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James Wood is the founder of Goof Golf, a golf brand built around mental health and the idea of positive dissociation.
Before golf became something that helped him, sport had already taken him to a much harder place.
James grew up as a serious tennis player. Tennis was his whole world. He trained for hours, competed, pushed himself, and eventually found that the thing he loved most had started to feel like pressure. The enjoyment faded. The anger grew. From the outside, some of it probably looked funny. Inside, it was doing real damage.
Years later, golf gave him something different.
Space. Fresh air. Time with people. A way to step out of the noise and feel like himself again. That idea eventually became Goof Golf.
In this conversation, James talks openly about depression, therapy, EMDR, gambling, suicidal thoughts, and the long process of understanding what was really going on beneath the surface.
This is a conversation about pressure, coping, connection, and finding a better kind of escape.
James’ story shows us that escape itself is rarely the problem.
The question is what that escape does to you.
Some forms of escape numb things for a while, then leave you with a bigger mess to clean up later. James talks about gambling in that way. It offered relief, control and distraction, then slowly became something more dangerous. Classic brain behaviour. Helpful for five minutes, then suddenly acting like it owns the place.
Golf gave him a different kind of escape.
It gave him movement, focus, fresh air, progress, and connection. Nothing grand or glossy. Just a reason to get out, reset, laugh, talk, and give his head somewhere healthier to go.
That matters.
James’ story also shows how easy it can be to look fine while quietly struggling. He talks about working, achieving, masking, and only later understanding what had been happening underneath.
What helped was not one dramatic breakthrough. It was therapy, language, grounding tools, better habits, golf, and people he could actually talk to.
A Better Escape is about finding something that brings you back to yourself. Something that reconnects you to people, your body, your humour, your purpose, and the small part of you still trying to get your attention.
If parts of James’ story land with you, these might be useful:
Mental health support, UK
Mind offers information, helplines and guidance for stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings and difficult life periods.
🔗 mind.org.uk
Urgent emotional support, UK and Ireland
Samaritans offers free, confidential support for anyone who is struggling or needs someone to talk to.
🔗 samaritans.org
Gambling support, UK
GamCare offers free information, live chat, helpline support and treatment options for people affected by gambling harm, including friends and family.
🔗 gamcare.org.uk
EMDR information, UK
EMDR Association UK explains EMDR therapy and how it can be used to support people affected by trauma and difficult life experiences.
🔗 emdrassociation.org.uk
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