difficulty exhaling. However, since it's not obvious what type of mask you are using (over the nose or pillows), the first thing I would check is the mask setting on your machine. If your machine is set for a nasal pillows mask and you are using any kind of skirted mask, Resmed APAPs will put out too much pressure and make exhalation very uncomfortable.
SgtWilko