Tag: professional

I was at a big stand-up paddling race with my friend Bill, watching the pros battle it out for the big bucks in the sprint race. I was amazed at how deftly they could maneuver at high speed around the eight cones on the course, zipping through 180-degree turns while simultaneously surfing 4-foot tall waves.

I was scared to death of waves and equally afraid of the turns, so I always stayed away from races that had a lot of either. As the race leaders rounded the cone closest to the beach, I asked Bill why the pros were so much better than we were, and without hesitation he said, "they're not afraid to fall in."

The symptoms of depression and anxiety can be easy to miss until you’re in the thick of things. With busy schedules and ongoing demands, important issues such as depression can go unrecognized until the day your sweetheart can’t get out of bed.

In the same way, an anxiety disorder can be all but ignored until the onset of a major panic attack that leads to an emergency room visit. If a battle with anxiety or depression is affecting your marriage, take heart. You are surely not alone! According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 18% of the U.S. population over age 18 is affected by an anxiety disorder.

Many of our relationships are fraught with tension: Husband and wife, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and friend and friend. A root cause for many relationship issues is acting the role of the "royal advisor." We just love to give advice because it gives us status and a satisfying sense of self-justification. We love playing the archetypal role of the rescuer especially when we should be taking our own advice. Besides, when we feel stressed, giving someone else advice serves as a distraction from our own problems. It’s like starring in our own dramatic reality TV show.