In the wake of Tiger Woods coming forth with an apology, he has opened a path way for others who have been in their own dark closet, privately hiding secrets of addiction. How many out there living two separate lives? And how many loved ones have they disregarded along the way? Most addicts do not look at anyone but themselves as the addiction is singularly focused, until it gets so out of hand that they break down from the craziness to seek help—- OR—- get caught and everything begins to unravel, spiraling to a mess to be sorted out. Most times, it takes a very long time to get to a point of seeking help or getting caught. Getting caught is quite different than seeking the help on their own. When one seeks help, it’s one of THE most important steps there are, to admit one has a major problem. Getting caught, they haven’t reached that step yet. They are literally thrown into it. Dissecting the selfish out of the self, could be a long process.
I didn’t listen to Tiger Woods speech the other day but read a bit online. This next sentence was the most important aspect of the speech, I feel. A real apology doesn’t come in the form of words, it will come from his behavior over time. Elin, did this come from you, your mother, or a therapist? Regardless, out of everything that may have been said, this was a powerfully wise statement and perhaps take a lifetime to accomplish. Even though I do not feel Tiger Woods is an addict in the true sense of the word, I feel he took advantage of his status.
