As the media sharks feed off of the remnants of Tiger Woods and more juicy tidbits are leaked, we are all caught up with being a fly on the walls of his various bedrooms.
Of much greater concern to me is his hiding and disclosure that he will be giving up golf indefinitely. As a Clinical and Sport Psychologist, my belief is that Tiger Woods is in the throes of a major emotional breakdown, which involves mourning what is essentially the death of his life as he knew it all of these years. His marriage may be irreparably damaged, his children may be headed for Sweden, his sponsors are jumping overboard daily and he has humiliated himself and his family.
I pray that he is in the hands of a competent psychologist…not just in the hands of the PR folks, bodyguards and “yes men” who try to insulate him. My concern is that he may feel so overwhelmed and so battered that thoughts of death may be preferable to facing the complete meltdown of his life, both public and personal. Certainly many people have taken their lives for lesser reasons.
It’s time to stop feeding off of Tiger’s circumstances, leave him be and hope that he can get the competent help he needs to come to grips with his demons and the triggers that led him into the dangerous waters in which he has been swimming. Only then can he heal and put his life back together again.
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