Practicing law requires time, effort and dedication.  It is easy to lose track of your self and your life.  Lawyers, as a profession, are at a high risk for depression, suicide and substance abuse.  The behaviors required for success in the law can be contrary to those that contribute to mental health, a sense of well-being, and satisfying interpersonal relationships.  In broad terms, legal work often calls for suppressing one’s emotions, involvement in relationships imbued with conflict; unrealistic self-expectations; and a lack of balance between work and interpersonal relationships and leisure, all behaviors that tend to contribute to depression, isolation, stress and anxiety.

     I recently learned of a law clerk position listing one of the job requirements as “perfectionist.”  And it’s no wonder.  The breadth and depth of attention and follow-through required for legal work are robust.  The consequences of inattention and error are grave.  Hagan & Kay (2007) found that women lawyers are particularly prone to internalizing job dissatisfaction, leading to feelings of depression and despondency.
  
     Depression can fall at different points on a spectrum, ranging from general feelings of unease to debilitating despair.  Some of the symptoms one might suffer are sleep difficulties (too much or too little), appetite changes, decrease in energy and motivation, feelings of sadness, guilt, worthlessness or hopelessness, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.  Depressed people often experience anxiety and irritability, although when these feelings are excessive or predominate, they can signal other problems. 

     Some of the more specific work qualities that make lawyers particularly prone to depression are long work hours; the competitive nature of the work; the adversarial nature of the work; the requirement for highly focused attention to detail; the extreme repercussions of professional errors; the need to be pessimistic and skeptical, and to be prepared to deal with “worst case scenarios;” responsibility for assisting clients and others who are in crisis or dealing with tragic situations; constant scrutiny of your work by employers, judges and opposing counsel; the reality that your work will directly impact the client’s financial, relationship, liberty and quality-of-life interests; the pressure of deadlines and the potential consequences of missing deadlines; rigid and particularized rules and procedures that must be followed carefully and completely; the need to perform, both in terms of achieving results and being “on-stage” and observed by others in public arenas; the need to advance or defend a position that might conflict with your personal values. 

          Law students and lawyers are rarely provided with education or training in self-care and how to cope with the emotional aspects of their work and its effects on their mental health.  I became particularly aware of this when, after practicing law for fourteen years, I returned to graduate school to study mental health counseling.  Unlike legal training and practice, ongoing attentiveness to emotional awareness and self-care are built into the training and practice of mental health professionals. 

     One of the most difficult aspects of serving clients, rarely discussed in the legal arena, is the professional’s vulnerability to vicarious, or secondary, trauma.  Izzie & Miller (2009) define secondary trauma as the professional’s “indirect exposure to trauma through a client’s firsthand account…of a traumatic event,” which can subject the professional to the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, including disturbances in one’s identity, memory, and beliefs; unwanted imagery; and physical ailments.  For example, in an assault case, a victim experiences a frightening attack which leads to gruesome injuries.  After listening to the victim describe the details of the assault, and the resulting physical and emotional injuries, the lawyers find themselves experiencing unwanted images or dreams of the incident.  Unpleasant memories of their own might be triggered.  Their sense of “safety, trust, esteem, intimacy, and self-control may become compromised.” (Izzie & Miller).  Izzie & Miller found that lawyers suffer from secondary trauma at a higher rate than mental health professionals.  I believe this is explained, at least in part, by the disparity in emphasis on, and training in, emotional awareness and self-care in the two professions.

     On a more positive note, changes are afoot.  More humanistic, holistic approaches to law practice are developing and growing, including therapeutic jurisprudence, collaborative law, and restorative justice.  These areas of law focus on respectful communication and a search for outcomes that serve the best interests of all parties involved.  Lawyers can find guidance and inspiration in David Hall’s book, The spiritual revitalization of the legal profession: A search for sacred rivers (2005), and on his website, http://www.sacredrivers.neu.edu/index.php.  Also inspiring is The Reflective Counselor: Daily Meditations for Lawyers, a book of daily reflections that encourage lawyers to stay connected to their deeper selves and their life’s purpose.

     You have a right to take care of yourself as well as your clients.  You have options.   Over the life cycle, people’s priorities and needs often change.  What was once satisfying may be less so as you enter a different stage of life.  Studies show that people who find meaning in their work and who have more control over their work tend to have better mental and physical health than those who lack these qualities (Seligman, Verkuil, & Kang, 2005).  Psychotherapy, especially with a professional who is knowledgeable about the challenges of lawyering (Elwork & Benjamin, 1995, p.218-219), can help you find ways of understanding and changing how you approach your inner and outer life, and find balance in your life.  As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a lawyer with over twenty years practicing law, I understand both the joys and difficulties of law practice.  I would be happy to travel the path with you towards improved mental health and well-being.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (4^th  ed., text revision). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

Beck, C.J.A., Sales, B.D., & Benjamin, B.J.H. (1995-1996). Lawyer distress:  Alcohol related problems and other psychological concerns among a sample of practicing lawyers. Journal of Law and Health, 10, 1-60.

Breslau, J. & Daicoff, S. (2008, September 1). The illicit relationship of lawyers and emotion. Retrieved November 1, 2009, from http://www.cuttingedgelaw.com/content/illicit-relationship-lawyers-and-emotion

Coffey, F.G. & Kessler, M.C. (2008). The reflective counselor: daily meditations for lawyers. Chicago: American Bar Association.

Elwork, A. & Benjamin, G.A.H. (1995, summer). Lawyers in distress. The Journal of Psychiatry and Law, 23, 203-229.

Gatland, L. (1997, June).  Dangerous dedication.  ABA Journal, 83, 28-30.

Hagan, J. & Kay, F. (2007). Even lawyers get the blues: Gender, depression and job satisfaction in legal practice. Law and Society Rev, 41, 51-78.

Hall, D. (2005).  The spiritual revitalization of the legal profession: A search for sacred rivers. New York: Edwin Mellen Press.

Hardy, W. (2008, May). The unhappy lawyers, 1-19. Retrieved October 31, 2009, from http://willhardy.com.au/legal-essays/unhappy-lawyers/view/ 

http://www.cuttingedgelaw.com/page/therapeutic-jurisprudence

http://www.massclc.org/

http://www.restorativejustice.org/

http://www.sacredrivers.neu.edu/index.php

Izzie, E. and Miller, V.C. (2009, February 28). Lawyers more likely to experience second hand shock. Retrieved November 1, 2009, from http://www.cuttingedgelaw.com/content/lawyers-more-likely- 

experience-second-hand-shock

Levit, N. & Linder, D.O. (2008). Happy law students, happy lawyers, 1-27. Retrieved October 31, 2009, from http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=nancylevit

McLeary, S. (2001, July/August). Protecting your personal relationships. GP Solo. 65-67.

Schiltz, P.J. (1999, p.879-880). On being on being a happy, healthy, and ethical member of an unhappy, unhealthy, and unethical profession. Vanderbilt Law Rev. 52, 871-951.

Seligman, M.E.P., Verkuil, P.R., & Kang, T.H. (2005). Why lawyers are unhappy. Deakin Law Rev., 10, 49-66.

© Copyright 2009 Maxine Sushelsky

TRANSITIONS AT MIDLIFE
 By Maxine Sushelsky, LMHC
 

        Midlife can be a time of upheaval and uncertainty.  Somewhere between ages forty and fifty, people often find themselves re-evaluating everything--themselves, their relationships, their careers.  People in midlife often feel a sense of regret for paths not taken or parts of themselves never developed.  They might feel a desire to pursue these discarded paths or explore undeveloped parts of themselves.  Past trauma, hurts or other memories might surface or re-surface.

     People often find themselves drawn to new and unexpected ideas, interests, careers, or ways of being.  For example, a person who has been goal-oriented or achievement-oriented for the first part of their adult life, at midlife might feel drawn to engaging in creative work or doing things simply for enjoyment without worrying about achieving a particular outcome.  A person who has been outgoing might find themselves wanting to spend time alone in quiet reflection.  A person who has been shy or a loner might feel a desire to be more “out in the world” or to spend more time with others.   Similarly, a person who has always been fiercely independent might want to become more interconnected with others.  A person who has felt too dependent on others might feel a pull to become more able to depend on themselves, perhaps to strengthen their self-confidence and self-esteem.

     Carl Jung, an analytic psychoanalyst, believed that life is a journey toward wholeness, a process he termed “individuation,” and that each person’s journey contains elements in common with others, along with elements unique to each individual (Jung, 1989).  Mental health professionals Clark, S.H. and Schwiebert, V.L. (2001) use the metaphor of a loom to describe a woman’s midlife journey.  They liken the loom to a framework on which a woman can weave a fabric of her own design, color and texture, entwining the distinctive threads of her life into a unique creation.  She can also unravel parts of her life that no longer serve her, such as patterns of thinking, behavior and self-image.  Men, who traditionally have been expected to focus on work and the external world while keeping their feelings in check, at midlife often want to focus on their inner selves, such as their feelings and intuition.  Our culture is becoming increasingly more accepting of men developing more sides of themselves.

     Paying attention to your internal feelings and thoughts at midlife, no matter how quiet or bewildering they seem, will likely start you on the path to a greater sense of integration and wholeness.  Some of the ways of doing so, whether alone or in combination, are setting aside time for yourself to notice what is going on inside, journal writing, drawing or using other art forms to express yourself, noticing your dreams, talking with others who are going through similar changes, and engaging in psychotherapy.  Seeking the support of a qualified professional is particularly advisable if you are struggling with trauma, or if your internal experience is adversely affecting your life.  

     Regardless of how you undertake your midlife journey, you might decide to make small changes in your life, you might choose to make major changes, or, you might decide not to make any external changes.  Sometimes, just recognizing and exploring your thoughts and feelings during this time can provide you with a deep sense of renewal and satisfaction.  

References

Clark, S.H. and Schwiebert, V.L. (2001). Penelope’s loom: A metaphor of women’s development at midlife.  Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 40(2), 161-170.

Jung, C.G. (1989). Memories, dreams, reflections. New York: Vintage Books.

Segell, M. & Leclerc, A. (1996). The new softness. Esquire, 125(4), 51. Retrieved January 10, 2002, from Academic Search Elite.

© Copyright 2009 Maxine Sushelsky