Anxiety and Fishing?

 When you look at the blog title, you think sounds weird right? Sure it does, but to someone like me not really. See the thing is I have severe anxiety. Little things get me, and it's quite annoying. I don't know how it starts, and I know the doctor's say, "Here take a prozac." Now to me I think we are self medicating way too much. And this nation has gotten to be a bit too dependent on pharmaceutical drugs. We take our kids and just drug them up. Because they are a little rambunctious and a little hyper. I mean come on.. really? We have to do that. How many kids back in the day were on these meds? None because you know why, they weren't stuck on the computer, or the xbox or what ever, they were outside playing.

Now I am definitely a pot calling the kettle black. My son like to play his Wii and go on the computer and I take Prozac.. but let me tell you what. At least 2 hours a day that kid is out there fishing with me. And I have actually learned that fishing has helped with my anxiety. I know sounds a little weird right? But just hear me out on this. I work in an office 50 hours a week. 80% of the time I do the same mundane thing over and over again. There are times when I just want to go crazy because it's all tedious and boring. But hey it pays the bills so I can fish.

So I know by now you're asking me, what does anxiety and fishing have to do with one another. Well I will tell you. About three years ago I started seeing a psychologist for help with being a single mom. Because let me tell you.. it's NOT easy. But life isn't easy. I was losing sleep and stressing out over small things. It took me three years to understand that I had anxiety issues. The what ifs and the could bes. Those are what got to me. I was dating a guy at the time and he said, you are so relaxed when fishing I don't understand how you have anxiety issues. That's when it hit me, when I am having a panic attack (trust me more people get them then admit it) I feel like the world is closing in on me, and mine happen when I am indoors.

So I tested out a theory, I grabbed my fishing pole at the first sign of an attack and went fishing. Let me tell you that helped quite a bit. Instead of breathing into a brown paper bag, I just went outdoors and started fishing. Let me tell you, I felt so good after 15 minutes I couldn't believe it. And it's a lot cheaper then medicine and going to the doctor. With the economy today not everyone can afford Health Insurance or their Job doesn't provide it. But I've learned between fishing and having someone to talk to about it, my anxiety has lessened over the year.

Sure I take Prozac, but not as high of a dose as most people on it. And on that I take half a tablet of their lowest prescription, to help me when I can't grab my rod and go outside and fish. Living in South Florida I am blessed with some of the best fishing around. I can Salt Water or Fresh Water fish. And to me that's heaven. So for some of you out there who do have anxiety issues, find someone you trust to talk to (for me it's my fishing partner.) and grab your rod and fish. This little escape will help wonderfully through out a lot of this. I'm saying this from my experience. I always recommend going to a Doctor if you can. But if you can't try fishing.

~AJ Thomas
Because Not Fishing is my Anxiety