The ABA Journal reports, “More than a quarter of surveyed law students said they had been diagnosed at some point for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychosis, personality disorder or substance use disorder, Bloomberg News reports. Results of the survey, taken from February to May 2014, are summarized in this Bar Examiners article.” Read the News
More Than 25% of Law Students Have Had Psychiatric and Substance-use Disorders; Are They Hiding It?
Introverts in an Extroverts’ World: Most Lawyers Are Introvert, and That’s Not a Bad Thing
The current issue of the ABA Journal reports, “It’s not something you’d intuitively think, particularly when you think of litigators,” Wisnik says. “But it makes sense. Many lawyers spend a lot of time by themselves—reading, writing, thinking—compared to other jobs where the majority of the work is interacting. Introverts make good lawyers, especially for clients who want a thoughtful answer.” Read the Story
Why Do Lawyers and Law Students Get So Depressed?
In this article from The Washington Monthly, David Ball explores the connection between law school depression and the troubling questions about mental health in the Character & Fitness requirement in some state bars. Read the News
Attorneys Grapple with High Rates of Stress, Burnout
Business West reports, “Lawyers say they entered the legal field to help people with their problems — often very difficult, serious problems. The danger is internalizing those problems and making client stress a permanent part of one’s psyche. That pitfall, and other stressors common to lawyers, from time pressures to sometimes-adversarial work relationships, contribute to unusually high levels of burnout, depression, substance abuse, and even suicide in the legal field. One challenge, experts say, is to recognize those dangers before they take root.” Read the News
Holiday Survival Guide for Lawyers with Depression
From The Anxious Lawyer website, “Unfortunately, for all too many people, and particularly for all too many lawyers, the holiday season is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness and anxiety. It is a season that comes with a “holiday depression” of its own which can affect anyone, whether it be due to time pressures, family issues, financial worries, memories of past holidays or just loneliness.” Read the Blog
Why I’m Speaking Up About Lawyers and Depression
From The Mighty, “Lawyers aren’t supposed to have problems; we’re supposed to fix them. Most male lawyers I know would rather drop dead than admit they have problem with depression. I guess the exception to this observation is when the wheels have fallen off. Then, and only then, do they recognize (hopefully) they are experiencing depression.” Read the Blog
Something Upbeat and Constructive
From former BigLaw associate and current therapist Will Meyerhofer, a great piece about practicing lawyers. Read the Blog
Lawyers, Don’t Let Perfectionism Ruin Your Health
Duke University Law grad, Jennifer Alvey explores why lawyers have such poor mental and physical health: “Part of the answer lies in lawyers’ predisposition toward perfectionism. I often encounter lawyers who can only envision doing something if they can be all in. Doing something less-than-perfectly is seen as failure. When it comes to exercise and diet, this kind of thinking can set anyone up for failure because they will try to make big, grand changes at once, be unable to sustain them, and quickly quit in disgust.” Read the rest of her Blog
The Untold Story of Dallas D.A. Susan Hawk
She had always dreamed about being Dallas County district attorney. But as her career took off, her personal life was falling apart—divorce, pain pills, thoughts of suicide. After two months of treatment, she says she’s ready once again to serve. Is she up to the job? Read the News
Take the Screen! Lawyers Suffer From Depression About 3.6 Times More Than Non-lawyers
Katherine Bender, Ph.D., writes: “What are the barriers to getting a screening for depression? Why do we see over and over again law students and attorneys trying to ‘white-knuckle’ through another day?” Kate encourages law student and lawyers to take this on-line depression screening test. Read her Blog
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