- Depression sucks.
- You know this if you suffer from it.
- You know this if you’ve suffered from it before.
- If you have it, you’re not alone.
- If you’re in the legal profession, you’re really, really not alone.
- 10% of Americans struggle with depression.
- 20% of lawyers struggle with depression.
- Do the math – 200,000 out of 1 million lawyers have the big “D”.
- Grad school is tough.
- Apparently, tougher law students.
- 20 to 40% of law students will become depressed at some point.
- Do more math – 30,000 to 60,000 out of the 150,000 law students.
- Ok, ok, we get it. Depression is a BIG problem in the law.
- I’ve felt lonely when I’ve been depressed.
- I’ve been bone-tired when depressed, but couldn’t sleep.
- People who struggle with depression are my heroes.
- If there are so many depressed lawyers, why do they stay in the law?
- Money? For sure, what else?
- Status? Yes.
- Very often, they’ve drifted into it.
- But, maybe they’d be depressed in or out of the law. Maybe.
- Many wonder, “What else could I do with a law degree?”
- Not getting help? Not a good idea.
- Getting help? Much better idea.
- We are people who happen to be lawyers.
- We’re not lawyers who happen to be people.
- Remember this. Don’t forget it. Write it down someplace.
- Depression changes your brain chemistry.
- You may need medication. Maybe not.
- You’ll need to talk to someone about it.
- A friend? Good start. A therapist? Even better.
- You’ll need to make changes in your life to get better.
- And stay better.
- What combination of changes those are different for everyone.
- You can start to feel better.
- I care about you even though I’ve never met you.
- This is so because I’ve been there and understand.
- You need to find people like this to talk to.
- Be realistic – it might take a bit of time to feel better.
- How long? Nobody really knows. Just keep going.
- Some say, “I feel like killing myself”.
- Don’t do that. Though, I understand why you might feel this way.
- This painful impulse is depression talking – don’t listen.
- Talk with a therapist about this pain – immediately – and listen to them.
- Take a good look at how you see the world.
- Take a good look at how you see yourself.
- The Buddha once said, You are what you think.
- Psychologists say that too.
- True, but you’re more than just your thoughts.
- You are a child of God, however you conceive of Him, Her or It.
- You are precious beyond measure.
- Exercise isn’t just about losing weight. It’s also about good brain chemistry.
- Don’t listen to people who say “Toughen up.” Simple ignorance.
- Don’t try to handle this by yourself.
- It’s an illness. You’re not a bad, weak person.
- Depression tends to run in families.
- Your drinking too much might really be about depression.
- It’s okay to be scared. There are millions of others who feel this way too.
- There are different degrees of severity with depression.
- Just like coffee at Starbucks – mild, medium and bold.
- Depression isn’t just in our heads, it’s in our brains.
- Does your job feel meaningless?
- If so, it’s no surprise that you feel unhappy – maybe even depressed.
- Chances are you didn’t have a healthy childhood if you have depression.
- Many with depression didn’t.
- “Nobody cares about me.” That’s depression talking.
- What do you really want out of life?
- Has anyone ever asked you that question? And really listened to your response?
- Have you ever asked yourself that question? What would that life look like?
- Most people with depression also have a problem with anxiety – about 60%
- Are you just unhappy or depressed? Important question.
- Maybe you’re both? You should talk to an expert.
- Maybe the hardest part of depression is feeling hopeless.
- Depression is a vicious circle.
- We keep behaving in ways that keep us depressed.
- We keep thinking in ways that keep us depressed.
- As such, we keep getting depressed.
- What’s your greatest passion in life?
- Do you do enough of it? Why not?
- Small children can be great antidepressants.
- Serving others can be as well.
- Depression isn’t just a sign of illness.
- It is a sign that you need to change your life.
- You need to educate yourself about what depression is.
- You need to educate your significant other about it also.
- A good book would help.
- When you’re depressed, you don’t feel like doing anything.
- That’s why you need to do things.
- You can’t wait until you feel like doing things.
- If depression had its way, you’d never feel like doing anything.
- For most, depression isn’t happening all the time.
- Pay attention to that.
- Are there things, people that trigger it?
- Are there things that help bring it down a notch?
- I’m no expert.
- I don’t have all the answers.
- I hope I have a few.
- Thanks for reading this.
- Adios.
Hi, thanks for this post and your site. It is one of the most useful I have found. I asked myself some of these questions and really struggled to answer some questions. In particular, no. 78. I could not come an answer, despite repeated efforts. When I called up a list of things that used to interest me, I could not honestly say that any are my passion now. How can I fail to identify a single passion? That was depressing and shocking to realize. But it confirmed for me that my decision to go back into therapy after 4 years is a good step. I am going to post a link to this list. Thanks for taking the time and effort to create this blog.