Attention Deficit Disorder
My son has Attention Deficit Disorder. It is controlled without medication, but I'm still not sure diving is safe for him. What do you think?
This disorder, usually recognised early in life, is manifested by an inability to concentrate or sustain attention. It may or may not be accompanied by physical hyperactivity. ADD is a significant (but often over-diagnosed) cause of learning disability. The condition usually improves with age.
This disorder, usually recognised early in life, is manifested by an inability to concentrate or sustain attention. It may or may not be accompanied by physical hyperactivity. ADD is a significant (but often over-diagnosed) cause of learning disability. The condition usually improves with age.
Fitness & Diving
At its worst, ADD can be so pronounced as to prevent a prospective student from learning the simple skills necessary for safety. This could present a considerable hazard in many areas, including both driving and scuba diving. ADD is usually not that intense, however. Fitness to dive can best be assessed by looking at social, school, athletic and job performance. Note that because some ADD patients take medications, they should consider the potential impact of medication while diving.
A case-by-case dive candidate review is necessary to determine if an individual has the necessary physical or mental capabilities to handle the stresses of underwater activity. Additionally, scuba diving is a buddy activity that assumes a diver can perform buddy and self-rescue in an emergency situation.
Medication Used in Treatment
No testing has ever been done to determine interactions between high partial pressures of nitrogen and the medications used to treat attention deficit disorder. Two drugs currently in use are Ritalin® (methphenidate) and Dexedrine® (dextroamphetamine). Both are heavy-duty stimulants that leave most adults ‘wired’. However, they often have a calming and somewhat paradoxical effect on children with attention deficient disorder. This desirable effect is less apparent as children grow older.
At its worst, ADD can be so pronounced as to prevent a prospective student from learning the simple skills necessary for safety. This could present a considerable hazard in many areas, including both driving and scuba diving. ADD is usually not that intense, however. Fitness to dive can best be assessed by looking at social, school, athletic and job performance. Note that because some ADD patients take medications, they should consider the potential impact of medication while diving.
A case-by-case dive candidate review is necessary to determine if an individual has the necessary physical or mental capabilities to handle the stresses of underwater activity. Additionally, scuba diving is a buddy activity that assumes a diver can perform buddy and self-rescue in an emergency situation.
Medication Used in Treatment
No testing has ever been done to determine interactions between high partial pressures of nitrogen and the medications used to treat attention deficit disorder. Two drugs currently in use are Ritalin® (methphenidate) and Dexedrine® (dextroamphetamine). Both are heavy-duty stimulants that leave most adults ‘wired’. However, they often have a calming and somewhat paradoxical effect on children with attention deficient disorder. This desirable effect is less apparent as children grow older.
Posted in Dive Safety FAQ
Categories
2024
2023
January
March
Demo DiversCape Marine Research and Diver DevelopmentKaboom!....The Big Oxygen Safety IssueTerrific Freedive Mode“LIGHTS, Film, Action!”Scuba Nudi ClothingDive into Freedive InstructionThe Benefits of Being BaldThe Inhaca Ocean Alliance.Special Forces DiverToughing It Out Is DangerousWhat Dive Computers Don\'t Know | PART 2
April
July
August
September
Avoid Diving With EarplugsKwaZulu Natal shipwrecks: The ProduceDive in the Fast Lane with DPVsLearning from Success. Learning from MistakeLiability in ContextUnderwater Crime Scene InvestigatorsTravel Smarter: Personal Safety While TravelingDive Boat Etiquette – From Yachts to rubber ducksThe Parting ShotMismatched Scuba Valves to Cylinder OutletsPredive Warm-UpWeight loss for diversTara Panton's Cape NudibranchsRESEARCHER PROFILE: Petar Denoble: Solving practical issues for diversMonitoring Cardiac Health in Scuba Divers
October
2022
January
February
UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #1.UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #2UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #3UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #4DIVERS LOSING ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CAREPreventing Breathing gas Contamination
March
When Should the Rescue Begin?Celebrating Young and Old in Turks and CaicosScuba Cylinder RundownChasing WeedsUnderwater Smartphone PhotographyAir and a SpareUnderwater Photographer: Fred BuyleBuilding Better BalanceLow-Visibility DivingMore Than a Sore ShoulderNot Only for DivingLaryngospasm and AnxietyPulmonary Hypertension and DivingTitan Meets TitanicPool Operation: Know Before you GoThe Argonaut Octopus and the jellyfishShort but Beautiful Lives
1 Comment
I have been diagnosed with ADHD very late, late 2021, 44 years old.
In the decade before, I completed multiple PADI certifications (AOW, Deep diving, Underwater photography, Nitrox, first aid, dry suite) and dived hundreds of times. I have not yet dived on medications, but I hope to do so as soon as the COVID pandemic abates.
I believe it all depends on how bad ADHD symptoms are and how good the diver is at coping. Some children who are struggling develop oppositional disorders who would likely make them unsuitable for diving, but many other do not.
I actually found diving very relaxing, almost like meditating, and it provided me with enough dopamine to keep very good focus and working at top. I love to dive!
The thing that most neurotypical people not realize is that ADHD affects people when they are not engaged in an activity (boring, repetitive chores) in a much different way than when they are engaged in it. I can hyperfocus on things I love and get much better performance than most people.
The trick is to engage in what you love and find help from others in activities that you despise, people are different and like different things.