Mental Health and the Legal Profession

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Anyone participating in dry January or done similar things in the past? Did you notice an effect on mental health or other benefits?

Months of 200+ hours, sleep deprivation, stress, and shit work-life balance came home to roost. This is the worst recurrence of my MDD that I’ve experienced in years. I could see it coming and started… more

Does anyone have any advise when it comes to navigating getting help and your firm. I had a tough month mentally. But I reached out to my local bar’s LAP. I’m starting the process of seeing a therapis… more

SEEKING OPINIONS & FEEDBACK: I love the honest & practical discussions here, where people can freely identify things that are going on & seek guidance.

Wondering whether anybo… more

Does anyone have any experience working with a Life Coach/Therapist to help in this industry and just overall? I realize I get in my own way by overthinking and I have trouble executing. Also realizin… more

Has anyone had good experiences taking ashwagandha for daily stress?

I’m at the point that I start trembling every time I get an email alert. It’s the little things piling up that is getting to me. The to do list full of, “send emails to X about Y,” “follow-up re this,… more

People with depression in big law- how do you manage? How do you meet your hours? The lack of support/training and being remote has been very hard on me.

Anyone here willing to share their firsthand experience of searching for and selecting a therapist? My wife was kind enough to vet a few through our church and her friends, but wondering if I might f… more

I have chronic health issues and I’m severely depressed. I can’t even get myself to work anymore. If I don’t quit, I’m in serious danger of being fired. I feel that I need to just quit and take time o… more

I’ve been struggling with finding the right antidepressant. I started a few months ago but had really bad side effects and stopped (headaches, lethargy, nausea, inability to concentrate). The withdraw… more

If you’re reading this, go drink some water!

Reminder to everyone: use your 2021 vacation time. Don’t let it pass you by just because you’re not traveling. Take a long weekend once a month to nap and eat chips in sweat pants all day. We all need… more

I’ve had a really tense, emotionally exhausting week. Things wrapped up yesterday and now my body feels so strung out and exhausted. Any tips for coming down from being so strung out without relying o… more

Is anyone else experiencing a new wave of covid anxiety due to the stress of figuring out the holidays? Got in an argument with a family member about safety guidelines and testing needing to happen an… more

Probably the wrong bowl, but my high school senior is going off the rails. Besides a therapist, any suggestions?

Choose to be happy today

I've been working from home for the last six months and had this constant urge to eat treats I find anywhere around the house. My two daughters find it humorous, but it has rarely made me feel goo… more

I’ve been working to an unhealthy degree lately. And I’ve been making the excuse that I have a lot of work right now, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m addicted to it. Part of it is anxiety and perfec… more

How should I approach an ominous zoom appointment with supervisinpartner and managing partner? I’m a 3rd year associate. This is a new job, my first day was the first day the whole firm worked from ho… more

Guilt and shame about working in a legal position for years where, instead of using my law degree (was supposed to do legal work per the job posting), I served as a personal assistant to my boss/did n… more

What about legal work is currently causing your mental health struggles?

Mine’s the hours, which is not normally my issue. I billed 230 for June and July and am already at 145 for August. … more

Any 🐠 here with fibromyalgia that have managed to deal with sudden flare ups impacting timeline of return of deliverables? Yesterday and today have been complete washes due to first, all over body pa… more

When I was going into courtrooms, a bad night of sleep didn’t matter-I’d snap to attention as soon as I got into court. I’m doing phone hearings now and the focus isn’t there as much. Any ideas?

When covid first hit, I was delighted to be working from home. My hours even improved. Now, because of some triggering events, I’m dealing with horrible panic attacks on the daily. I’m dissociating an… more

Wish apps like BetterHelp were free. I can’t afford healthcare or therapy (I’m unemployed, and yes, I’ve tried seeking pro bono therapy options — no place anywhere nearby offers it.) I really need a t… more

3rd yr here in a mid size firm. I’ve been struggling in the mental health dept. I was on leave for 3 wks and have returned to work in June. However, i still feel like a corpse everyday and have zero m… more

Burnout: cyclical and becomes so debilitating that I find myself unable to do simple every day tasks. How often do you burnout? What does it entail for you?

Gripe- there is no room for a sick day in this profession. Big closing coming up. Have a bad cold. Have billed 40+ hours in the last 3 days.

Why do lawyers celebrate a culture of poor heal… more

What did y’all actually want to be when you grew up?

Most/Least stressful areas of practice (in either transition or litigation)

Upon return from Short-term Disability for mental health reasons for 6 weeks, I was put on "of counsel" status, my compensation based solely on hours I bill and get paid. I'm getting no … more

Is it me or does depression in big law mostly affect single overworked women around age 30?

Does anyone else feel like having kids is the only acceptable reason to not be in the office 24/7? If I choose not to have children, do I not have any valid reason to have a life outside work?

Mental health issues in our profession are finally being recognized. While mental health issues are not unique to lawyers, the profession and it's client service mantra present unique challenges.