Changes to personality after a diving incident.

[Sparrowlegs]

Are you able to tell us more about his dive accident?

 

[Sparrowlegs]

He said he was coming up and people were coming down the shot line. One of them kicked him which disorientated him. He basically came up too soon didn't spend long enough decompressing. I'm not much of a diver sorry. He was violently sick and then transported to the chamber in Dundee. When I went to see him he could hardly walk was grey and it took him a few weeks to recover.

 

[Storker]

He told me he had been emotionally devoid since his diving accident.

Another indication of a depression or a depressive reaction.

I don't want to cry "wolf" too loudly, but that crap is serious. Even if there's only a minuscule risk, he should have it checked out by a competent professional (and with all respect to GPs, most of them aren't competent about this stuff). Compare it to e.g. appendicitis. The probability is small, but the consequences are serious.

I'm pretty certain I'd be freaked out if something like that happened to me. And getting seriously freaked out can be hard, also later on.

 

[KeithG]

This is not necessarily a diving issue. I had a co-worker that almost died due to allergy reaction to some food. After many weeks in hospital his attitude towards life changed dramatically.

He went in a type A and came out a "I don't give a ****, let's party since we could all be dead tomorrow".

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Has anyone any experience with changes to personality after a diving incident. My husband had a diving accident. He ended up in the hyperbaric chamber for several days. He has 50% hearing loss in one ear. The psychological issues have been far worse. Addicted to being on his phone, not very communicative, short tempered, anti-social. He was always a little like this but things are much worse. He went to the GP for counselling but it was never followed up. We are living separately now is there anyone out there who has had asimilar experience.

Hi @Sparrowlegs ,

There may be several things at play here. As @Wookie mentioned, it sounds like your husband suffered from inner ear decompression sickness. If he lost hearing, he may also be suffering from tinnitus (ringing in the ears), which I can tell you from firsthand experience can leave one with little patience to deal with anything else. I've never heard of an incident of brain DCS leading to a permanent personality change but it's theoretically possible. @Storker raised the very real possibility of PTSD, and even absent that, losing a hobby that many people consider to be therapy could have been traumatic for him.

Diving is an interesting phenomenon. The very act of surviving (much less enjoying) an environment that requires life-support equipment and constant vigilance can be powerfully reinforcing and addictive. Your husband would have had to go through a grieving process, and if he has not recognized this, he may not have fully processed his loss. This is not intended to induce guilt and I'm offering it without any judgment, but the distance in your relationship is probably an additional stressor for him, though it may not appear that way at the moment. Have you considered relationship counseling? That may be a way to help him into a therapeutic relationship with a counselor and could serve as a bridge to individual counseling for him.

Best regards,
DDM

<edit> P.S. Who told him he could never dive again, and what was the rationale?

 

[Wookie]

....he may also be suffering from tinnitus (ringing in the ears), which I can tell you from firsthand experience can leave one with little patience to deal with anything else.
Best regards,
DDM

You do get used to it.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yes, you do get used to it. I'm listening to the multiple tones as we speak. Feels a part of me now. It doesn't keep me awake. Hmm or does it? Haven't slept in well over 24 hours. Going to try for a morning nap. Lol

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

You do get used to it.

LOL kind of.

 

[Wookie]

LOL kind of.

My long suffering very patient wife has not, however.

She wonders why she has to call my name twice now.

 

[Saniflush]

My long suffering very patient wife has not, however.

She wonders why she has to call my name twice now.

Mrs Flush would diagnose that as a failure to listen. At least for me.