Underwater panic attacks

[EyeOfThePark]

Have you ever heard of underwater panic attacks when scuba diving?

I tried to teach my girlfriend scuba diving last summer, and she couldn't do it for more than 10 minutes. Of course, I helped her with everything, step by step, but she kind of freaked out underwater. She said she has never experienced such unexplainable panic as when she was underwater. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, but she doesn't want to try it again.

[oldsarge]

Maybe it's Claustrophobia, I used to scuba dive back in the 80's and never had an issue being under water. A few years back I was given a prescription medication and had a bad reaction coming off it. I acquired claustrophobia and there were times I could be watching people scuba on TV and have a panic attack over it. Really weird! It took me several years to finally overcome my claustrophobia.

[safn1949]

Many years ago I tried to teach a gal to snorkel,she would panic about 4 seconds into it.She simply thought she was going to drown and forget to breathe.

[KeikoOka]

My good friend is like that. We tried to teach her in a swimming pool where it was very safe. She just could not handle it and had panic attacks every time we tried to go down. Eventually she decided she could not do it at all.

[GROUNDpounder]

Just tell her to breath... If she can't do it she can't but if she can swim underwater while holding her breath there is no reason why she can't scuba.

When I get get in to the water its like OMG I'm going to die, then my brain takes over and tells my caveman like instincts to STFU and all is well.

[hikinboot]

I am claustrophobic and I have problems even diving to the bottom of the pool to retrieve something. I could not imagine trying to scuba dive. I would panic for sure.