Anxiety onset: "Experienced" diver

[DevonDiver]

Isn't psychology interesting?

An anxiety response that occurs when the surface is close at hand (visible?), but diminishes as the surface is removed (unconsciously) from the equation. A response that also diminishes when circumstances cause a favorable distraction.

It sounds to me like there's an underlying (sub-conscious) anxiety of being submerged - which presents itself as a very mild (controllable) 'flight' stimulus when the option to the surface is immediately presented (you are shallow/can see the surface). That 'flight' stimulus retreats when the surface doesn't appear as an immediate and compelling escape.

200+ dives and DM certification would normally indicate sufficient experience to have overcome conscious anxiety, but may not have overcome a more primal distress at being underwater. Of course, the timescale over which this experience was gained is also somewhat relevant (months, years or decades?), along with frequency of diving... and, most importantly, how your conscious comfort levels have evolved over that duration.

 

[bracko]

i'm confused... when you say "what am I doing down here" is it boredom or an actual fear of diving?

I've come across both in my time; boredom is a recent one and was experienced on the first few days around Sipadan (yes, you read that right....). There were a number of reasons for them, some within me which I needed a quiet corner to contemplate my goals for the holiday and some external which I just needed to get over.

the second was a little while ago. it'd start as a distant feeling while descending and then almost overcome me, to the point where I just wanted to do a CESA from 30+m and get the hell out of the water. I found pre-dive visualisation techniques worked well, then playing them over in your mind BEFORE you begin to get the feeling as did finding something, anything to take my mind off the thoughts when you get to situations you might start to have negative thoughts. I dive with a camera so just trying to get an artistic photograph of whatever was in front of me was seemed to take my mind off the negative thoughts. Also around the time I was also DMing classes, so it was a case of realising that I can't assist classes if I'm mid panic-attack myself.

 

[SmacA]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Trying to pick out some key points made, rather than quote directly.

It is definitely a feeling of mild-anxiety, certainly not panic. E.g. I might signal to my buddy/guide I feel a bit strange, and suggest we go up a bit / slow down. A lot of the time just this is enough to snap me out of it.

I think a number of you made the comment about "dive purpose". Very simple dives, good vis, a definite bottom to follow rather than mid-water, with 5 mins of just swimming over "samey" terrain is where it's worse, esp. if trooping round after a guide. At this point my mind wanders, and I start contemplating thumbing the dive. One coping strategy (as has been mentioned) is to get the camera out, and focus on that for a while.

I wouldn't say I'm a nervous or anxious person. Analytical yes, but I like mountain biking, driving a car round a track etc. etc. I suspect focus on the task in hand stops me worrying about things like a blow out at 120mph when driving a car fast for example.

In terms of my dive history, the bulk of my dives have been resort based. I've done everything from 2c water in Iceland to 32c water in Maldives. I've dived in Iceland, Mexico, Egypt, Australia, UK, Fuerteventura and Maldives over a period of 7+ years. So min 20 dives per year, but often compressed into vacations.

As has been mentioned, maybe I have just grown out of it , I recently turned 40

I am thinking about doing a reef clean up liveaboad at the end of the month, specifically choosing that as a way to add purpose to my diving. Maybe that will answer the question one way or the other!


Si

 

[Reelman1]

When I first started diving, I was pretty much a "care free" diver...we happily cruised around, followed the DM, ascended when he said too, had a really great time!
As our (wife and I) training progressed, we became more aware of the potential for real problems while diving, never had any issues ourselves, but aided several others with OOA, anxiety attacks, etc...we both took rescue, then I took DM... without really realizing it, my attitude subtly changed...I started insisting that we work on safety drills on every dive, and I found myself mentally rehearsing emergency scenarios during our dives (what would I do if X happened right now), and poring over the many posts here about accidents, incidents, CO levels, etc...as well as constantly think about trim, proper positioning, and the like. One day my wife told me flat out that I wasn't much fun to dive with anymore...I needed to back up a bit and find a balance...don't get me wrong, I firmly believe in being a well prepared, well equipped, situationally aware safe diver. However, I really wasn't having FUN..and as the man said..." if it's not fun, why are you doing it?" We started diving to have fun, after all...I believe that it's important to strike a balance here...now we do dedicated "training" dives where we concentrate on skills and drills in the pool and the local pond,and when we travel, we just dive, look at the pretty fish, and have FUN...not sure if any of this applies for the OP, but talking to other divers, I know I'm not the only one who has undergone this "evolution"...in essence, starting as a blissfully ingorant "care free" diver, to a overly serious problem oriented diver, to a prepared, aware, confident "care free diver"...

 

[Lorenzoid]

I've had the same sort of anxiety on occasion before, and there have been other threads about this. It has been at least slightly comforting (and helpful) to me to know that others have experienced it. Yes, it's a feeling of "what am I doing here in an unforgiving environment like this?" And then it can spiral into "what if my equipment fails, or what if I pass out from the anxiety" and the anxiety only builds further. I suspect that the more I have emerged from my initial blissful new-diver ignorance of the dangers, the more this has occurred. That said, I was never so confident of my skills as I was immediately after Rescue Diver class. But then as time went on the anxiety returned.

I occasionally experience vertigo, too, but it's almost always limited to night dives, which suggests it isn't the Alternobaric Vertigo that Kevrumbo mentioned.


Remind me why I put up with these obstacles instead of taking up a hobby like walking in the woods?

 

[DiverAmy]

I found this useful: Diver Stress & Panic Prevention. However, let me admit that I am no stranger to anxiety.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I was thinking the same thing as Lopez116. Not to oversimplify, but it may be that you are bored with routine dives, and are not engaged in the activity, causing more focus on your uneasiness. If you have ever had a location on your body that hurts, you notice (and focus on) the pain more when you are sitting quietly or when you lie down. But if you are engaged in an activity, your mind is often focused on other things and the pain may not be noticeable. Assuming this is poart of the situation ( and it ties in to the breathing issues discussed above as well) I suggest you plan your dives with specific activities or objectivies in mind. That might include photography or videography, searching for a specific fish or other species, observing animal behavior, mapping a dive site. following a navigation pattern, or about anything else you can think of. Just a though to add to the discussion.
DivemasterDennis

 

[sskasser]

I had a dive buddy with a similar issue. After more digging, the issue started appearing about the same time he bought a new drysuit. Having the same drysuit, I knew it was a lot stiffer than most. He was diving it with almost no gas inside. The dang thing was squeezing his lungs, but he didn't really connect to the two. A few dives where he'd previously had the anxiety but WITH proper gas in the suit and he was fine. I got a free lunch out of that one

I've also noticed that caffeine has started to make itself a bit more noticeable to me on some dives. I love my coffee, but I cut back prior to dives and like the results.

Lorenzoid, some of the best dives START with a walk in the woods

 

[Lorenzoid]

Building on what Reelman1 said about nagging safety concerns potentially detracting from "having fun," this is the main thought that prompted my wife and me to seek GUE training (we're scheduled to take Fundies in the Spring). We want to have a "system" in place that we follow robotically on every dive to help ensure our safety, so that we can concentrate on the fun of the dive itself and not focus on the potential obstacles.

I've also noticed that caffeine has started to make itself a bit more noticeable to me on some dives. I love my coffee, but I cut back prior to dives and like the results.

Lorenzoid, some of the best dives START with a walk in the woods

+1 to both comments.

 

[Reelman1]

It's a good thing to go from " oh crap, what if something goes wrong?" to " hey, if something goes wrong, I'll deal with it"...I've gotta say, in this respect, DM was kind of a two edged sword...it increased my confidence levels dramatically, but at the same time, I found myself waiting for (expecting?) stuff to go south...This is gonna be a controversial remark, but I used to think that poring over dive "incident" info helped me prepare for potential problems, and it does... but I think there is a point at which it can become counterproductive, as it were...also, there's a lot of " if you're not doing XYZ, you're gonna die!" and " your (fill in the agency) training was totally insufficient, and you're probably gonna die!" That may or may not be true, but again, I think that it can become a stressor, and therefore counterproductive...( "man, my octo isn't bungeed, am I gonna die???" proper gear configuration and training is essential for safe, enjoyable diving, but it IS supposed to be fun, after all..isn't it?