Does one mistake lead to another?

Most people would probably initially say NO! of course not, just because you mess up once doesn't mean your next move is going to be a mistake.  I wonder however if once the subtle balance and organization of ones pieces is lost that it's lost forever.  I've often made dumb moves and afterwards thought about how stupid it is only to have an opponent make a move so good that I had to make a bad move to try and cover the mistake of my first bad move.  It may sound far fetched, but I think my point is that it's hard to dig yourself out of a hole. Once we make a bad move, are we forced to "scramble" in order to try and catch up? Does it do something unconciously to us that makes us feel rushed to do better.  Maybe this is more of a life question then a chess question.  Of course the simple answer is don't get in a hole, but that's easier said then done. I at one point in my life believed that professional athletes were professionals not because of the hours they spent perfecting their game but because the knew the little things to do to get themselves out of trouble without any of the rest of us noticing.  Of course the legendary professionals we hear about have some natural talent at avoiding holes all together, but still I wonder...am I destined to live my life in the hole?