Question

Tiger Woods has not been able to recover his long record of mastery in golf. Aside from his injuries, how might his psychological situation reflect a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 1

Stress and anxiety are two problems that can have adverse effects on one's life. There are situations in one's life where stress becomes so overwhelming that it is very difficult to concentrate and focus in anything else in life. It is something that can totally consume you. There are few stories of how stress affects people and Tiger Woods' story is one which tells how mental problems can get the better of you.

Woods, who was once one of the most fabulous Golf players in history, got affected by mental illness and personal issues and his life has not been the same ever since. He was known to be the most famous golf player but his life took a catastrophic turn after which he came to be known as rather infamous. He was not just any man who had cheated on his wife. He was a celebrity, a man who had fame, wealth and a lot more to his name than just being a golf player and such an ideal image had crumbled totally and his image began to be laden with public scorn and humiliation. An individual's personal life is something that is meant to be special and private. But what happens when a relationship breaks, disintegrates and takes an unpleasant turn? It gets worse when you are a famous personality and the whole world now knows it and treats it as a spectacle.

Woods now not only failed at maintaing an unquestionably good personal life but also his game. He did not have only one stressor, but multiple. Having lost his father, he had lost the guiding light in his life, which brought more pain, trouble and anguish in his already tumultuous life. The crash therapies did not help him and he probably needed something more permanent. One stressor gave way to another, and then the cycle continued with him losing to recreate spectacular performances in his games.

Golf is said to be a meticulous game. When a person is stressed, it has cognitive and behavioral impacts. Lack of judgment, poor memory, lack of concentration, all of which might have been causes of Woods' downfall in his sports career. It is very much possible that he might never be able to recreate the period where he displayed immaculate excellence on the field. His mental issues may have overtaken him entirely. Although he has revived his career to a great extent, the world knows that he was at his best formerly, but not the same today. Mental problems and psychological issues are serious conditions which must be worked upon with a lot of effort and taking a break, attending short term therapies may not be entirely successful.

Therefore this shows us how important it is for people to create a balance between their professional and personal lives. Not only that, but one must also put in efforts to reconstruct one's life after facing a huge psychological setback or a trauma. Although it is difficult, one may have a better shot at life by doing so.