DCS after two shallow dives - struggling with anxiety and worried

[jtsma]

A lot of people have already given you medical tips and stuff so I won't get into that.

I am however a person with an anxiety disorder so I can provide my two cents on that matter. It is important that you get professional help. Anxiety is extremely treatable but it takes some work. I would recommend you talk to a licensed therapist specialized in anxiety, they will be able to help you break the mental patterns that cause your anxiety.

All this of course depends on how severe your anxiety is but even for a 'mild case', therapy can really help. People with anxiety also tend to develop avoidant behaviors that get more difficult to break the longer they drag on so if it really starts affecting things you like doing (diving or anything else in life) don't wait. On top of the 'avoidant behaviors', anxiety can also cause a wide range of physical symptoms which can then in turn create more anxiety.

I found cognitive behavioral therapy combined with exposure therapy extremely helpful to (mostly) get over my anxiety.

Good luck and feel free to DM me if you have any questions or concerns!

 

[Macfod]

Hi all!

I’m a 35-year-old recreational diver with around 70 dives.

A few months ago in December, I experienced what was diagnosed as a ~mild case of decompression sickness after two relatively shallow dives (16 and 17 meters, both with proper surface intervals at around 50 minutes each).

After the first dive I felt a bit "sea sick" but didn't think too much about that and hoped it would go away if I jumped into the water and did a second dive.

However during and after the second dive, I developed symptoms including dizziness, nausea, light visual disturbance, tingling in my hands, and slight aching in my arms. I never had any rash or numbness that I can think of. The symptoms resolved quickly with oxygen on land (within about 30-45 minutes), and I didn’t require a chamber. It took me about 45 min on the boat before I was given oxygen after developing the more severe symptoms after the second dive.

I of course had to go to the hospital in the event of needing to go into the chamber and be under observation but it was never required.

Since then, I’ve been struggling with persistent anxiety and health-related fears. Even though I recovered physically (I think), my brain keeps going to worst-case scenarios like “What if I had a stroke?”, “Could this be MS or even ALS? Can I have long term symptoms from the DCS?”. I know it sounds irrational, but it’s been hard to shake.

I also have migraine with aura a few times per year, and I’m currently being referred to a cardiologist for a PFO evaluation. I used to vape heavily (after 15 years of smoking) but quit completely about a month before the incident.

Have any of you dealt with lingering health anxiety after DCS?
How did you mentally recover?
Did you return to diving – and if so, how did you rebuild your confidence? Would love to hear your stories – it would really help to know I’m not alone.

Thanks in advance!

I see your main issue.. 50 minutes service interval is no where near enough.
I will not dive unless I get 2hours surface interval between dives.
You just need to manage that side and do take extra care after diving by doing Nothing physical for 3 hours.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I see your main issue.. 50 minutes service interval is no where near enough.
I will not dive unless I get 2hours surface interval between dives.
You just need to manage that side and do take extra care after diving by doing Nothing physical for 3 hours.

You'll be hard pressed to get many/any 2 hour surface intervals between the first 2 dives of the day, if you're boat diving, most anywhere in the world.