As I recall, one of my earlier posts to Scuba-L, (long before many of those
people moved to Scuba-SE) concerned some research that I was doing into
perceived personality defects in deep working divers.

(It's something that also had relevance in terms of now-and-then
recreational divers who didn't understand the physiological implications of
breathing gas under pressure, or who were susceptible to 'bends', and didn't
appreciate the need for immediate treatment.)  :-)

While my post led to a few heated exchanges - mainly because of my
terminology and posting style!!!  - it was a good introduction into that
particular list community.

Perhaps not surprisingly - especially to those interested in such matters -
it attracted a fair degree of off-line interest.  Particularly from
military, occupational - and a few exploration (technical) - divers involved
in deep diving operations.

The basis of the question revolved around the personality changes that many
of us then involved in deep diving work - regardless of the gas breathing
medium used - noticed in ourselves and others, and related to both military
and occupational divers.  (Needless to say, it was more noticeable in others
involved in the same type of diving!)  :-)

It also seemed to hinge on task, environmental conditions, equipment and
top-side comfort.  (These tasks include long underwater distance swimming in
hostile environments; performing set and detailed tasks, as well as static
but complicated tasks.)

Despite the fact that, as diving professionals, we were all aware of the
symptoms of DCI - and well knew the folly of denying or ignoring those
symptoms - there did, nevertheless, appear to be some sort of alternate
symptom that wasn't recognised:  That of aggression.

It was something that all of us suffered from - and that usually declined
over a short period of time. (Months, in some instances)  Particularly when
we had not suffered an obvious bend!

When I last took this matter up with the hyperbaric specialists in Oz, the
UK, and the USA - I was told that although there had been no definitive
study into the matter, it was something that was quite possible and that was
of enormous interest  - providing somebody was prepared to fund the
research!  :-)

Many people feel that the more widespread introduction of blended gas mixes
has helped eliminate those problems - and certainly, the sat divers that  I
know seem, (in the main!!!!) to be well adjusted folks - but it still
appears to be a problem in the strictly recreational diving community.
Particularly among people with little awareness of the physiological and
chemical changes that diving wreaks!

Although this is directed to an even smaller group of people within a small
group, it would be interesting to hear the experiences of, say, Mike
Wallace, David Hale, Kuty - and even Viv<bwg> (who's had considerable
experience of dealing with my 'diving personality defects')  - from within
this list.

(Viv! Even SPUMS - as far as I can see from all of my copies of the mag. -
still doesn't address this issue!  Is it still a valid question?  And can I
ask it without fear of somebody deciding to have a go and attempting to
re-arrange my face?)  :-))

Strike