I used to breath very little with the lowest part of my lungs or diaphragm while sinking into myself (like an accordion) and slouching, never letting air into my chest or expand my chest or upper lungs, after a while I noticed when I stood tall took a deep breath, I could only so much there was a tightness like bricks on me, and I felt a shortness of breath panicked, had a lot of anxiety.
Noticed when I took a deep breath this time felt the tightness and just held it and relaxed I felt soothing relieving little pops like it the coastal cartilage or sternum was rising again from the upper lung pressure, less tightness and panic.
Could it be that my panic and anxiety was due to my sternum and or coastal cartilage sinking to a point that interfered with my full lung capacity causing shortness of breath and panic. from the negative pressure of never using the the upper portion of the lungs allowing pressure to cause expansion?
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Verified answer
What you are describing is sternal retractions. They are caused by the use of accessory muscles when breathing. The situation as you describe it leads me to believe that you had anxiety triggered shortness of breath this resulted in increased work of breathing which produced the retraction. In shoe the shortness of breath led to the sternum sinking not vice versa.
The ribcage is fixed, it should not be able to collapse inward unless there is a traumatic injury with broken ribs.