Schizophrenia and diving

[Genady]

I knew a young woman, let's call her Y, with a severe mental illness, which made her feeling very unhappy most of the time. One of the rare but consistent situations when she was always very happy, was while SCUBA diving. I thought that this effect was psychological, e.g., taking her mind away from her worries. But now I wonder if there could be a physiological effect, e.g., of a higher oxygen partial pressure. (She usually dived on Nitrox.)

[TheVat]

I have not heard about immersion in tropical waters but the Wim Hof method, and others, find correlation between immersion in cold water and improved mental health.  Oxygenation seems trickier in its effects - many disciplines use enhanced breathing techniques for health and mental clarity.  Higher PP of 02, however, can lead to hyperoxia and impaired cognition, as I am sure you are aware.  When I have climbed in the mountains over 7000 ft. I notice sometimes the lower PP of 02 brings a good feeling, but then it goes away above maybe 12000 ft. because it is too low for proper oxygenation and my hemoglobin levels haven't really adapted yet.  Then I am more tired and not as sharp.  I remember as a child being on top of a 12000 ft. peak with my family, and I got overexcited, running around a lot, then throwing up. 

 

[Peterkin]

52 minutes ago, Genady said:

But now I wonder if there could be a physiological effect, e.g., of a higher oxygen partial pressure.

I doubt it. But I can see the underwater environment having a soothing effect, the same way a forest does: the green, diffused light, in particular may be responsible. Plus the lightness of body and ease of movement, the solitude, absence of pressure to conform and the expectations of other people. Other people can be extremely trying, even if one is well adjusted; if one has emotional issues, the fear of judgment is an additional burden. Deep salt water lifts a lot of that burden, both actually and metaphorically.

I'm not sure you can always draw a clear distinction between psychological and physiological effects.   

[Genady]

8 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

I doubt it. But I can see the underwater environment having a soothing effect, the same way a forest does: the green, diffused light, in particular may be responsible. Plus the lightness of body and ease of movement, the solitude, absence of pressure to conform and the expectations of other people. Other people can be extremely trying, even if one is well adjusted; if one has emotional issues, the fear of judgment is an additional burden. Deep salt water lifts a lot of that burden, both actually and metaphorically.

I'm not sure you can always draw a clear distinction between psychological and physiological effects.   

Perhaps hyperbaric chamber experiments could help to distinguish between these effects. Have such experiments been conducted on psychiatric patients?

33 minutes ago, TheVat said:

I have not heard about immersion in tropical waters but the Wim Hof method, and others, find correlation between immersion in cold water and improved mental health.

She dived in cold water, too, with the same effect. But she wore a dry suit then, so I'm not sure it counts.

 

35 minutes ago, TheVat said:

hyperoxia and impaired cognition

She stayed far from the depths where these effects would start working.

OTOH, she liked to go as deep as PADI safety rules allowed. Possibly, she felt better when she was deeper, although she felt good while diving at any depth.

[Peterkin]

7 minutes ago, Genady said:

Have such experiments been conducted on psychiatric patients?

It's not clear to me. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02495/full  In the articles I've seen, the therapy is mainly for gangrene and would healing, though they've been finding it useful for emotional trauma. Don't know about chronic illness. It wouldn't work for me: I have an almost pathological dread of having to enter one of those things.   

[Genady]

11 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

It's not clear to me. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02495/full  In the articles I've seen, the therapy is mainly for gangrene and would healing, though they've been finding it useful for emotional trauma. Don't know about chronic illness. It wouldn't work for me: I have an almost pathological dread of having to enter one of those things.   

Thanks. 

Yes, the patients in that article are too different from Y to compare.

[Genady]

Here she is in a playful mood, near a shipwreck.

[iNow]

It may be as simple as the deep concentrated focus it brings. All noise goes quiet when you dive and otherwise fall into a meditation doing something about which you’re passionate. 

[Genady]

1 hour ago, iNow said:

It may be as simple as the deep concentrated focus it brings. All noise goes quiet when you dive and otherwise fall into a meditation doing something about which you’re passionate. 

It might be so, but I doubt. I think, it had something to do with the environmental impact, maybe sensory, while diving. Being home alone, in a quiet house, painting (her other passion) did not have this effect.

On the second thought, maybe the effect is relatively short lived. A dive lasts only about an hour.

[iNow]

The quiet in a house cannot be equated with the quiet of underwater. 

[Genady]

1 minute ago, iNow said:

The quiet in a house cannot be equated with the quiet of underwater. 

In what sense?

Actually, you hear your breathing underwater, but you quickly stop noticing it.

[iNow]

Just now, Genady said:

In what sense?

In any sense 

One is more immersive 

So perhaps in that sense 

[TheVat]

Some conditions, like sensory processing disorder often found in autism, respond to a sensation of pressure on the body.  I haven't dived, and I don't know if it produces such a sensation on the body.  But it could maybe work like weighted blankets and other methods that supply reassuring pressure.  Sometimes called deep pressure therapy (DPT).  It supplies proprioceptive input that is helpful.

Thanks for cool photo.  

[Genady]

Thank you, @TheVat. Good memories, you know.

When diving, one does not feel pressure, except if one cannot, for whatever reason, equalize the pressure in air-filled cavities such as middle ear and sinuses. If this happens, one feels pain rather than pressure.

[iNow]

2 hours ago, TheVat said:

Some conditions, like sensory processing disorder often found in autism, respond to a sensation of pressure on the body. 

Sensory deprivation is another potential explanation for the calming effect. While it can cause overwhelming anxiety in some, it can often quiet and soothe raving racing minds in others. I suggest being underwater deprives us of nearly all of the sounds so common in our terrestrial days, and the peace from audio triggers that come from that may be part of the answer here. 

Edited August 21, 2023 by iNow

[Genady]

In addition to the abovementioned factors, there is a change in breathing pattern. In normal breathing, our inhalations and exhalations are of about equal duration. Underwater, if we do it right, our inhalations are normal or faster than normal, while our exhalations are long and slow. This breathing pattern might have physiological and psychological effects, akin yoga perhaps.

Maybe the effect is caused not by any one factor, but by the fact that the entire experience is so different from "our terrestrial days" (?)

[iNow]

4 hours ago, TheVat said:

it could maybe work like weighted blankets and other methods that supply reassuring pressure.

The skin suit surely adds to this, much like a thunder coat for dogs who fear lightening storms. 
 

20 minutes ago, Genady said:

This breathing pattern might have physiological and psychological effects, akin yoga perhaps.

There’s a thing called the dive reflex which also results in changes to our blood flow through the trigeminal and vagus nerves: https://dan.org/alert-diver/article/how-the-dive-reflex-protects-the-brain-and-heart/

 

22 minutes ago, Genady said:

Maybe the effect is caused not by any one factor, but by the fact that the entire experience is so different from "our terrestrial days" (?)

A whole greater than the sum of its parts…

[Genady]

For the lack of data, this is the working hypothesis for now. You are in an "alternative reality":

[iNow]

Just looking at that photo makes my adrenaline and cortisol levels decrease! 

[Peterkin]

Yes. I'm holding out for the ambiance - the lightness of body, the soft motion of water, the gently waving plants, the quiet, and especially the diffuse green light. I find the quality of light, even in an ordinary room, has an effect on my mood. I wonder whether translucent green and blue patterned bedroom curtains would help with some issues, like anxiety and overstimulation.

[Ayass Researc]

Y's increased happiness while SCUBA diving could be attributed to a combination of psychological factors, like distraction from worries, and potential physiological effects such as increased oxygen supply while using Nitrox. Nitrox, enriched in oxygen, might contribute to a heightened sense of well-being, but the psychological impact remains significant in enhancing her happiness during these dives.

[iNow]

27 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

Yes. I'm holding out for the ambiance - the lightness of body, the soft motion of water, the gently waving plants, the quiet, and especially the diffuse green light. I find the quality of light, even in an ordinary room, has an effect on my mood. I wonder whether translucent green and blue patterned bedroom curtains would help with some issues, like anxiety and overstimulation.

The buoyancy also surely plays a role... having relief from the ever present pull of gravity on our muscles and skeleton while floating through water is itself quite stress relieving. 

[Peterkin]

9 minutes ago, iNow said:

The buoyancy also surely plays a role... having relief from the ever present pull of gravity on our muscles and skeleton while floating through water is itself quite stress relieving. 

That's why soaking baths are so relaxing, I guess. Maybe not for everyone, but it's a widely used escape for women who find being pulled in opposite directions by the obligations of work, home and relationships quite stressful at times. My daughter's bathroom is also thick with candles, so I guess there is a component of that different quality of light. Hers are icky scented ones, so add in aromatherapy.