Shooting As Therapy

[mlsb]

A few years back I was diagnosed with a cronic illness that forced my retirement from work and most other activities ( such as hunting). Not long after that, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I assumed shooting was now out as well.

A funny thing happened a few months ago. I picked up a handgun and brought it up into the shooting position. It didn't shake! I headed out to the range and sure enough no shakes and pretty good groups.

I have since sold an unused shotgun and purchased an Ed Brown Executive Target .45.

I now shoot 2 or 3 times a week. The Ed Brown is giving me 1 1/2" groups at 25 yds. and I'm still improving! What a great gun and what great therapy. I can't tell you how great it is to find myself still connected to the shooting sports. I don't move very fast or have much stamina but I would love to consider competion. Any suggestions?

[JFlowers]

Come out and play!

Find a local club, contact the Match Director, hook up with a member, and go shoot. No one really cares if you are slow as long as you are safe and having fun.

When my girlfriend started shooting, she was real nervous. The first RO put his hand on her shoulder and told her to take a deep breath. Then he made a very telling comment "As long as you are pointed that way, ain't no mistake you can make that we all haven't made before and won't make again." Calmed her down and she had a blast. Still shoots slow, but scores lots of points.

[half inch groups]

I too was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalga. My Therepy has been shooting since the day I was diagnosed. I shot from time to time, but I needed a clean safe hobby that was relatively low impact, kept my mind going, and was able to relax my muscles from locking my body up. I took a lot of work off for the last year to make it to the range. I leave my problems in the car, and shoot til I cant hold the gun anymore, or i run out of ammo. whichever happens first.

It completely takes my mind off the pain, stress, and depression. I feel great that I took on such a great hobby. It may have saved my life, and I too am grouping better and better, faster and faster. while practicing live fire reloads, I can go through a case of ammo in a couple hours. Therepy for home after the range usually consists of cleaning my guns, and reading load research for the near future. I was loading with an old single stage press and it was really turning me off, so I am looking at the dillon, and preparing to make the hobby of reloading a little a little more gratifying and productive. Glad to hear there is someone else out there enjoying the hobby to alleviate the symptoms. good luck with your future endeavors.

[Micah]

mslb,

Welcome to the forum! I'm very glad to hear that you are discovering theraputic things that you can do despite your condition. +1 on what JFlowers had to say. Find a club my friend and take therapy to the next level

[DanM]

Every time a client twists me the wrong way, I go STRAIGHT to the range. Trap, Skeet, Clays, USPSA, it doesn't matter, just sending rounds downrange works everytime I'd keep my trap gun (Remington 3200 ) in the truck if it wasn't the same gun my Grandfather used to win a State Championship with way back when.

[Rising Sight]

I am currently going through a divorce. Shooting helps me relax and take my mind off of that bi***.

The price of that wedding ring could have bought me alot of relaxation.

[Mick]

When I went through a divorce the other attorney forced an "Injunction as to persons" on me despite my ex and I being adamant about no "physical problems". This injunction removed my ability to possess firearms even though I carry one daily as a Police Officer.

It cost me a week of vacation and nearly $1000 to get my NEW attorney to get the injunction removed! Once removed I was back to shooting ( and stress relief )!

On a better note, my aging eyes find benefit from using the iron sights to fight the effects of Presbyopia. A trainer for the Texas Rangers baseball team uses a similar technique for the players to strengthen their eyes to watch those really fastballs come in...

Mick

A27257

[Flexmoney]

A trainer for the Texas Rangers baseball team uses a similar technique for the players to strengthen their eyes to watch those really fastballs come in...

Mick, it would be great if you could post a link to some info on that...

mlsb,

Find out what the clubs in your area offer (where are you located). Around here there are quite a few gun games that don't take too much, if any, movement.

[kevin c]

It is truly great therapy, but has the same drawback as any performance based activity - you can put too much meaning or importance on what your'e doing.

If you can stay in that great place where you can just be absorbed by and enjoy the activity for itself, or in that somewhat tougher place where you can work on performance without letting bleed over from the rest of you life color what it means, then great. If not, it can be as frustrating as golf.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced this.

Kevin C

[glock17w]

Shooting in general is a therapy in itself. I really started competing when I was going through my divorce and have been hooked every since. It seems to take your mind off of everything at that moment and the only worries you have are the paper, steel, or other targets in front of you. It is a good feeling.

glock17w

[m.e.t.]

Seems like a lot of us started shooting during or after a divorce. I know that it saved my sanity. The shift of focus onto shooting was only a part of it. I have been blessed to meet and compete against the finest group of people one could imagine.

Now years later the need to shoot is as strong as ever. And my new wife tells me that I can only go a week or so without shooting a match. If I go longer she accuses me of getting a bit testy. So every Saturday she asks me where the match is on Sunday. Darn fine woman.

[Pensfan]

I am a competition junkie. I played hockey for 25 years, a few in the minors and even pro inline for a season, before a series of five knee surgeries, and recently two shoulder surgeries from injuries during my playing time, forced me to hang up the goalie pads and the skates. After "retiring" I went into a pretty bad funk for a bit. I got depressed, gained a bunch of weight, and pretty much became a couch potato feeling sorry for myself.

I needed some form of competition. Something for me to work towards, goals to strive for. Then a friend got me into pistol shooting, about 8 years ago now. I did some local friendly matches for a bit and really enjoyed it, but mainly I shot back then as a means to relieve stress. I never crossed the line into real competitions.

A couple of weeks ago I was introduced to some great guys at a local range. Now I am getting into the competition aspect. I am driven to compete against myself, my best times, my best scores, and of course my fellow shooters. Having been a competitor in various sports my entire life, I bring the same level of dedication and sportsmanship to the shooting sports. Just picking it up later in life than some of you I am sure.

So now I am hitting the range about twice a week and dry firing about an hour a night. I'll be ordering Brian's videos to get some pointers there as well. I am also anxiously awaiting my new pistol from Matthew Mink, a finely tuned CZ SP-01 9mm. I hope to compete in my first real match here shortly after the new year.

Yeah... shooting is very therapeutic for me. My wife says I am a bear to be around when I am not competing or releasing that competitive energy.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Pensfan

[Irate]

I am currently going through a divorce. Shooting helps me relax and take my mind off of that bi***.

The price of that wedding ring could have bought me alot of relaxation.

In Iraq, we didn't get to shoot as much as I was used to (believe it or not) and I had so much anger built up when I got back that the only way to get rid of it was to shoot as much as possible. I needed a reason to shoot so much, so I joined USPSA. It quickly became more than just a way to get rid of anger and unwind. Looking back, it's the best thing I could have done. I think most of the reason I had so much anger while I was over there was because my fiance decided to f*** all of my friends while I was gone. It's not a divorce, but I definately know where you're coming from. "Women, can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em" -Albert Gibson "True Lies"

Irate

[SiG Lady]

I found shooting to be many things that cleared the mind and eased the soul:

--Empowering.

--Relaxing.

--Social.

--Exalting.

--Humbling.

--Meditative.

--Challenging.

--Expensive.

--Priceless.

It's expensive but I still shoot.

Funny thing, I just this week realized why I wasn't shooting as much as I used to. It wasn't the money, it wasn't lack of time, it was preoccupation with my freekin' job and all the problems therein. That's not going to happen any more. I let my 'shooting therapy' slide and the job-sickness set in big time. That's not going happen any more. I let the vampires at work take a chunk of my life. That's not going to happen any more.

I think a divorce from the job is on the horizon anyway.

Oh, and yeh---I have arthritis. Funny thing... after a shooting session I have vastly-diminished pain. Tells ya' something, doesn't it.

Oh, and yeh... I reload and clean my guns a lot. Just doing THAT, TOO is therapeutic. Gives me time to really think about my responsibility as a gun owner.

glock17w said it all.

Shooting works. Do it.

[Irate]

But my quote doesn't apply to women who shoot, especially you SIG Lady

Edited January 21, 2007 by Irate

[SiG Lady]

I was kinda hoping that was the case.

Believe me, I could tell you a divorce tale that would curl your hair. Women can get royally shafted, too, you know. I truly feel your pain.

[shadetree]

I don't shoot near as much as I used to. I had a few rough years at work, Quit smoking and my friends moved away all about the same time. Not only did shooting take my mind off the bad things it also helped me relax and improvement gave me a sense of accomplishment that I was not getting elswhere

Shooting is good stuff.

[dajarrel]

I found shooting to be many things that cleared the mind and eased the soul:

--Empowering.

--Relaxing.

--Social.

--Exalting.

--Humbling.

--Meditative.

--Challenging.

--Expensive.

--Priceless.

It's expensive but I still shoot.

My feelings exactly

dj

[ChrisStock]

Mondays Imake it a point to send a hundred down range on my lunch hour. I am SO relaxed by the time I get back into indentured servant mode, that the last 3 hours just drift on by until it's miller time, er, ah, evening range time.

Good therapy indeed, and as for the OP, good for you, glad to hear it!