To need to talk through a traumatic event with you?

[StrumpersPlunkett]

Just need to talk. Family listening but I am just going over and over it to try to under stand.

Terrifying for you OP.
My family coasteer. My DH is one of the strongest fittest blokes i know, and a very strong swimmer, but he does it because it’s properly risky.

All qualified instructors will assess conditions & risk but obv it is a dangerous activity and you never know what you’re going to get.

Sounds like you and your instructor will have both had an awful exoerience, and thank god your instructor knewgis stuff. I know two women who felt traumatised from coasteeering by just being unable to escape the swell & battered against rocks (normal ). They honestly were shaken for the rest of our holiday so god knows how you must feel.

I think you are very brave to be coping. I don’t know what the treatment for shock is, but you could need some right now. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect you to be right as rain for the rest of your holidays.. you’d be unusual if you were.

Don’t let this out you off your sports though OP. Bit of paddle boarding / kayaking with your family, if you feel physically well and , if the sea is calm, is probably a great idea today.

❤️❤️❤️

Op how terrifying for you. This might take some time to get over. Please don’t rush yourself, it prob won’t be a straight line of recovery. I’m surprised you have been let out of hospital so soon. Maybe speak with your instructor in the next few days it can help you fill in any blanks you might have and cope with any what ifs! Keep an eye on yourself over the next few months to make sure you’re happy with your recovery from this experience. If not seek help asap

Seal is spot on.

Take care of yourself OP

You poor woman, sounds bloody awful. I know many people are "Feel the fear and do it anyway," types, and sometimes it's good to challenge and push ourselves, but don't feel bad about listening to what's going on inside your head. If you have reservations about doing something then that's fine. I imagine your family must be feeling guilty that they encouraged you to do this activity you were extremely nervous about and which nearly ended in tragedy.
Look after yourself.

What a terrifying experience. I hope you managed to rest overnight and sleep.

It's very much overused (like OCD) by people who haven't experienced it and it's not the inevitable outcome of any significant trauma (though to to clear I'm not being disparaging of any posts on this thread - rather it's very real disorder the abbreviation of which has be co-opted by into the mainstream inappropriately).

Spot on

OP, there’s no reason for you to seek professional help, it’s perfectly normal for you to feel this way just a few days past what happened! You’re normal.

If in a month or two you’re still struggling and not getting any better and keep thinking about it constantly then yes, think about support. But right now you’re fine. People calling PTSD two days after an almost-drowning are being melodramatic and quite insensitive.

Thank you all so much.
And for the suggestion of biscuits for the lifeboat station.
Dh and I were talking yesterday about how to say thanks and we were thinking of looking into doing some kind of sponsoredvswim.
I am a medium level swimmer but we wondered about doing it over a set distance over a number of weeks?
Anyway that is for later.
I slept reasonably well I think the sea air helped with that.
Dh just cooked bacon for breakfast. He is being so kind.
You are all lovely. Thanks.

Ps I know this isn’t ptsd I already have that from a childhood issue controlled by medication and years of therapy (a long time ago) I just don’t really know how common it is to feel like this. Sorry to all the others who have experienced similar. It is horrible.

I'm sure that it is really common - and entirely understandable - to feel as you do. I remember being involved in a car crash which fortunately wasn't as serious as it could have been, but I was shocked at how I felt once I got home, and couldn't process why I needed to curl up in a blanket and keep going over and over it in my mind. I do remember that spaced out feeling too - feeling detatched from everyone who wasn't there.

Be gentle to yourself. And lots of bacon for breakfast + tlc is just what the doctor ordered.

Sounds like shock. Not suprised, you've had a horrible experience. But glad you're ok.

Have had the afternoon to myself and been wondering if there is an underlying health reason that made me pass out? Can fear do that? It was like fight or flight disappeared and my body resigned instead. Why couldn’t I stay conscious?

Yes, fear can make you pass out.

Think about how many people faint in a traumatic situation.

If you're otherwise in good health I doubt there is an underlying issue but rather than stress about it just book a health check with your GP when you get home.

Strumpers I saw your post yesterday about raising money for the RNLI but I didn't comment as tbh I thought it was a bit weird to be posting as you said you had been involved in an incident that required the RNLI that day. This thread makes all a bit clearer . I am glad that you are now taking things easy. Anyway, the 'passing out' thing is apparently a body's defence mechanism, as it was explained to me by a GP. If you pass out, apparently, your body kind of does a reset and your breathing and heart go back to normal. Look after yourself.

The fight/flight mechanism has been known about for years. More recently... The body's reaction to overwhelming stress is 'flop'... So it's fight/flight/flop its an automatic response we have no control over.

The academics believe it is an ancient hangover from our animal past, where flop is like playing dead so our predators would go off to chase more exciting things...

And also mouthfuls of salty water that you couldn't clear, would have also led into a stess/panic response.

Thank you. That makes sense. I have v good blood pressure reasonable health moderately active job not as fit as I could/should be.
Will see how I feel in a few days. Probably won’t see the doctor unless it feels odd when I get back.

How are you feeling this evening OP? Have you been back near the sea today?

What a terrifying experience. Totally normal to feel as you do. Be very kind to yourself and give yourself full permission to feel exactly as you do/need to.

Agree with you and PPs that a positive action - like gifting the lifeboat station - will be healing.

I was nearly squished by an out of control car twenty years ago. I think of it from time to time and shudder, but most of the time it’s forgotten. I was extremely freaked out for a while though. Allow yourself all the time you need.

Am ok. Just zone out from time to time yearning to remember every second to try to make sense of it.

Don't know if this has been mentioned to you or if outs relevant in your case, but are you aware of secondary drowning, and the symptoms to look out for?

It might be worth looking it up, if not, just thlo be on the safe side.

Perfectly normal to still be freaked out, will take a while to process.

Again that's normal in the days post an experience such as this.

Your body and brain are still processing what happened.

You will come to a place when you realise you can't "make sense" of it - rather that it happened and you start "banking" it as a memory rather than feel the need to re-live an experience you can't change and also accept that your actions (in passing out) contributed to your survival.

Think it's more technically known as pulmonary edema. More common in children, I think, but might just be worth knowing about.

You have to keep thinking about it because your brain is making a new neural connection. It will keep popping up until the pathway is made and then it'll become normalised. Just keep reminding yourself that you're ok, you're safe and well. Let yourself think and talk about it and you'll feel better with time

Thank you.
The paramedics were v thorough and talked through secondary drowning. Thankfully physically I am well so not too worried about that at the moment.
Heading to a different beach town today. Looking forward to a change of scene.
Thanks again everyone you have been so much support xx