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The State of Lawyer Well-Being Is Not Strong

By Stacey Dougan

A lawyer in the throes of a heroin overdose spends his last minutes alive dialing into a conference call while vomiting, slipping in and out of consciousness. A law student commits suicide after failing the bar. A lawyer recounts how she used cocaine to ward off symptoms of alcohol withdrawal during the workday.

These stories are not one-offs. A 2016 study conducted by the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation found that between 21% and 36% of lawyers fall into the category of “problem drinkers.” As for other mental illnesses common to the profession, 28% reported struggling with depression, 19% with anxiety, and 23% with stress. We need to take seriously mental health and substance use disorders because they can, and do, lead to suicide, loss of family and other significant relationships, health problems, job dissatisfaction, hyper-focus on financial and material values, and an overall loss of meaning and purpose. The bottom line is that, regardless of whether they have a diagnoseable condition, many lawyers are unhappy.

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