Panic Attack

[Rick Inman]

Diving without a power inflator isn't exactly the same as diving with a broken one.

Yeah, good point! I'll have to disconnect the hose om my Oxycheq wing tonight and see it it leaks - never even thought about it.

 

[yknot]

Now my concern, the very next day I was on a dive with a very experieced diver on a typical dive in Dutch Springs and all was going great and then out of the blue it came over me like a title wave, my heart was beating like a locomtive, and it felt like I could not get enough air. I had to get out immediatley and wanted to blow the surface from 60ft. I was able to keep my composer and keep myself logical. Barely. I let my buddy know I wanted to head back. When we got I confided in him and told him what I went through and he said he could not tell and I handled very well. I could see that guy's face I resuced the day before, his eyes, the shear terror on his face, gasping for air. I know what he was feeling now. I am worried to get wet again but I will. How to battle this?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Just wondering if this sounds like an inflator problem to anyone. Don't assume that you can solve this type of incident thru experience. The time and place to experience an "Out of the blue" anxiety attack is not at 60 feet. I repeat-seek professional medical attention. Your next out of the blue attack could be on the freeway at 70mph.

 

[SueMermaid]

Yep, Mike, good point. You are right. I should have said that I don't see anything wrong with not using a power inflator. It's not such a great idea to dive with equipment that is defective in some way unless you know what you are dealing with and can handle the calculated risk.
When I bought my present reg, I had a blonde moment when taking it to Cayman Brac, and forgot to add a low pressure hose to it. Duhhhh. What a dork I felt like. I did a couple of dives without it till the shop opened. That's sort of what I was thinking of.

 

[bfenne]

bfenne- If you really think you suffered a panic attack, seek medical attention immediately. Panic disorders are largly exaggerated by stress, be it accumulated or immediate. I have family members that suffer from panic disorders. If you have one underwater you may not survive-the panic creates urges to do things that logic and a normal thought process can't control. The disorder can be controlled thru medication and there are techniques to controlling stress and managing this condition that should come thru an MD. The advice to take things slow and such is inadequate- this could be a legitimate medical condition that you can't overcome on your own.

Yknot,

I am not an expert on disorders by any stretch. I labled it a "panic attack" for lack of a better description. That is what it felt like though. Maybe it was the restrictive 7mil wetsuit I was wearing, maybe it was the cold water, maybe I was tired or a combo of all those. Either way the fight or flight thing was in effect. Although I was able to squash the feeling by focusing thinking logically but it was a very disturbing feeling. I feel it was more related to what I went through the day before and how it might of affected me more than I thought. I guess what is really important is that I am able to realize that something felt wrong and I want to find out why to become a better diver for myself and buddies. Thanks to all who have weighed in so far.

 

[yknot]

Yknot,

I am not an expert on disorders by any stretch. I labled it a "panic attack" for lack of a better description. That is what it felt like though. Maybe it was the restrictive 7mil wetsuit I was wearing, maybe it was the cold water, maybe I was tired or a combo of all those. Either way the fight or flight thing was in effect. Although I was able to squash the feeling by focusing thinking logically but it was a very disturbing feeling. I feel it was more related to what I went through the day before and how it might of affected me more than I thought. I guess what is really important is that I am able to realize that something felt wrong and I want to find out why to become a better diver for myself and buddies. Thanks to all who have weighed in so far.

bfenne- Only you can determine the amount of panic you felt. As I said earlier, I have family members that suffer from panic disorders. The first attack tends to happen suddenly and for no apparent reason at the time, meaning you might not be facing a particularly overwhelming situation at the time, hence the feeling that it came "out of the blue". What makes matters worse is that the fear of having another attack is very stressful in and of itself. The attacks have been described to me as feeling like you are going to die. The panic attack itself won't kill you. If it happened at home, you could hyperventilate until you passed out but this wouldn't be the case underwater. I would hope that what you experienced was simply a survival response to a temporarily overwhelming situation but having seen the effects of these attacks personally, I am only trying to tell you that there are legitimate medical reasons for these to occur and that for your own peace of mind I would consult an MD. If you have a legitimate panic disorder, it can be controlled thru medication.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Yeah, good point! I'll have to disconnect the hose om my Oxycheq wing tonight and see it it leaks - never even thought about it.

It shouldn't leak unless the inflate/deflate valve is leaking (which is a common failure mode).

 

[bfenne]

bfenne- Only you can determine the amount of panic you felt. As I said earlier, I have family members that suffer from panic disorders. The first attack tends to happen suddenly and for no apparent reason at the time, meaning you might not be facing a particularly overwhelming situation at the time, hence the feeling that it came "out of the blue". What makes matters worse is that the fear of having another attack is very stressful in and of itself. The attacks have been described to me as feeling like you are going to die. The panic attack itself won't kill you. If it happened at home, you could hyperventilate until you passed out but this wouldn't be the case underwater. I would hope that what you experienced was simply a survival response to a temporarily overwhelming situation but having seen the effects of these attacks personally, I am only trying to tell you that there are legitimate medical reasons for these to occur and that for your own peace of mind I would consult an MD. If you have a legitimate panic disorder, it can be controlled thru medication.

Yknot,

Thanks for your input and it is unfortunate that you have family menbers that suffer from panic attacks. Sounds horrible.

Based on a well thought out review of what happened the day of the resuce and what happened the day I felt very nervous, it was more of an stress/anxiety about the rescue and what happened becuase it was on my mind. I think that would scare most somewhat and more so some one with only about 20 dives under their belt. Based on everyone I have talked too and things I have read here in the forum, diver anxiety is quite common. I certainly would not run to the doctor for a situation that can be linked to a truamatic experience. If it starts to happen in and out of the water then I will consult a doctor. For right now I will follow my instinct and common sense and continue to not only learn more but also understand the HOW and WHY of things i learn.

Thanks to all that have had input on this.