automatic pool cleaner keeps stopping image
Greg
Hi, I am 16 years old, and I just went to my first High School diving practice tonight. I am a little worried about the safety of it though, because when doing a pike save (rolling inward under water so as to not hurt your back), I sometimes stop moving like 2.5-3ft from the bottom of the pool, and I can't stop wondering, what if I pike too late? Will i hit my head/ back and become paralyzed or injured?
What do you think about this and the safety of diving, especially for someone just starting that has no history of gymnastics or anything?
Answer
The purpose of the pike save is not to protect the back, it's to 'save' (i.e. clean up) a poor (non-vertical) entry, so you don't get marked down so much by the judges. It helps to minimise the amount of splash you produce, and also reduces the 'sting' from slight over-rotation. A side effect is that you don't go as deep as you would if you held the vertical entry position. If that's the first thing they're teaching you, I would suggest either that your school diving pit is too shallow (unlikely, since these things are subject to federal/ international standards), or that your school is terrified of lawsuits of any description (very likely, given that you're--presumably--in the US).
I have dived in multiple pools in the UK, and the minimum depth under a 3 m springboard was always ~3.5 m (11 ft) or more. This was more than sufficient that, even on a clean vertical entry, though I might touch bottom, I would never hit it hard enough to hurt. Anyway, you hit the water with your hands locked above your head, thus it's your hands which would strike the bottom first, and you can then cushion the impact with your arms. The risk of paralysis is minimal, so don't worry about it. Even if you leave the roll a little late, as soon as you start to roll, you will instantly slow/ stop your descent. Just keep your hands overhead until after you start the roll.
Diving's a relatively safe sport, though, certainly compared to e.g. football. The most common injury is the sting from a bad entry, which admittedly hurts like a b***h for a couple of minutes, but does little if any lasting damage--except to your confidence, if you let it. The worst thing is probably hitting the board during the flight, but that only happens if you get the takeoff completely wrong, and THEN try to perform your dive anyway. Better to just abort the movement, and try again (although doing so in competition will earn you an automatic 'failed dive').
Obsessive or Compulsive blinking?
Cannibalis
When I was about five I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I had been obsessively washing my hands to the point that they cracked and bled constantly. The pain didn't bother me as long as I was clean of germs. I was also deathly afraid of becoming sick.
Recently I've been diagnosed with Depression, Anxiety/Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
I'm 16 now and I haven't really noticed a lot of big OCD quirks in years, except sometimes I'll get a sudden panic attack if I notice my room is a mess or my shelf is messy. I also am an obsessive hygienic and always have to take a shower before I go anywhere. I am overly conscious of how I smell, and I'm overly conscious of how my breath smells.
Anyway when I was little, I don't know the age but maybe somewhere around 8, I started paying extra attention to my blinking. My siblings made fun of me and called it the "Squint Blink" or "Squint Blinking" because I would blink really hard to where my eyebrows went down and my eyelids squished together. It became pretty much automatic and I found it nearly impossible to quit. I was eventually able to stop, but then it developed again when I was around 10 or 11. Maybe 12. And I was eventually able to stop myself again, though it was extremely difficult.
The thing is, though I was able to stop, sometimes I will start thinking about it -like right now- and I get the overwhelming urge to do it again. It's SO hard to keep myself from doing it. I get this feeling in my eyes like I really need to. That urge can go on for hours or even days.
Up until now I thought I was the only one who had that problem, but I started researching and discovered other people have that problem too.
My question is, does it have to do with OCD or one of my other problems, or could it be a Blinking Tic or something??
Answer
I have been diagnosed with depression and OCD, and have struggled with social anxiety. I used to have the repetitive behaviors referred to as "tics", so I feel my input may be of some value:
I believe that any disturbances within any person, no matter what the origin or manifestation (physical, emotional), MUST come out in some shape or form, sort of like certain laws of nature. Just as a pool of water will always ripple when a pebble is cast in, so will a person ripple when something is not right.
I think its very possible that your facial "tics", the blinking of the eyes, is a way for you to release "tension" of some kind, and by tension, I mean any kind of disturbance, although one that I think is more psychological in origin. I would also submit that its possible that your other compulsive behaviors, the excessive attention to hygeine and preoccupation with the order of your home, are along the same vein.
Another possibility is that these compulsive behaviors offer a distraction from something(s) you would rather not deal with.
Every human being encounters all kinds of stress in their lives (unless one is unable to experience stress; there are purported cases). What matters is how we are able to handle that stress. Will we be able to take what comes in stride and push onward, or will we shatter like a vase dropped from a table?
We all have different manifestations of coping behavior. Its possible that your facial tics and other obsessive compulsive behavior is your coping skill, albiet a difficult one.
As far as psychiatric jargon goes, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is defined by disturbing, intrusive thoughts and repetitive compulsive behaviors ultimately resulting from these thoughts. Do you experience intrusive thoughts, thoughts that may "pop" into your head seemingly out of nowhere? If so, are these thoughts difficult to get rid of, even if they make little sense?
If you want, shoot me an email at [ vonisringhausen@yahoo.com ] to communicate further.
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