I know there are several threads on the subject of panic attack but wondering if anyone else has this specific problem that I have.
I have over 100 dives and feel pretty comfortable underwater. There was one incident where I had to swim against a strong current and I got out of breath very fast and felt like I was not getting enough oxygen through my regulator, panicked, and had the strongest urge to take my mask off and just get out of the water. Luckily I was able to grab the anchor line and catch my breath but after that I noticed that with the slightest elevated heart rate I feel like I’m gasping for air and start to panic. It could be a combination of psychological and being out of shape but I’m wondering if anyone else has a similar experience and any tips on dealing with this problem. Exercises for strengthening the lung perhaps? Thank you for your comments in advance!
you and i have something in common. i had a bad experience with a badly leaking reg many years ago and it caused a series of events that were not so great.
without going into detail, i also felt that over whelming urge to bolt. and that feeling of anxiety stick with me for a very long time.
it was a real struggle to put it behind me to allow me to once again enjoy diving and eventually work up to instructor level.
unfortunately that little devil on my shoulder rears his ugly head once in awhile, and one trigger for that is over exertion. so i am very aware of my dive conditions and how hard i push myself, especially if diving in current.
the key is being aware of what your triggers are, trying to avoid them (or at least control them as best you can), and then understanding how you react and how to calm yourself.
for me, realizing i am heading for a problem BEFORE it becomes a problem is the first and best defense, stopping all physical movement, controlling my breathing (slow in, fully exhale), and taking at least 10 secs to only focus on that, usually is enough to reverse the course of the anxiety. another trick is completely shift your focus from what you are doing to something else (i used to play with my camera setting sometimes just to break that phsycological pattern)
divers who have never experienced a real panic attack often have a hard time understanding how difficult it is to work through it. good for you for realizing a problem and searching for a way to help avoid it.
it takes time in the water but it will get better if you slowly work on it, i promise.