Mental Illness and Diving

[Estrela]

I know the term "mental illness" describes a wide variety of disorders whose only similarity is that they involve the brain, but hang with me...

My brain misbehaves. I have no physical limitations, but my brain hates me. Sometimes this is an issue, sometimes it's not. I have good days and bad days just like everyone else.

However, the wonderful disorders that are holding my brain hostage tend to make life difficult. They like to make sure I have an escape route, they obsess over what could go wrong, they're not always fond of talking to strangers in a non-professional manner, and they are known for making me feel tired for no reason. There's more, but those are the main ones.

I love to swim. I've always dreamed of diving, but because of where I grew up I didn't think it was possible. I swam in Lake Erie, never thought of diving in it.

The short of it is that my husband and I are spending two weeks in Hawaii, and he wants to get PADI certified while we're there.

Any suggestions for how to make the instructors life easier? (Yes, they will be informed of my condition.) Or things I can do to prepare myself before I get to the dive shop?

 

[*dave*]

Crap, half of your 'symptoms' are actually favorable attributes for a diver.

Don't worry about making the instructor's life easier, he's there to make your life easier by teaching you what you need to know so you can relax and enjoy the dive.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Estrela,

First of all, thanks for sharing and being so open.

The first thing I would do is talk with your doctor about this. As an instructor, I would require a sign-off from your doctor about whatever conditions you might have. I don't believe any reputable instructor would teach you to dive without that. (This is standard in diving --we require medical certifications for all sorts of things.)

As an instructor, I would also prefer to speak with your doctor myself to really understand things. At some point, I would also probably want to talk with DAN to get their take.

From that point on, a truly frank discussion between you and the instructor (and perhaps your husband if he is going to be in the class) would certainly be a good idea. Finally, most likely, I would require that our class be just the two of you so I could ensure I am really giving my full attention.

Diving instruction is certainly possible here but making sure everyone involved is open about not only all the medical considerations, but also expectations as well.

Good luck!

Jeff

 

[Splitlip]

I'm not an MD. Although you are being vague, you would not have posted if you did not have reservations. You would be better off asking your physician, although he she may not be the best.

A DAN doc may be better. Join before your trip even if you don't SCUBA, and ask them with specifics. My $.02

 

[Sas]

Probably it would help if you were more specific about the disorder/s to know how that would impact on diving... also if you are on medications they might be problematic also. A diving physician would be able to give good advice though perhaps they might have to talk to your psychologist/psychiatrist/etc if you have one.

Psychological problems do not necessarily rule one out for diving, it depends what they are.

 

[Estrela]

@SplitLip: going anywhere out of my comfort zone gives me reservations. 'Tis the nature of anxiety disorder. Getting as much information beforehand -- sometimes to the point of paranoia, as my mom claims -- is just one of the ways I cope.

@Dave: yes, some of my symptoms do give me an advantage where they're actually needed. But the only escape route from a boat is overboard, LOL.

Medical sign off -- okay, I can do that @ my VA clinic. I have a treatment team -- who's sign-off should I get? The people that try to make my brain behave or the ones that make sure that my body is in proper working condition? My MD has little to no knowledge of mental illness. Every letter I've had written up was from the nurse who manages my medication.

My husband is in Iraq and may or may not be able to get a medical sign-off. He's doesn't have a profile, which is good. (Profile, at least physical ones, are to accommodate injury or condition.) He should be able to get at least a note from the medic saying that he's healthy. Or the results from his latest fitness test.

I'm covered under Tricare Prime, so I know I will have ER access... I found a thread earlier discussing Tricare Prime and additional insurance. I'd rather see a doc that has knowledge of diving than one that can only speculate, so I'll see if there are DAN docs in my area.

The plan is to take the class together. I've thought about doing the online bit of PADI's OW but not sure how that would affect our plans. And yes, I'd much rather have either a class with just the two of us or a very small class.

He found a place online that is on Oahu, but neither one of us has contacted them yet. If anyone has any suggestions for DS or Instructors on Oahu, feel free to PM me with the info. I'll take all the info I can get.

 

[Sas]

I found this from DAN, which may be of use. DAN Divers Alert Network : Psychological Issues in Diving II - Anxiety, Phobias in Diving

I have a psychological 'condition' (I don't see it as a disorder in my case but it is in the DSM-IV ...) also (diagnosed after I started diving actually), which is often coupled with anxiety disorders and thus medication but not in my case, and it was made clear to me that if I had had an anxiety disorder as well I would not have passed a diving medical (which are compulsory before starting OW in my country) but your own doctors should be able advise you better.

 

[Estrela]

Probably it would help if you were more specific about the disorder/s to know how that would impact on diving... also if you are on medications they might be problematic also. A diving physician would be able to give good advice though perhaps they might have to talk to your psychologist/psychiatrist/etc if you have one.

Psychological problems do not necessarily rule one out for diving, it depends what they are.

I was purposefully vague in case others stumbled onto the thread.

Yes, I am living better through chemistry. I doubt I could manage the PTSD and depression any other way. I am leaning more towards seeing a DAN doc since I don't think my treatment team has any knowledge of diving.

My biggest fear is having a panic attack underwater. I am anxious about being anxious. On land I know how to handle it. Underwater? Not so much.

I'm assuming I'll be taught to react to things that go wrong, but is it taught to the extent that it's muscle memory? I'm talking soldier-like reaction, where it happens but you don't really think about it.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I would not waste my money on a quickie certification. Get yourself an instructor who will work with you and your issues. Take time to get to know what it is you are getting into. A two week vacation does not lend itself to a thorough education as a diver. Unless you plan on spending every hour of those two weeks training. Most likely what you would get is here's a book and dvd. Study them. A quick review of the material, a test, a couple pool sessions, and off to the ocean for your dives. This is the usual scenario for this type of cert. I don't find it acceptable for anyone let alone someone who could have a problem at depth if your brain decides to get pissed at you. Find an instructor who will work with you now. Put you through different task loading exercises in the pool. In a controlled environment. They will also go over everything you need to know about diving with a number of class sessions. With the issues you describe it is important that you have the theory, safety issues, and risks explained to you in detail. Spending time with an instructor will allow them to assess your comfort level, get to know you, and make suggestions and offer tips for your well being. An instructor you meet one day, in class the next, in the pool the day after that, and then hit the ocean will not be able to fully appreciate your needs.

And you have a key right now. Muscle memory. That does not happen with a quickie cert. It takes time, in the pool, while being subjected to different scenarios. My class has 16 hours in the pool. 8 weeks, two hours a week, plus two hours in class for the same time. That builds muscle memory and helps to retain knowledge.

 

[Sas]

I'm assuming I'll be taught to react to things that go wrong, but is it taught to the extent that it's muscle memory? I'm talking soldier-like reaction, where it happens but you don't really think about it.

To be honest, not really at the OW level through most places, it is really very minimal training. I guess after speaking to DAN, etc, perhaps mention you would require this level of training to your instructor if this would help. idocsteve's advice is really very bad for current conditions. I can understand people who had conditions a long time in the past deciding not to mention it to their instructor but any current condition should really be discussed with your instructor/s and any future dive buddies.