Struggling Diver

[Struggling Diver]

Hi All Diving Enthusiast

I was trying to read up ways on overcoming Panic Attacks in diving when I chance upon this site. Read through the forum and notice that people here are really helpful. So was hoping to get some advice on how to overcome this attack.

What happen was that, during one of my diving trip, I had a bad experience with my regulator causing low airflow and making breathing almost impossible. After this incident, whenever I dive and start descending into water, I will panic. For fear that I will suffocate and die. And as the distance gets greater from the surface, the panic just gets overwhelming.

Truely hope anyone with similar experiences to share with me how they overcome this anxiety for I do not wish to give up diving coz of this.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Struggling Diver

 

[al248005]

I would try and maybe just use a snorkel in a pool for a little bit then as you get more comfortable switch on over to your reg. Use your reg in the shallow end at first then gradually move more towards the deeper end. This is just a guess. I've never had that problem.

 

[tstormdiver]

Sounds like you may need to get with an instructor again. Start in a pool & work slowly & step by step down deeper using quality equipment, not just run- of- the- mill rental equipment. Your incident has caused you to not trust the equipment (with good cause). I am assuming, of course, that you had rental equipment during your incident. Make sure it is well maintained. The fact that you said in your incident that you had problems getting air speaks volumes as to how well the regulator was maintained, or else had a major issue, as most regulators when they fail will give you too much air (free flow). The most common cause of a regulator not giving enough air is usually a clogged inlet filter. Your incident brings forth 2 things, 1. it is a good reason to own your own quality equipment or 2. If the equipment you were using was yours, it either needs to be serviced or needs to be of higher quality for the type of diving you are doing.

 

[TSandM]

I haven't had this experience with diving, nor have I worked with anyone who has.

But I've had it with horseback riding. After one of my injuries, I can remember being utterly unable to trot the horse who taught me to jump (in other words, a horse who was utterly trustworthy) over a tiny crossrail. I ended up getting off and sitting in the dirt and crying. I was terrified, and there was no reason for it, except the body is sometimes smarter than we are, and really doesn't want to get hurt or die (or drown).

What worked for me was two things: One, I had to want to get through the problem. If you aren't determined, you won't solve this.

Two, I had to go back to the beginning, and do simple stuff. I walked the horse over poles on the ground, and a week later, I was trotting over poles on the ground. When I felt the anxiety coming back, I had to breathe through it, and keep telling myself that what I was doing was ridiculously simple.

You could use the same kind of strategy by starting with some snorkeling and free-diving, and then setting up some session in the pool, even if they just consist of lying in the shallow end and breathing. Baby steps get you out of this, but you have to want it.

Confronting yourself with the thing you fear in its entirety will never solve the problem -- it may get worse, especially if you can't control the anxiety and do anything stupid as a result of it. Take it in little pieces. Terror takes time and effort to resolve.

 

[CamG]

Welcome to Scuba Board Struggling Diver! It is good to have you aboard now on to your issue heed the great advice you have been given!
SLOW DOWN, START FROM THE BEGINNING!
As others have said you MUST be determined to overcome this because it will take time to regain your comfort in the water.

It can happen! I suffered a near drowning as a kid and scuba was very difficult for me but once I became focused and determined I overcame the anxiety.
The main key is are you willing to fight through the mental and physical strain of this issue?
If you want it bad enough you will make it happen!
Hang in there but START SLOW AND ALWAYS SAFE WITH A QUALIFIED BUDDY OR DM / INSTRUCTOR!

Do not allow the desire to overcome this issue override your good sense / safety!
Let us know how you do.

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[scubadiver888]

I believe panic attacks are just your emotions taking priority over your logic. If you can recognize the feeling of panic and stop to analyze the feeling you might be able to train yourself to become logical rather than letting the emotion take over.

If you can, put yourself under a little stress. When you feel the stress building, stop, think and take your time. In water shallow enough you can stand up in, practice regulator recovery. See how slow you can do it. Take the regulator out but hold onto it. Blow bubbles (like you were taught) and see how long you can blow bubbles. The purpose of this exercise is to realize that you actually have a LOT of time before you need to get that regulator back in your mouth.

Take your mask off and swim around for a bit so you are comfortable should you ever lose your mask. Take your BCD off, look at it, check it out as if you were looking at a used BCD you were going to purchase. Put it back on.

Another thing I'm wondering, are you sure the regulator had low airflow? If you start to panic you will breathe rapidly. This will cause CO2 build up. You inhale air with 21% oxygen, you exhale air with ~18% oxygen, if you exhale shallow the next inhale will inhale the air with 18% oxygen. You exhale and now the air has 15% oxygen. If you exhale shallow the next inhale will inhale the air with 15% oxygen. Within four breathes your air has too much CO2 and not enough oxygen. If you panic you will start breathing more rapidly and usually shallow. Now you are just speeding up the process. If you can recognize this situation, you know to stop, breathe deeply, exhale slowly but FULLY. Now when you inhale the next breathe you'll get fresh air with 21% oxygen and no CO2.

Knowing is often helpful in dealing with panic as well. If you know what hyperventilating is and that you are hyperventilating, you can solve the problem. In other words, know what is really happening is the first step. Knowing how to deal with problems is the second step.

The most important thing is pushing yourself just a little. If you can create a minor stress, solve it and be comfortable you will build up your tolerance to stress. You basically need to show your body that so long as you don't panic, you have plenty of time and things will be fine.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Your concern appears to stem from an initial problem involving equipment. One big step you can take is to acquire your own regulator, and know it is in good working order and keep it properly maintained. My wife and I carry our own equipment wherever we go, even when we know rentals will be available, and the reason is so that we are not worrying about an equipment failure or malfunction. I think this is a huge part of your remedy.
DivemasterDennis

 

[TSandM]

You inhale air with 21% oxygen, you exhale air with ~18% oxygen, if you exhale shallow the next inhale will inhale the air with 18% oxygen. You exhale and now the air has 15% oxygen. If you exhale shallow the next inhale will inhale the air with 15% oxygen. Within four breathes your air has too much CO2 and not enough oxygen.

In fact, this really isn't true with the use of a regulator. The volume retained in the reg (the exhaled air you are going to "reinhale") is minimal. With a snorkel, this is more pertinent.

It IS true that you will build CO2 with rapid, shallow breathing, but it has to do with not clearing the dead space in your bronchial tree, not with reinhaling oxygen-poor air. Oxygen is a very poor stimulus for the drive to breathe -- CO2, on the other hand, causes air-hunger the moment it begins to rise, and if it goes up enough acutely, can cause panic.

 

[scubadiver888]

In fact, this really isn't true with the use of a regulator. The volume retained in the reg (the exhaled air you are going to "reinhale") is minimal. With a snorkel, this is more pertinent.

Wasn't actually talking about the dead air space within the regulator but was thinking more about the total air exchange system (regulator, mouth, bronchial tree, etc.). Thank you for clarifying what I was thinking but failed to explicitly state.

It IS true that you will build CO2 with rapid, shallow breathing, but it has to do with not clearing the dead space in your bronchial tree, not with reinhaling oxygen-poor air. Oxygen is a very poor stimulus for the drive to breathe -- CO2, on the other hand, causes air-hunger the moment it begins to rise, and if it goes up enough acutely, can cause panic.

Thanks again for the clarification. The rise in CO2 is what triggers the brain to think they need more oxygen. I didn't say it explicitly but I did mean to imply that a drop in the oxygen content of your air is the result of a rise in the CO2 content.

The important point is that if you feel like you aren't getting enough air (triggered by a rise in CO2) that your natural reaction is to panic then breathe shallow and rapidly. The proper reaction should be breathe deeply and slowly.

 

[Struggling Diver]

Dear Friends (if i may address u people as friends)

Thanks for taking time to reply in my post. Would definitely try those steps that has been suggested. And hopefully in time to come, i'd be free of anxiety and to continue to enjoy the underwater world.

Thanks once again.

Sincerely Yours
Alvin