In this atmosphere of rationality there seems to be a hesitancy to reach out for help and be vulnerable. I commonly hear that lawyers think of themselves as problem solvers and they "should" be able to solve all their own problems. A further result of this emphasize on rationality is that many individuals also seem to lack a sense of passion or of imagination.
On a particularly positive note I think there is a tremendous, underlying, sense of good will by the practitioners I have talked to. They want to be of service and they want to help. Many have lost the knowledge of how to do that. In dealing with clients they are mired in the technical details of producing a product and of managing a practice and billing. In dealing with other lawyers they are unsure of how to approach another lawyer in a straightforward personal manner. With some coaching and encouragement the enthusiasm, dedication and good will that most members exhibit is encouraging.
I hope you will take the opportunity to discuss some of these observations with your colleagues. It may be interesting to find out how relevant these issues are to many within the profession, how much we all have in common, and how good it feels to share our concerns and personal thoughts with each other.
The LAP is taking initiatives that promote more "personal" interactions between individuals are very important. The LAP is promoting workshops and support groups to get lawyers meeting and interacting more personally. Also the "Healthy Living" workshops are designed to help lawyers to recognize and deal with feelings and to explore issues of meaning and purpose. We are available and look forward to the opportunity to talk with you or others to explore the nature of the Law in these changing times and how we can help lawyers.
Several articles might be of interest. These relate primarily to distress among lawyers, but they also include ideas about how the profession increases the likelihood of distress:
- G.A.H. Benjamin, E.J. Darling & B.D. Sales The Prevalence of Depression, Alcohol and Cocaine Abuse among United States Lawyers13 International Journal of Law and Psychiatry.
- G.A.H. Benjamin, A. Kaszniak, B.D. Sales & S.B. Shanfield, The Role of Legal Education in Producing Psychological Distress among Law Students and Lawyers American Bar Foundation Research Journal 225 (1986).
- W.W. Eaton, J.C. Anthony, W. Mandel & R. Garrison, Occupations and the Prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder 32 Journal of Occupational Medicine 1079 (1990)
- Joan Brewster, Drug Use among Canadian Professionals Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario, June 1993
- Boston Bar Association Task Force on Professional Fulfillment- Expectations, Reality and Recommendations for Change, 1997