« My Life Completely Changed »
Catherine Martineau, a new BathysMed instructor from the latest health diving school promotion, shares the testimony of a true return to life thanks to the discovery of the therapeutic effects of BathysMed diving. A candid and hopeful account.
Suffering from a debilitating post-traumatic stress syndrome since 2017, seeing death as a release, I clung to life as best I could. I was just a shadow of myself. And then, somewhat by chance, in January 2019, during a family trip to the Philippines, I experimented with ‘helmet diving’ with a friend. After less than twenty minutes spent underwater, watching a small reef, I didn’t want to come out anymore.
Immediately upon returning to Canada, I enrolled in my local diving school and became a ‘Rescue’ diver in less than six months. After two years of therapeutic failure trying to alleviate my symptoms, I discovered the beneficial effects of diving. I could see that this activity had very positive effects on my overall well-being, so positive that I was able to return to the job market after almost two years of sick leave.
One evening, while browsing the website of Québec Subaquatique, our Quebec diving federation, I came across an announcement about a conference discussing the beneficial effects of diving on people suffering from post-traumatic stress. Quickly comparing it to my personal situation, I felt the need to make the journey to discover what Vincent Meurice, Frédéric Beneton, and BathysMed could offer me.
After participating in this conference, my life completely changed. I now had a new goal to achieve: why not share my enlightening experience with others? I had to become an instructor to then be able to become a BathysMed instructor. So, I sold everything to fulfill my aspirations and spent three months in training on Saint Martin Island to become a Divemaster.
Upon returning to Canada, I continued my progress and eventually obtained my PADI instructor certification in August 2020. I then came to train in Conflans (Yvelines) in March 2022 to become a BathysMed 2nd-degree instructor. I obtained my certification and had an unforgettable experience. It was one of the most enriching experiences of my life and allowed me to get rid of most of the residual symptoms of my post-traumatic stress.