Panic Attack

[Kaltim Diver]

Stacey, while I agree about your solutions (eye contact and touch always seem good) it's important to realise that they can happen and that you will have to deal with them yourself. If you panic and bolt for the surface, a buddy who grabs you and holds you down is going to get punched and kicked if you don't want to stop - regardless of eye contact and contact. We need to make people aware that they can happen and that they will pass if you can relax. A panic attack never killed anyone but they can be the trigger that causes a rapid ascent and embolism, decompression sickness, drowning through a lost reg etc.

As I think I said - I get them from Narcosis, but know the attacks, know when they are coming, and I start checking guages and taking deep breaths and it usually passes.

KTD

 

[divin'dog]

It was your tenth dive, your first salt water dive, and your deepest dive to date. That's a lot of stress right there, even before you get in the water. If most of your diving before had been in the 30 to 40 foot range, you hadn't had a chance to know what narcosis was going to do to you.

Then you add the stress of a leaking mask. Now, I have about 600 dives and I'm cave certified, and I don't like diving with a leaking mask. I cope with it just fine, but it is still a stressor, and stress is cumulative when you are diving. As a very new diver, the stress of clearing your mask repeatedly is much more significant, because there's a higher baseline level of stress just from being underwater.

In addition, I wonder if your need to clear the mask constantly contributed to an inefficient breathing pattern that allowed you to build up some excess CO2. High CO2 levels are a prime trigger for intense anxiety and apprehension, because your body knows at a deep level that, if you aren't moving enough air per minute, you aren't going to live long. That's the reason most people can't hold their breath long enough to pass out -- the body just won't let you do it. CO2 is additive to nitrogen in causing narcosis, as well, and the combination will just about always produce what's called a "dark narc", or a very unpleasant experience of anxiety or dread.

Now you're spooked, and apprehensive even before you get in the water, which isn't good.

The answer is to do some shallow, simple dives, going only where your comfortable and with companions who inspire confidence. Maybe that's just going to be floating in a spring or quarry in ten feet of water, but it is what it is. Focus on regaining your confidence and relaxing, and when that little voice in the back of your head stops trying to tell you you're going to feel the same way you did during these dives, that's the time to try something a little bit more challenging. But I would highly recommend not trying a 90 foot dive for your first open ocean experience. That's just asking a bit too much of a brand new diver, in my book.

Excellent advice from TSandM ... Also, one thing a lot of divers overlook is to take your time on the surface just before going under. Everyone is always in a rush to get under. Don't be. After getting set on the surface (in the water), I try to take some time to slow myself down mentally and physically. Getting in the water and fiddling with equipment is stressful even when it all goes smoothly. Get your breathing under control and be in a relaxed state of mind. I like to take a few deep breaths to let it all out (not hyperventilating)... kinda like letting all my cares and worries leave with each breath. Once you're relaxed, descend slowly to depth, checking buoyancy to make sure you're not plummeting to the bottom. Better yet control your swim to depth instead of freefalling. The beginning of your dive really starts at the surface and can set the table for the rest of the dive. Remember... you're supposed to enjoy this whether you like it or not...

 

[ScubaQTX]

So, did you make it to Costa Rica? If so, how did you do? Although I can't speak to the diving Costa Rica, Key Largo reef diving would probably have a better starting point for you. So easy, but cool at the same time.

 

[Diver0001]

Well I never thought I would have this problem. ....snip interesting story.....

I haven't read the other responses yet so I hope I'm in time to say something new.

I want to relay a story to you about a friend of mine. We've made many hundreds of dives together. He's always been "Mr. calm cool and collected". His skills are beyond any question, his experience in cold water, dark water, deep water, silt outs and even dealing with the rigors of supervising new divers in these conditions can not be questioned.....

but he's not a wreck diver and doesn't have any real experience with that.

We went to the North sea.

On a boat with too little ballast that lists back and forth in the waves with about 20%

For 6 hours off shore to dive on a WWI submarine that we wanted to identify. He was sea sick, he hadn't slept well on the boat and wasn't feeling well just before the dive.

We went in the water, crawled hand-over-hand to teh bottom along the anchor chain.... too fast, I guess. When we got to the bottom I looked at my friend and saw that his breathing was really fast..... he was out of breath.

I took him to the bottom on the sand beside the wreck. No change. Held his shoulder with one hand and gave him the "easy does it" sign with the other. No change. At this point we were in 36 metres of water....

and the look he gave back to me was ........

BLANK

he looked right through me like I wasn't even there. F'n SPOOKY.

His breathing wasn't in control and he wasn't getting a grip on it. He finally gave me the "abort" sign and without asking what I thought about that he started to ascend back up the anchor line.

I followed him. He was in control of the ascent but I was pretty worried that if I grabbed him that his "panic" would snowball.... so I just followed.

We reached 5 metres (we didn't have deco yet) and he stopped, turned around, indicated that he was going to hang at that depth for a while and that I should go back down and finish my dive.

After the fact we talked a lot about it. Lack of sleep, sea sickness and the "stress" of diving on a wreck that he knew was full of live torpedos and human remains was "just too much".

What do I want to say with this.... well that *everyone* regardless of experience or skill level has some "breaking point" and if you push your personal boundaries you'll eventually find it.

My friend found his, much to his (an my!) amazement, on a wreck in the north sea. You found yours on a dive with depth and discomfort.

Is this bad?

No.

Is this something to guide you in the future....

yes.

R..