Multiplied Guilt: Christian Lawyers Who Deal with Depression

“What do you call 10,000 lawyers at the bottom of the sea?”

A: “A good start.”

 

 

This lawyer joke emphasizes the low public perception of lawyers in today’s society. Not that this is a new trend, but  rising billing rates, frivolous lawsuits and sensational news stories of lawyers behaving poorly degrade the public image of attorneys.

 

I enjoy being lawyer...most of the time. I enjoy reviewing the facts, applying the legal issues to the facts, discovering the truth and negotiating a fair result.  I do NOT enjoy the unprofessional battles that lawyers wage against each other. Law school does not make a person more moral, it just gives him more tools to enhance his personal biases.

 

Billing pressures, deadlines, changing laws, unreasonable client demands, long hours, and other demands all combine to make the practice of law one of the most stressful jobs In America, if not the world. With  rising business pressures, evolving legal technologies and climbing debt from law school or lines of credit because of the economic times, then it’s no wonder that lawyers are stressed.

 

 

Let's be honest, the stress in the job is not discussed, other than to discuss it as a badge of honor or a war wound. We don't discuss it from the terms of whether it is healthy, which it is not, or how we can best endure it. Depression and suicide are common among lawyers and forty-four percent of lawyers recently surveyed by the American Bar Association said they would not recommend the profession to a young person.

 

Some of the following information, which has been partially edited and revised,  was taken from an article by Sheila Blackford in "Law Practice Today" with the American Bar Association's Law Practice Management Section.

 

Additionally, the information on whether a "Christian" should ever get depressed is attributed Mark Mounts, who has  a Masters in Professional Counseling from Liberty University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Houston area.

 

 

Lawyers Must Never Show ANY Weaknesses:

 

It seems if an attorney reveals weaknesses, he may be deemed inadequate or incompetent. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many attorneys have so much personal turmoil in their lives.  They keep their own  struggles hidden because of the fear of being stigmatized and ostracized. I have an attorney friend who had a stroke, but kept it quiet because he didn't want people or  his colleagues to gossip. If someone who had a physical ailment is concerned about others, can you imagine how the attorney with depression wants to keep that a secret? Attorneys ACT like they are smarter and more in control than they really are.

A Faithful Christian is Full of Joy and Never Depressed
 

What about the Christian? I have heard for years that Christians shouldn't  “speak negative comments” because demons hear and torment you with your own words. No wonder  so many Christians are screwed up: they don’t share how they are really feeling!

 

Recently, I made some comments in "closed group" on social media. Admittedly, I should have been more cautious in my comments, but I didn't expect to get the following reaction:

 

"...this kind of talk can be construed by some people as very serious and it would probably be better if these comments were not put on ...  as it can be very discouraging to others."

"If the right person heard this they might call the authorities on you out of obligation. I know you well enough to know that you use writing and sharing your emotions and feelings as a way to vent, which is healthy, but you need to be careful in what you say, it could hurt you personally and professionally."

 

 

Great! So as a Christian Lawyer I Have a Two Strikes Against Me

 

I admit, you don’t go to a lawyer because you’re having a good day. The practice of law is a demanding profession. Clients are in crisis. Foreclosures and divorces are up; job, real estate, and financial markets are down.

 

 

Faced with the grim economic situation, lawyers increasingly find themselves dealing with loss--loss of retirement nest-eggs or bonus income or employment--extra fuel for the fires of depression and addiction. For the stressed or depressed lawyer, unwinding at the end of the day with a drink can become a frequent anticipation for soothing frazzled nerves. “Relax, have a drink,” is a supportive way to greet your spouse or significant other at the end of a bad day at the office.

 

 

Tough Times

 

Undoubtedly, tough economic times mean more spikes in the numbers of impaired attorneys needing to access resources for help. The problem is that many won’t. Not because of arrogance, but because the nature of addiction is insidious, impairing the ability to see life objectively. The denial is deep.

 

 

Most lawyers don’t admit to having a problem because it runs contrary to their self perception.  Until there are obvious physical problems, family problems, or professional problems as a result of alcoholism, it may be difficult to self-identify or attract identification as an alcoholic and get treatment.

 

 

 

It isn’t any easier for a lawyer suffering from depression to admit they need help. Depression is an under-diagnosed disorder. Of the estimated seventeen million who suffer from its symptoms, an estimated two-thirds do not receive treatment. The likelihood of a depressed attorney withdrawing further into a private world of pain can account for the increases in suicides in our profession. Concern by all of us is warranted. The major cause of suicide is untreated depression.

 

 

Tough People

 

It is challenging for lawyers to maintain their personal balance dealing with clients in crisis when stressed by their own professional and personal crisis. Who are most pained by this challenge? The idealist lawyer. The perfectionist lawyer. The controlling lawyer.

 

The Idealist

 

The idealistic lawyer is very sensitive to injustice and often feels personally and overly responsible for what befalls the client. This is the inspired and inspiring lawyer who feels passionate about trying to right a terrible wrong. The idealist may have been attracted to the profession after watching wonderful movies such as “To Kill a Mocking Bird” or “Gideon’s Trumpet." Saying no to potential clients with big problems is very difficult.  This lawyer may be overworked with no support staff.

 
The Perfectionist
 

The perfectionist lawyer is focused on performance. Ranking is important. It started back in law school if not earlier. This is the super achiever who expends whatever time it takes to file the best brief or deliver the brilliant closing argument. Errors are unforgivable. The perfectionist may feel unable to risk being under prepared and losing any opportunity to win the high esteem of clients, colleagues, and judges. This lawyer may suffer from hypertension and insomnia or from imperfect support staff.

 

The Controller

 

The controlling lawyer is driven to control outcomes, people, places, and things. This lawyer has a hard time delegating and letting go of the process of how something is done. No one can do “it” as well as they themselves can and settling for something done “haphazardly” keeps the controlling attorney overly involved in seemingly minor tasks. The controller may sometimes appear very inflexible and fussy. This is a common but difficult personality type to deal with, especially when the controlling lawyer is anxious or stressed. Just ask their support staff.

 
 
 

These personality traits do tend to serve lawyers well in becoming successful in their career, but at what cost?  These personality traits may lead to professional behaviors that can, over time, increase one’s susceptibility to substance abuse or episodes of depression. The risk increases if the lawyer is prone to cognitive distortions, such as all or nothing/black or white thinking, dwelling exclusively on a negative detail, over generalizing, personalizing, and

 
Learn to recognize the pain, even your own.
 

There is hope.

 

Many lawyers in active practice maintain their recovery from alcoholism and addiction. Many successfully manage their depression and anxiety and their law practice. The willingness to do what it takes to recover is important. Treatment is important. Support is important.

 

There is a strong fellowship among lawyers who are in recovery for addiction and alcoholism, but for those dealing with chronic depression, much more needs to be done. I may have mentioned this before, but until I read an article by Tommy Nelson, a pastor in Texas, and heard a professionalism on lawyers and depressions by the head of the Lawyers Assistance Program, I slogged through my battle with depression like was slogging through the mud of war.

 

Over time, as I get older, slogging through the mud was getting  exhausting. I could continue to trudge through the  muck and mire, but my energy level was not what it was. I was not as effective at it as I was in the past. I needed some help.

 

To get in contact with support by lawyers for lawyers, contact your local bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program or the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) hotline at (1-866-LAW-LAPS) for a referral to your local bar’s program.

 

 

There are self-assessment tests that can be taken online. When taking any type of self-assessment test, remember they merely help you to see if you have any of the symptoms. The test can’t give a diagnosis, but it can help you to determine the need to seek treatment if necessary. There are other diagnostic tools available to help you further assess a problem with alcohol, anxiety, depression or drugs.

 

Assessment and Resources

• ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP):
• Alcohol and drug use assessment—is it addiction? (Hazelden)
• CAGE Questionnaire, a four question screening for alcohol dependence:
• Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) for assessing addiction to non-alcohol drugs:
• Hazelden’s Alcohol Screening Questions based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT):
• Mayo Clinic Online Depression Self-Assessment test :
• Mayo Clinic Online Stress Self-Assessment test :
• Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) Revised is a 22-question test

Should Christians get depressed?

 

I won't cover that now, but be on the lookout next week when I will talk about Christians and depression.

 

 

I hope this information is helpful to you. The stigma of depression and the badge of honor in "bucking it up" have got to go. What are your thoughts on all of this?

 

 

Do you think, as I do, that by sharing this that someone will try and take advantage of me by creating unnecessary demands and stress? I

 

t could happen, but I cannot worry that some lawyers  will be  jackasses. It's just the nature of humanity...and lawyers in particular. Not all lawyers, of course, but there are more than enough jackasses out there that the practice becomes unnecessarily stressful, but they will ultimately have to answer for themselves.

 

If these  words help others, then bring on the jackasses.