You can scuba dive if you have anxiety, but you need to be in touch with your condition and limitations. Scuba diving is not ideal for those with uncontrolled or unpredictable anxiety disorders, and certain anxiety medications are not safe to use while scuba diving.
Anxiety exists on a spectrum, ranging from healthy fear to deadly panic. Keep reading as we explore how you can navigate the world of scuba diving with anxiety.
Can I Scuba Dive with Anxiety?
Scuba diving with anxiety is best evaluated on a person by person basis. As with most medical conditions, you need to take stock of how much your anxiety:
- May interfere with your ability to process things in the water
- Is triggered by certain events
- Puts you and others at risk
Those with mild anxiety can often dive after conditioning themselves to diving or with the use of coping techniques, but some more severe cases lead to panic attacks that interfere with your judgment and make diving more dangerous for you and others.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Diving with anxiety means you must be able to recognize its symptoms, which range from mild to severe. These can be difficult to pin down because they vary between individuals, but an individual may also experience different symptoms depending on the situation or the day.
If you have anxiety or are diving with someone with anxiety, its activity is often marked by:
- Dilated pupils
- An increased heart rate
- Rapid breathing
- Increased perspiration
Anxiety may constrict your peripheral blood vessels, leading to headaches and lightheadedness. These symptoms may manifest before, during, or after you dive, and they can also develop into more severe symptoms or a panic attack. This leads to:
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations and/or chest pain
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Hot or cold flashes
While actively diving, look out for rapid breathing, tight grips, avoiding eye contact, and “escape to the surface” behavior. Anxious divers that are stalling and creating imaginary problems before a dive should not enter the water.
Diving-Related Anxiety Triggers
One of the best methods for handling anxiety while diving is identifying the trigger so you can either work on conditioning or remove it from your dive.
Most times, anxiety comes on when divers feel inadequately prepared for the dive. This comes from:
- Prior bad experiences
- New situations and conditions (i.e. low visibility, cold water, fast currents)
- Working with new equipment
Lifestyle choices, such as lack of sleep, daily stress, and overexertion may also bring on anxiety.
It can also happen mid-dive due to ill-fitting equipment (too loose or too restrictive) or sudden changes. In most cases, anxiety hooks onto any ounce of fear and magnifies it.
Can You Scuba Dive If You Get Panic Attacks?
You can scuba dive if you get panic attacks but clearly understand your triggers and a proven method of dealing with your panic attacks. Those with severe panic attacks that are difficult to control would not find diving a safe activity.
An uncontrolled panic attack easily leads to disaster. Hyperventilation easily burns through your air, furthering your sense of panic and often leading to more rapid breathing. It is difficult to make rational decisions during a panic attack.
Your diving situation may also change depending on who can dive with you. Your dive buddy should recognize your panic attacks and how it might affect their safety. They should be prepared to identify a panic attack and intervene (if possible) to get you, and them, to a safer point.
What Medical Conditions Can Stop You from Scuba Diving?
There are many medical conditions that can stop you from scuba diving, including:
- Behavioral health conditions, such as depression or bipolar disorder
- Heart conditions
- Epilepsy
- Recurrent fainting
- History of pneumothorax
- Asthma
- Pregnancy
- Amputation
Any list you see will go on endlessly, but divers are evaluated on an individual basis. Most times, the right management and adjustments to your expectations can get you in the water.
Can You Take Xanax Before Scuba Diving?
Xanax, also known as Alprazolam, cannot be used before scuba diving. While this medicine is effective in calming anxiety and/or panic attacks, its tranquilizing nature is too dangerous for diving activities.
It’s recommended that anyone who takes Xanax avoid diving until they are clear of the panic and the medication. They should find other methods for coping with anxiety, especially in the water.
How Can I Overcome My Anxiety from Scuba Diving?
You overcome your anxiety from scuba diving by:
- Identifying your triggers
- Increasing your confidences
- Learning techniques to use during your dive
This may not work for everyone, but most people can reduce their anxiety by increasing their knowledge and skills.
Identifying Triggers
Learning what triggers your anxiety is the first step in overcoming it. Until you know what sparks the panic, you will not be able to arm yourself with the information and skills needed to move forward.
Common triggers include:
- Prior negative experiences while diving
- Diving in new/poor conditions
- Diving with new or different equipment
- Ill-fitting equipment (either too loose or restrictive)
- Wearing too much gear or carrying too much weight
- Exhaustion
- Daily life stressors
- Lack of sleep
Pinpoint the most obvious triggers and go from there. In many cases, you’ll notice that you have two or more that you need to work through. Some triggers, such as those regarding equipment, simply require changes in your setup, while others require practice to improve your confidence.
Increasing Confidence
You increase your confidence by setting yourself up for success. You want to start in the best and easiest conditions possible, so make sure you’re well rested, nourished, and hydrated.
Start with repeating easy dives that you feel comfortable performing. For many, diving in a pool with shallow water or shallow depths you can easily walk out of is best. Aim for little to no current, and take things at your own pace.
You should work with someone you trust one-on-one, as group dives do not allow you the direct attention needed to build your confidence. Employing the help of an instructor or dive master may limit your dives, but you have a greater chance of success.
Don’t rush the process; work at a pace that feels comfortable for you before taking it to the open water using equipment you trust and with a few calm-down methods you can use if your anxiety kicks up under the water.
Mid-Dive Techniques
The most important part of dealing with anxiety in the water is interrupting the cycle. Once you recognize the panic, focus on slow, diaphragmatic breathing that signals to your brain that everything is okay.
If it’s safe, stop in the water and take a moment to relax. Focusing on a stationary object and listing off as many details as you can may help you stay grounded and prevent your anxiety from drawing you out of reality.
References
https://www.scubadiving.com/your-dive-drugs
https://scubadiverlife.com/overcoming-dive-panic/
https://divedeepscuba.com/medical-conditions-that-can-prevent-you-scuba-diving/
https://www.scubadivermag.com/is-it-safe-to-scuba-dive-if-you-suffer-from-panic-attacks/