Mr. Shadden suffers from bipolar disorder and used to fish at night. Night fishing was where he found his peace and food – steelheads – to eat.
Then the Washington Department of Fish and Game banned night fishing where Mr. Shadden used to fish because residents were being disturbed and steelhead fish was endangered. Mr. Shadden was devastated by the ban and believes his life is being threatened by the night fishing ban. Mr. Shadden also views the night fishing ritual as food for his soul, because this was where God spoke to him.
Mr. Shadden didn’t like taking his medication because he gained a lot of weight and said he felt like a zombie and sat on his couch. Like many bipolar disorder sufferers, when he begins to feel good on the right meds he would stop taking the meds because he would feel like he didn’t need it anymore. Then his cycles would begin.
This story is not just about a bipolar disorder sufferer and his desire for fishing at night. It’s about how important rituals can be for patients, because it provides spiritual sustenance, and in Mr. Shadden’s case, physical sustenance.
