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Fishing & Mental Health	175 views
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nexus6

Posts: 152

#5 16 Aug 2026 at 6.10pm

In reply to Post #1
I too have worked for a mental health trust and in my experience there is no such thing as ‘normal’.
I bet loads of chaps on this forum have lay awake at night before a fishing trip. If something is playing on your mind then you are much better off going to check it out and then go back to bed.
I do 2 nights a week pretty much year round and still get excited before every trip! Still I’ve only been carp fishing for 45 years, so I’ll probably grow out of it!!
As for Sertraline - good riddance, it’s a crappy drug. Although I did once meet a young man who liked ‘That’ side effect and so did his girlfriend - she said in front of him, “he can go all night!!!”

Bacardiblue

Posts: 1624

#4 16 Aug 2026 at 6.05pm

I suffer with ptsd and fishing is a great help for me.

Smithy

Posts: 2843

#3 16 Aug 2026 at 3.26pm

In reply to Post #2
Cheers mate, think your right 👍

CarpCodger71

Posts: 2751

#2 16 Aug 2026 at 3.24pm

In reply to Post #1
You not alone buddy I’m a Manager for an NHS mental health trust.
I’m not ashamed to share I have bipolar , Anxiety and depression all started in 2010 well that’s when I was diagnosed and medicated .

You’re excited about spending all that money and looking forward to Belgium.
Your OCD has possibly kicked in and you have become fixated .

I’m like that when checking I’ve locked the doors , up and down the stairs numerous times .
Stick the rods away , pop out for a walk and make the most of the sun .👍👍

Smithy

Posts: 2843

#1 16 Aug 2026 at 1.15pm

I thought fishing was meant to be a cure for mental health, not really sure why I’m typing this to be honest! 😂

Bit of a backstory...

About 10 years ago I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and suffered pretty badly with OCD when my wife underwent surgery for a large brain tumour. I was put on a fairly heavy dose of Sertraline, which helped for a few years, but eventually I took myself off it because of a certain side effect which only a man will understand! 😂

Despite my wife’s tumour returning and us now waiting for radiotherapy, I’ve actually managed pretty well. Mainly through talking to her about what I’m feeling and what’s going on in my head. She genuinely would make a great therapist and I’m very lucky to have her.

I’ve been absolutely fine for the last few months — no issues whatsoever — until yesterday!

I decided to sell my Hearns and go back to 10ft rods. I just get on better with them and, with two trips to Belgium planned next year, I wanted to start getting all the gear I need sorted.
So I had a nice drive down to Tackle Tavern in Bicester. The lads there sorted me out with a good price for my Hearns and I bought some Quickdraws, which I’d had before and stupidly sold. Took the wife out for lunch on the way home as well, so it was actually a really nice, relaxing day.

Got home, unpacked the rods and reels and propped them up against the wall in the living room ready for spooling up today.

9pm last night, halfway through watching a film...

PANIC.

“Did I mix the spod tip up with the normal tips?!”

Tried to ignore it. Couldn’t.

Paused the film and started comparing the tip sizes.

“Yeah, they look fine. Panic over.”

10pm...

“Was I wrong?”

Checked again.

Nope. Still fine.

Midnight...

Same bloody thought.

Still fine.

Then, at about 1am while lying in bed, I had a brainwave:
“Why don’t I see if the normal tips actually fit onto the spod end section? Then I’ll know for sure.”

So downstairs I went and tried it.

The 3.5lb TC tips obviously don’t fit onto the spod end section....brilliant, mystery solved!

Went back to bed.

Then started wondering if I’d somehow got it wrong anyway, eventually fell asleep.

Woke up this morning and the first thing I thought about was the bloody rod tips. 😂

Came downstairs, checked them again.

Yep. Still absolutely fine.

So does anyone else struggle with stuff like this, or have I finally completely lost the plot? 😂

I genuinely find it amazing how your brain can take something so completely insignificant and turn it into a full-blown crisis.


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