30 replies to this topic

[Charity6262]

I was wondering is it ok to dive while you are depressed? I know that depression can cause (at least for me) a timporary lack of judgement and knowledge for a situation. Does that make sence? I was just wondering if it would have any affect on the dive if one of the people was depressed.

[Bubble2Bubble]

Charity

By no means am i a doctor and i hope some of our doctors or more exsperianced
divers will post here. but my first thought is anybody including you should be at the top of your game before diving. depression could cause you to set your equipment up wrong or cause a delay in your reaction in case of an underwater situation. but thank you for bringing this to our attention because seeking help/advise is the first step.


make you a deal you get happy and I'll be depressed for you because i live in the boonedocks and the ocean of the last iceage never even showed up here

B2B

[DandyDon]

I was wondering is it ok to dive while you are depressed? I know that depression can cause (at least for me) a timporary lack of judgement and knowledge for a situation. Does that make sence? I was just wondering if it would have any affect on the dive if one of the people was depressed.

Sorry - nope. Too dangerous. Gotta' go on the good days.

But let's hear more from the Bipolor, ADD and Dilatin crowd...?

[dive_addict]

Yeh, go diving on the good days. Although, I found being with a group of divers almost always takes the blues away!

If a diver's taking anti-depressants (or any medication), I would recommend the advice of a doctor before diving. Just to be a the safe side.

[WreckWench]

Diving can intensify anxieties, stress and other issues under water especially in new divers. On the otherhand, it is also very thearputic as well. When suffering from bouts of depression in my life (we all do it from time to time...and for some of us the time gaps are shorter then others...) I've found it best to do 'topside' diving activities where I would interact with divers and be around diving...but would not go underwater until I felt better! I usually found that hanging out at the local quarry or helping out at the local dive shop or even hanging out on diving message boards...made me feel so much better that I was able to work through my depression faster and therefore I would be diving sooner but when I was in a better frame of mind.

Go hang out with divers...go submerse yourself in diving and with divers...and you'll be feeling better in no time...even if you are on meds. And if you pm me after this week at DEMA...I can help you with some natural anti-depressant methods that are effective yet non-invasive and have worked wonders for me and a number of my clients. -ww

[Walter]

There's a big difference between feeling low (something we all experience from time to time) and clinical depression. If you're depressed as in feeling blue, but not clinically depressed, diving might just cheer you up. It does me.

If you're clinically depressed, you should discuss it with and follow your doctor's advice.

Of course, I'm not a doctor nor a psychologist, I'm merely a diver who gets a natural high from diving.

[triggerfish]

ok, all you non-depressed people.

true depression is not the 'blues'. you can't just 'cheer up'. and if you've never experienced a true, deep, i-can't-friggin-go-on-anymore depression, you canNOT put yourself in her shoes.

charity: i've been there. if you're stable on meds, yes. i've been doing it for years.

just hanging around happy people does NOT help. if you are feeling like you're starting to spiral, talk to your doctor. don't play with fire, or "natural" mood stabilizers (sorry, ww, i disagree with natural crap for something as serious as clinical depression). seek professional help.

pm me and we can talk.

[Walter]

true depression is not the 'blues'. you can't just 'cheer up'. and if you've never experienced a true, deep, i-can't-friggin-go-on-anymore depression, you canNOT put yourself in her shoes.

True, but then I didn't see where anyone suggested anything other than that.

One more point, we don't know that those are her shoes.

[WreckWench]

just hanging around happy people does NOT help. if you are feeling like you're starting to spiral, talk to your doctor. don't play with fire, or "natural" mood stabilizers (sorry, ww, i disagree with natural crap for something as serious as clinical depression). seek professional help.

TF...I did not imply this was the only way to allieve depression...nor did I imply that she should not seek medical guidance. She did not indicate what type of depression she was suffering from and many docs will put you on meds if you say you are depressed so I could not assume she is suffering from clinical depression merely because she is taking meds.

I did however suggest something that has worked for me at various times in my life. Even when on meds taking steps to take control of my life have helped and not hindered my situation. And in a similar vein...since the body and the brain need food/nutrition to survive, food and nutrition play a critical role in the body's ability to handle and respond to any compromised state whether it be physical or mental. I was referring to food when I said 'natural' methods...I agree that you should discuss with your doctor the use of herbs or other dietary 'natural' methods as they will often times have negative interactions with prescription meds that you may be currently taking.

[Diverbrian]

I have sent a PM as I feel some aspects of this are too private for me to discuss on an open board. Several of my friends here know the reasons why.

I will say that is is natural to guess at the worst between "just a little down" which many people associate with depression and true-blue, no-kidding, black-cloud-over-your-life clinical depression.

Like many medical conditions, this is not something to play with. In an open note, I will say that if you suffer from the clinical variety, but your doctor clears you to dive, I can't recommend a better segment to a therapy regime.

If you are just "feeling down", a doctor/therapist will likely advise you to do something like diving. That just wouldn't be the time to take your deep class, LOL.

[AliKat]

I have to agree with most everyone here. There is a big difference between "the blues" and real clinical depression. I have dysthymic disorder which is chronic low grade depression. I've had it as long as I can remember. People with dysthymia are never really happy, but we don't ever get really really down either. I took prozac on and off for the last 10 years (on or off depended on the Navy's current attitude towards anti-depressents). But on or off meds, diving was never a problem.

I just went through a really bad several months. Between not being treated for the dysthymia and all the situational stuff, I found myself really clinically depressed. I couldn't focus or concentrate on ANYTHING. I knew better than to dive. I just didn't feel I'd be safe and therefor did not dive much of the summer.

Between getting more distance from the situations of the past few months and asking for Paxil (which has been much better than Prozac ever was, and Navy be damned), I'm in pretty good shape and have started diving again. The deciding factor for me was just having some focus and concentration back in my life.

So, if you feel you are truely depressed, see someone and consider meds. People with high blood pressure or high cholesteral take meds and think nothing of it. It should be the same for a brain chemical imbalance!

Good luck, and hope you feel better soon.

Ali

[Charity6262]

true depression is not the 'blues'. you can't just 'cheer up'. and if you've never experienced a true, deep, i-can't-friggin-go-on-anymore depression, you canNOT put yourself in her shoes.

True, but then I didn't see where anyone suggested anything other than that.

One more point, we don't know that those are her shoes.

These are my shoes ... i have been severely depressed for the past 3 years off and on (more on than off though). I went to a psychiatrist, but she talked to my mom the whole time i was there then gave me some pills ... i was refusing meds until I went to the doctor yesterday. He thinks I am Bipolar and he is sending me to anouther shrink to get a diagnosis. I knew I was crazy, but I didn't think I was literally crazy. Anyway, the doctor gave me some anti-depressents and they are making me sick so I am not sure that I should be taking them.

[Walter]

Since those are your shoes, it's good you're getting medical attention. Keep your doctors informed when you have problems with your meds. Simply not taking them might not be the best course of action. Your doctors can guide you through the issues. You might call Diver's Alert Network for questions concerning how diving and your condition might affect each other.

[triggerfish]

hey, charity...being bipolar ain't too bad...i was diagnosed in march. it's kinda weird since it wasn't diagnosed til now (i'm 48)....it's usually a disease that manifests itself in the 20's....so you fit the bill.

if one shrink doesn't feel right to you, find another. and don't bring mom...it's YOUR head.

[Charity6262]

I was only 17 at the time I saw the first one so mom had to be there, but the shrink didn't even talk to me ... she even asked my mom if she would like pills too. She was handing them out like candy ... so I haven't taken them.