Freaking out for no reason...

[Uraluni]

Terry covered many of the potential causes for anxiety attacks at depth, but another one may be gas. As an older guy who has been diving for awhile, I'm pointedly aware of the changes I've had to make simply to accomodate growing older.

Checked your profile, but didn't see an answer re training, so please excuse my questions - but are you breathing air or nitrox, or even adding helium at depths below 100 fsw?

Bad gas (e.g. with either carbon monoxide or oil vapor in it) is always a problem, but sometimes changing from air to mixed gas can help reduce anxiety. Adding helium to a mix intended for use below 100' can reduce potential for narcosis, for example - and narcosis can have all sorts of anxiety-provoking effects.

Other than that, I've had drysuits and hoods that have 'shrunk' over a decade, with the result that I can feel more constrained inside them; if you're overweight and out of shape it can play a role in comfort; if you've started taking maintenance meds for hyper-tension, high cholesteral, or cardio-issues that can also play a role. Physical and medical issues can contribute to psychological effects - such as anxiety at depth.

Equipment issues can certainly play a part, but if the equipment has worked fine for many years, unless there has been a sudden change to your equipment - it probably isn't the equipment. Simple to test - try a dive with a different reg. (Although high-performance regs are simply much easier breathing at deeper depths - but so is using helium in the mix.) I suggest you consider other potential causes besides just your regulators.
(Have you had a physical exam recently? Something to consider...)

Best with it.

Doc

Yeah...I've thought of the growing older angle as well. My dry suit as well as most of my wet suits have "shrunk" over the years....heaven forbid that I admit that my belly has gotten larger Just for the record I'm a NAUI Master Diver...which makes my condition all the more frustrating.

During the dives I've spoken of, I've always been on nitrox. However, recently (last weekend) I dove on regular air and it didn't make any difference about my mental anxiety.

Actually, I started out the weekend on nitrox with my personal setup (with my second stage sounding like a wind tunnel in my head), but dove Sunday on a rental setup as a replacement with no problem on air during a 110' dive and a 70' dive. I haven't dived on air for quite a while and quickly remembered why nitrox is so much better

My level of anxiety was much reduced by having a nicely balanced reg, but there were still some moments where I had to secure my mind and settle down.

I've been diving for many years in some relatively harsh conditions, and not thought much about it, but lately I find myself thinking of my own mortality.

Perhaps it's just something I need to get over in my own mind and keep pushing on...

 

[Uraluni]

You must be getting scared at below 80' which could be a bit of narcosis, but likely more mental. Has there been a change in your life recently? Do you think of dying during diving?

Honestly except for a bit more breathing noise, and my depth gauge, I'd never know I was above or below 80', especially in low vis.

If you have over 500 dives, and a lot below 80', and are just now freaking out at depth, something changed.

IMO this sounds like a mental thing based on your experience, so something is going on in your mind that is causing this. Do I have a solution, not really. Maybe talk to a therapist?

The therapist option has been discussed with me and my wife...But I have to ask myself, "how to start?"

I've been diving happily in little to zero viz in depths over 100' for years. Yet lately, I find myself panicking for no reason and wanting to bolt for the surface and fresh air.

I guess this is something I do really need to talk to a therapist about, but was magically hoping the forums here would help me with.

It's completely bizarre. For years I've been fine with my diving, then one day out of the blue....panic city...no reason....oi!

Thanks all for your input.

 

[nikwho]

If deep dives are getting weird and there's no equipment problem and it's not meds, maybe it's just a hint to just start doing shallower dives.

Terry

I agree with Terry. If its not comfortable, and your not enjoying it, do what is comfortable and enjoyable. Maybe just dive shallower for a while and work back into a good comfort zone. Good luck with it! NIK

 

[Uraluni]

I agree with Terry. If its not comfortable, and your not enjoying it, do what is comfortable and enjoyable. Maybe just dive shallower for a while and work back into a good comfort zone. Good luck with it! NIK

Ah! There's the rub....I enjoy the difficult stuff, but my heart and brain tells me otherwise.

I guess that which doesn't kill me will only make me stronger...or at least my wife slightly more richer (is that correct English?...it should be "more rich" I think) after the insurance.

 

[nikwho]

it would just be "slightly richer"

Well, I understand where your coming from. I hope that you are able to work through it. Some pretty solid advice from some of the folks on here.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

My wife was laughing at me, but I found that I was having issues with my second stage. I was on a boat recently in North Florida where I was super-embarrassed that I felt my primary second stage was going wonky. The moment I hit the water, it sounded as if I was breathing through a sound-stage in my head and it was difficult to breath. I have an expensive cold-water setup, but it didn't work this time around.

Can you think of a reason why a generally cold water setup would **** up in north FL?

How does this event play in the time frame here? It could be the trigger and if you can figure out the trigger... you are most of the way towards solving the problem. Maybe you need to consider a lighter breathing reg?

 

[LoboMX]

The therapist option has been discussed with me and my wife...But I have to ask myself, "how to start?"

I've been diving happily in little to zero viz in depths over 100' for years. Yet lately, I find myself panicking for no reason and wanting to bolt for the surface and fresh air.

I guess this is something I do really need to talk to a therapist about, but was magically hoping the forums here would help me with.

It's completely bizarre. For years I've been fine with my diving, then one day out of the blue....panic city...no reason....oi!

Thanks all for your input.

I'd hold off on the therapist for a little bit. Most things you can discover on your own. Do a daily exercise of writing in a journal about the problem. After a couple weeks you'll be suprised at what you'll be writing. Therapists are trained professionals and they can help, but they're trained to ask the right questions and deal with people to work through tragic experiences. If through your writing you find that there's something deep seeded that you can't work out on your own go see one.

I didn't read all of the threads (page 1 and 3, 2 was skipped) but was it suggested about having a physical? It's possible that you're breathing capacity has changed slightly that it effects you at depth. Along with the hard breathing regulators and gear problems. But again, I'm no expert so take everything I say with a grain of salt

LoboMX

 

[rajohn]

Have you actually verified that it's only when diving you have this anxiety? It may be that you are having a mild form of anxiety all the time but just don't realize it as much as when you dive. Do you perspire more than usual now? Do you slightly dread doing things that you always were eager to do such as going hunting or fishing or bike riding or whatever? Do you have a slight undefined uneasiness faced with new situations that never would have bothered you to get into before? Are you less comfortable around strangers and worry more that you might make some social gaffe? These are all little things and may not even be big enough to notice until you start to add them all up. Now as for the reasons, it could be any or all of the previous posters suggestions. New meds or a new reaction set to long term meds could definitely be a problem. Changes in your life circumstances such as finances or worrying about age, etc could also be having a general negative influence on your life outlook. I'm by no means knowledgeable enough about this to give an opinion, but I have been around to talk to for a lot of my friends who have gone through this exact same change in attitude.

 

[Uraluni]

Have you actually verified that it's only when diving you have this anxiety? It may be that you are having a mild form of anxiety all the time but just don't realize it as much as when you dive. Do you perspire more than usual now? Do you slightly dread doing things that you always were eager to do such as going hunting or fishing or bike riding or whatever? Do you have a slight undefined uneasiness faced with new situations that never would have bothered you to get into before? Are you less comfortable around strangers and worry more that you might make some social gaffe? These are all little things and may not even be big enough to notice until you start to add them all up. Now as for the reasons, it could be any or all of the previous posters suggestions. New meds or a new reaction set to long term meds could definitely be a problem. Changes in your life circumstances such as finances or worrying about age, etc could also be having a general negative influence on your life outlook. I'm by no means knowledgeable enough about this to give an opinion, but I have been around to talk to for a lot of my friends who have gone through this exact same change in attitude.

You may be on to something. For most of my life, I've been somehow considered the "golden child." In the Army, whether in training, combat or general scrounging skills (good scrounging skills go a long way in a hostile environment), people always seemed to love having me about as I was considered good at just about everything I did (and have the medals to prove it).

Post military time, I graduated with honors in my undergrad and grad schools, and did fine in my early career...however I have been laid off now twice in four years and that's taken a bit of the wind out of my sails. Perhaps there are some confidence issues I need to work out there. I never thought about it, but it may transfer over into my diving confidence.

Thanks for the ideas Rajohn.

 

[pittyyofool]

sorry to hear that, I cant offer any more realistic help than others already mentioned.

On a side note, you are welcome to come over to Catalina anytime. We will do a 210fsw on air then deco on EAN 36. If that doesn't nark you out of your mind and raise your anxiety, you are not human. After that 120fsw on EAN 32 will be easy fo' sheezie