Panic attacks - Why and what to do

[astralmind]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

- We did dive on air, not Nitrox.

- I should have mentioned that the "deco" was really more of an extended safety stop, 11 minutes at 10'.

- I have been to 90' + quite a few times without experiencing detrimental issues. That was the first time I stayed for "an extended" period of time though.

- Our previous (4) dives with doubles, dry and new regs all went well. Obviously a lot to work on to "perfect" our buoyancy but in terms of comfort and confidence it was good. In other words, far from "good" but good enough not be at risk because of the gear, IMHO.

- While the symptoms were very real and physical, I could tell something was off psychologically.

- I could tell I was about to lose it. It, honestly, freaked me out as I'd never experienced that before. Hard to explain but I am a very pragmatic and calm kind of guy and feeling you are loosing control of yourself is an extremely weird and unpleasant experience. Granted, I managed to recover and keep the dive going but at that very moment it was genuinely scary.

- I mentioned 2-3 minutes.. it could have been much shorter, it sure felt long though. The panic was very much happening inside my mind though, I doubt there were obvious physical manifestation that could have been perceived - I tried to keep it cool, and signal a mild 'eh, not doing so great, lets go' but in my head it was more of a 'HOLY CRAP I WANNA GET THE F' OUT'.


- The situation did improve by 80% once I signaled it and I'd say back to almost 100% 2-3 minutes later. This does tell me it was entirely psychological.


- My buddy (wife) and our friend (dive instructor with 30+ years experience) were not far but in front of me. In fact, the minute I signaled them with my light, they both reacted quickly. We're used to diving all 3 of us together and this never occurred before.


- I've never experienced panic attack before, under any scenario.


Was I find the most strange about this is the fact that it happened after I got out of the wreck, in the open, with great visibility and no current at all. I've been in ultra murky water, rather intense currents, tight spots and never felt this. I am not over confident and very much grounded to the potential dangers that come with the activity but always felt I knew how to react should anything happen. At that very moment, nothing 'bad' happened, and yet, the panic settled in.

 

[PantherDiver]

I would first like to suggest that you do get checked it via a doctor. There are several conditions such as low thyroid, mitral valve prolapse, etc. Refrain from smoking, drinking caffeinated beverages etc the day before you dive. If you consume a extreme amount if caffeine reduce your intake but avoid withdrawals. Acknowledge that you may have anxiety about what you experienced and that it may increase your anxiety on your next dive.

A panic attack can feel as if your having a heart attack. Difficulty breathing such as feeling your choking or being smothered, pounding heart, chest pains yes elephant type crushing pains, irrational thoughts and fears, tingling in arms and legs and feeling of impending doom. Out of water a loved one could tell you that your ok but it's very hard to convince yourself that you are.

First step is to be honest with your dive buddy and make a signal, use a wrist slate and have a pre-written message and steps you need to take to calm down. Reduces task loading at depth and during an attack. Next ground yourself, find a solid object or your partner. Practice this out of water, breathe in count to what's normally comfortable and breath out. Do this and adjust your count if you feel tingly and lightheaded. We tend to over breathe when we actually think about breathing. Close your eyes usually movement and light can be over stimulating during a panic attack and just breathe by counting in 1,2,3... Out, etc. Know what to do if you feel nauseated and have to vomit. Surface with your buddy and maintain eye and physical contact if safe for both of you to do so.

I agree reed that you should get back on the horse but don't beat yourself up. Adrenalin can trigger a reflex that can easily become a panic attack. Learn more about the symptoms and practice above water what to do. Hopefully this is a one time event, however be prepared in case it happens again. I'm not a doctor but I had lived with panic attacks after a traumatic injury that almost left me a paraplegic. People may have better suggestions but this is what I have practiced knowing I have a predisposition to attacks.

Best of luck

 

[astralmind]

Thank you all, it felt a bit like group therapy

I'm actually having some fever today so it could very well have been tied up to early onset of a cold or simple flu that got a out of hand. I think what was moderate physical symptoms degenerated in psychological ones which in return worsen the physical ones and the vicious circle kicked in.

I really appreciate your input, at the end of the day, if I'm feeling well enough (no fever!), I'll dive it again and report, just for the heck of it. Without sounding too sappy, diving changed my life for the better and I must say this event freaked me out as I definitely didn't see it coming (regardless the listed contributing factors!).