December 2000

Dealing with Depression

By Jane H. Herrick

Depression and related illnesses have a dreadful, and expensive, impact on society. Some estimates are as high as $30 to $40 billion a year. Of course, the human toll is even greater: nearly 18 million people in the United States are touched by this illness, either as sufferers personally or knowing someone (a family member or friend) who suffers.

Lawyers, of course, are not immune. In fact, lawyers are particularly prone to depression, considering the many stresses in their lives. A 1991 study by Johns Hopkins University revealed that of the 12,000 workers interviewed, lawyers were the most likely to be depressed.

How do you identify depression in yourself or someone you know? According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., 1994), the criteria to diagnose a major depressive episode are:

• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day

• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, every day

• Significant weight loss or weight gain

• Insomnia nearly every day

• Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observed by others)

• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day

• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day

• Diminished ability to think, concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day

• Recurrent thoughts of death; suicidal thoughts, attempts, or plans

If you are experiencing five or more of these symptoms in a two-week period, see your doctor or seek assistance from a qualified mental health professional. If you know someone with these symptoms, encourage that person to seek assistance.

The bad news is that only one in three people suffering from depression seeks help. The good news is that of those suffering serious depression, 80 percent can be treated, will improve, and return to their normal lives, typically within weeks.

Where can you get help?

• Call your doctor for assistance. If you have health insurance, review your benefits to determine what treatment, and how much, is covered. If you don’t have insurance, call your local health department for assistance.

• If you’re in a larger firm, review your employee handbook to determine if there is an employee assistance program (EAP) available and its confidentiality measures.

• Check to determine if your jurisdiction has a lawyer assistance program (LAP) that deals with depression and mental health issues.

• Contact a national organization, such as the National Mental Health Association, at 800/969-NMHA (6642).

Watch yourself and others for signs of depression. Depression can be treated, and there are resources to provide information and support to those who are suffering.

 

Jane Herrick is deputy bar counsel for the Kentucky Bar Association.

For more info the ABA’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) provides information and services to assist lawyers coping with stress, depression, other mental health problems, and impairments. Contact Donna Spillis, ABA CoLAP Staff Director, at 312/988-5359 or visit the CoLAP website at www.abanet.org/cpr/colap/home.html. In addition, all fifty states have developed lawyer assistance programs or committees focused on quality of life issues. The CoLAP site provides a list of state lawyer assistance programs and links to other related sites.

International Lawyers in Alcoholics Anonymous (ILAA) is a loose-knit fellowship of recovering alcoholic attorneys who belong to AA. Personal experiences and items of interest on alcoholism and the law are shared through a periodic mailing. Their annual conference/retreat will be held September 21–23, 2001, in Albuquerque. For more information, write to:

International Lawyers in AA
c/o Ben Graham
200 South Third
Las Vegas, NV 89155
702/455-4827
E-mail: grahamr@co.clark.nv.us

 

Ready Resources

Living with the Law: Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Create Balance. 1997. Law Practice Management Section. PC #511-0379. To order, call the ABA Service Center at 800/285-2221 or visit www.abanet.org/lpm/catalog.