Panic Attack

[xapury82]

I experienced a panic attack during my last dive and ended up with a "precautionary" five-hour visit to the hyperbaric chamber. I am a newbie diver and on previous dives I'd been focused mostly on practicing my neutral buoyancy and surfacing appropriately, etc. almost too focused on those things to be come panicked. On this particular day the dive plan was for me to lead-going where I was comfortable and all was going well. Near the end of the dive though I determined I didn't want to lead the ascent and I recall a gutteral grumbling (I WAS diving with my husband). From reading the SCUBA boards I'm thinking this was enough to disrupt my CO2/O2 exchange... at any rate we safely surfaced with me in full-blown hyperventilation, boy would I have rather been face first in a brown paper bag than where I ended up. I passed out somewhere from the point of surfacing to the shore, had shallow to no breathing, CPR, the whole nine yards. Now I'm getting my psychi geared up to "get back in the saddle." Panick postings on SCUBA Board have helped as well as this article [http://www.scubadiving.com/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=4255&pop=1&page=1] - copy/paste.

That said, the post I found here bears repeating -- from Bob -NW Grateful Diver, 9/08/04 and has helped me alot - thank you Bob.

"I suspect your problem is a combination of self-induced stress and CO2 buildup. When you start to stress out, your breathing pattern changes ... as you noticed. Breathing rapidly ... even though perhaps deeply ... does not allow a sufficient exchange of oxygen for CO2 in your lungs, and the CO2 slowly builds up. Since it's the CO2 that triggers your breathing reflex, this building up causes you to feel like you're not getting enough air."

Bob refers to a reply telling the diver "keep practicing your skills and keep your dive profiles shallower." "If you should experience it again, signal your buddy that you need to stop for a bit, then just hover (or grab onto something to stabilize yourself if you really need to) and concentrate on breathing deeply and slowly ... allowing a good exchange of O2 for CO2. After about 10 seconds or so the 'out of breath' feeling should start to dissipate."

I think this is the best answer to my questions and with this in mind, I WILL DIVE AGAIN.

 

[FFMDiver]

I'm sure you will have the support from the expert divers on this after me but I will say I admire your courage. It takes guts to experience that event and come back a fighter. Bravo. :wave-smil

 

[Guba]

You are doing precisely the right thing. You are not only analyzing what happened; you are getting "second opinions" from very knowlegable and experienced divers (not me...the others) who can offer advice and insights that will help you prevent a re-occurence in the future.
My only two cents (over priced, at that) would be that you take re-entry slow and easy. Go on familiar dives the first few times back in the water, and then only after reviewing the basics so that you are totally relaxed and comfortable. However, don't dwell on this experience. That only heightens anxiety and puts you in a frame of mind that could possibly act as a trigger. Just from the tone of your post and the wording of your resolution to "get back in there", I can tell you are determined about returning to diving. My best goes with you. Have fun and then come back and tell us how much you're enjoying it.

 

[diver_sam_851027]

Wow...congratulations on getting back into it after that experience. I hope you are successful.

 

[JodiBB]

I think this is the best answer to my questions and with this in mind, I WILL DIVE AGAIN.

Wow....what a scary experience!! That being said, you will be one of the few that actually return to the sport after having a full-blown PA....most people avoid the situation where the PA occurred for fear of having another one. As a result, they begin to obsess constantly over that PA and generalize the specific PA to other areas of their lives. I'm glad to hear that you're NOT doing that and that you're willing to overcome this situation...

Good luck to you!

 

[xapury82]

We DO have plans to visit Catalina this summer with tentative plans to dive -- I'll probably only dive the little rock @ 20 ft. and maybe Little Casino Reef at 35 ft. I'll let my son & husband make the other dives. Relocated to Pacific NW but grew up in So Cal and have never been to Catalina... the dive potential is just a bonus.

 

[trigfunctions]

Good luck to you! There are some specific skills (not diving skills, but mental exercises) that you can practice before diving to help you prevent panic symptoms and cope with them if they come up again. The article you posted looks like a good start, but I would also suggest that you look at some resources on the web and practice these skills repeatedly well in advance of diving again.
You might find these links useful:
http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/panicdisorderselfhelp/qt/reminders.htm
http://www.emich.edu/uhs/copingwithpanic.html
http://www.blue-oceans.com/psychology/dive_psych.html#Anchor-Stress-47857

 

[Michael Schlink]

Well I think everyone is glad to see you all OK and willing and able to get back on the horse. I read your post and a HUGE flag went up and I hope I'm not reading more into this than there is BUT-Why is your husband "making" you lead an ascent???

1) Don't let your husband grumble, growl or bark you into doing anything you don't want to do, above, on or underwater...ever

2) Why is anyone" leading" an ascent? I've never heard of anyone leading an ascent. Both or all of the "team" should ascend TOGETHER and although your ascent should be managed independently, your buddy(s) should be with you to lend any assistance and vice a versa.

3) Anytime someone including your husband, son, me or anyone else in the water, does something/anything that would put you into a panick attack, thumb the dive, call it right there and make a nice normal ascent. Once on the surface you can handle the situation any way you think is best-I'm thinking of couch time for the growling, grumbling husband

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

Hi there Xapury -

May I ask have you had panic attacks before? A few things in your account sound like you have?

Also I'm curious just what was the stress that triggered the attack? Was it just having a disagreement over who ascends first or were there other problems as well?

I agree if you don't don't feel right about a dive then don't do it or cancel it - but anything thats leds to requiring CPR is pretty serious: were other factors or in-water problems involved?

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[diverdenise]

Wow, quite an experience and yes very brave and determined to keep going, it is a tough one. When I signed up for diving it asked about claustraphobia and panic attacks on the medical, I had this about 20 years ago so thought I was all better. Diving brought it all back just like 20 years ago. I had many near panic attacks during confined and one full panic attack, (nothing reaching your extreme though), I also had a near panic attack during my open water dives. It was nice to have the skills I used 20 years ago to help out and I realized if I closed my eyes and made myself relax I could get through them. I still do this today when I have some anxiety diving. I have also learned to not let others push prior or during dives and take everything at my own pace and keep my breathing regular before a dive as well as during. Of course continuing to dive and dive and take class after class has helped but anxiety still occurs as it probably does for many if they are honest. I am glad you are keeping at it, I am sure glad I did.