The legal profession is one of high prestige, but also one in which attorneys are under constant pressure to maintain the high standards of their profession.

It can be emotionally and psychologically draining and even physically stressful considering the long hours spent sitting or standing. It is little wonder then that some attorneys have taken to alcohol or substance addiction to cope with the stress, anxiety, and pressure that comes with their profession.

Regardless of this prevalent issue among attorneys, there are health tips that could significantly reduce the rate of addiction among attorneys. These tips help to prevent addiction, especially among attorneys. Some of which is discussed below;

• Place Healthy Limits

As a legal professional, you must protect your mental and emotional health, for it is quite easy to get drawn into depression. Being overly focused on clients problems, spending long hours, sleepless nights working can cause excess stress which could lead you to addiction.

Therefore, set limits, know when it is time to stop work and do something beneficial to your mental health, or when it is time to sleep and be diligent in it.

• Socialize

Humans are social beings, and maintaining social relations with others is a way to manage stress effectively. Attorneys should establish close relationships with colleagues with whom you can hang out and who will check on you regularly in times of excess stress. Also, do not neglect time spent with loved ones or family, as this helps to manage work stress and prevent addiction.

• Exercise

Recreational exercise remains a major means to managing stress, anxiety, and pressure. Exercise also helps to keep your body in good health. So, relieve the stress of the legal profession using regular exercise.

• Sleep

As simple as it is, sleep does a world of good to the body and mind. Depriving yourself of sleep harms your body and mind, and make you more susceptible to stress and subsequent addiction. So, learn to have a good, healthy sleep, especially as an attorney.

Addiction does no good to anyone, with no exception to attorneys. It is imperative therefore that it is prevented as much as possible. With the discussed tips, attorneys can effectively prevent the occurrence of substance addiction or alcoholism.

Legal professionals are often subject to jokes by the general public but men and women in this profession are actually known for their intelligence and hard work in dealing with complicated legal matters.

With the high-stress levels and short deadlines routinely associated with their day to day work, legal professionals often push themselves beyond their physical and mental limits. This trend is in line with other similar high-stress careers including police officers, doctors, emergency first responders. Attorneys and lawyers are also known to choose unhealthy habits to cope with the pressures, stress, and anxiety that come with their profession.

More specifically, alcohol abuse in combination with depression and anxiety are known to be relatively more common among legal professionals than in others.

An additional point to take into consideration is that lawyers and attorneys also suffer from extremely high levels of mental health problems. It has been reported that as high as 40% of law students suffer from depression right after their first year in law school. This unfortunate problem seems to continue all through their law school into their careers.

A study by the American Bar Association studies the frequency and quantities of alcohol consumption in 12,825 licensed and employed lawyers in 19 states around the US.

Based on anonymous responses to a questionnaire provided by study participants, results indicate that more than a quarter (28 percent) suffer from depression while 19 percent exhibited symptoms of anxiety.

Considering the functioning of the legal system, it is a common understanding that attorneys who argue cases in courts find that they have to compromise their ethical and moral values. They may also have to take positions that are contrary to their belief system and defend people they think are guilty. This is likely to generate an inner conflict depending on the personality and personal convictions of the lawyer.

Addiction to alcohol and drugs in the legal profession is a big problem that unfortunately put an end to many promising careers and lives.  

Taking steps to addressing mental health and stress related triggers early on in the law school is an important consideration.

It appears that finding a good work-life balance is difficult for lawyers and attorneys. This is especially true in the case of junior lawyers who generally will not have control over their schedules and workload.

An indirect factor for some of the stress experienced by men and women in legal profession is said to be high levels of debt that gets accumulated when studying in the law school. This huge burden could create a lot of pressure when the graduating young lawyers make their career decisions. It is important that these young professionals with a promising career need to keep in mind that their well-being is tied to keeping themselves physically and mentally healthy.

Fortunately, several treatment options in a private and confidential environment are available. It is important to seek help as soon as they recognize signs of addiction or substance abuse.

A majority of attorneys and other legal professionals regularly face ethical dilemmas and stress as part of their day to day work in high-pressure, competitive workplaces. Attorneys are among the professions listed under those prone to abuse of alcohol and drugs as a way to cope with the stress.

Surveys confirm that the rates of alcohol abuse in the legal profession are among the highest of any career in North America. This is reflected in the general impression among the public of a ‘drunk lawyer’.

Since lawyers are also highly paid professionals, it can be assumed that they get timely treatment for their addiction problems.

However, the biggest barrier to getting addiction treatment is said to be the belief among attorneys that admitting they had a problem could bring a bad reputation, damage their image in the society and essentially ruin their very career. They may also be afraid of co-workers finding out about their addiction or substance abuse.

These barriers to seeking the essential timely help calls for treatment options that can maintain a high degree of confidentiality and privacy.

For legal professionals, services exclusive to them have been the most effective in treating addiction. The first step is overcoming fear and asking for help.

International Lawyers in Alcoholics Anonymous is a group of recovered attorneys and judges carrying the message of recovery within the legal profession. Their primary role is to serve as a bridge between Alcoholics Anonymous and the legal professionals who are afraid or reluctant to seek help or in denial.

Experiences from the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous show that attorneys are worried about their anonymity if they attend the program. Even when they get over denying that they have a substance abuse problem, they are still reluctant to be seen publicly by attending the AA sessions.

If you are a legal professional feeling the overwhelming demands at work, it is advisable that you speak with your supervisor or a trusted mentor.  This is the most effective first step you can take. Many employers are committed to the physical and mental well-being if their employees and will be ready to help address the concerns. In addition, there are a number of other recovery resources available – such as paid time off or company-funded addiction treatment.

It is also important to talk with a family member or trusted friend who will be able to understand and give advice. This will help reduce pressure and provide much-needed support. To identify the best treatment option, it is useful to set up an appointment for a substance abuse evaluation with a counselor.

It is saddening to note that, attorneys are not left out in the addiction problem. As a matter of fact, the addiction problem which an attorney faces, might not necessarily begin in their career.

It could be a long term effect stemming from their days at law school, where they have been imbued with unnecessary pressure to finish with good grades. Getting good grades would imply that they get nice placement at law firms and other establishments.

The law profession is a very challenging one, and it is not for the faint-hearted. When it comes to taking care of cases, there is always much invested effort into ensuring they handle those cases well, and their clients do not lose.

So to prevent this, they put much research into such cases, in order to ensure that the investigation is thorough.

Hence, for some of these attorneys to cope properly beyond their limits, they need a form of motivation and inspiration, hence the addiction to alcohol and drugs. Attorneys who are addicted are usually of the belief that indulging in alcohol and drugs would make them perform better in their career.

In the long run, the addiction to substance abuse affects attorneys, as it would affect other individuals. Addiction has a great detrimental effect on the physical and mental health of an individual, and attorneys are not left out if they indulge.

For attorneys to rid themselves free of addiction, it is important for them to register for rehab services, specifically the ones which are conversant with the legal profession and the demands.

Attorneys are top executives, and the type of rehab where they would receive treatment, is different from the ones which conventional people would use.

It is easy for you to tell when an attorney is addicted, it would be obvious in their physical stature, their speech and the likes. The attorneys themselves would also notice that, there would be a decline in their productivity.

A good number of attorneys are not willing to admit their addiction problem, so that their career would not be dented. However, there is no harm opening up to an addiction counselor or therapist who would proffer the best course of action.

When it comes to addiction, it is a common severe problem among attorneys. A good number of attorneys are battling various forms of addiction, without the knowledge of the public. As you would expect, it would not be advisable for attorneys to make known to the public, that they are addicted, because of their professional status. Hence, a good number of them have resorted to other ways of managing their addiction.

Drugs and alcohol addiction, are the commonest type of addictions which attorneys face, and the reason for this is not far-fetched. Attorneys go through a lot of stress which comes with their work, and they hardly have any time to rest. There are times when they would spend long nights, making enquiries into difficult cases. Sometimes, having to handle a case could take up to several weeks, and they would arrive at nothing.

This stress-filled life has made some attorneys to use either drugs or alcohol to keep them mentally balanced, and free from stress. However, taking these substances comes with a lot of demerits.

First and foremost, drugs and alcohol addiction affects their sense of reasoning and judgement. Attorneys who are hooked on substance abuse, would find out along the line that, their sense of reasoning has been affected, and they would be most times partial in the assessment and evaluation of any case, and when this continues to happen in the long run, it implies that they would lose more cases, thereby having a dent on their legal career.

In addition to this, substance abuse in the long run has an adverse effect on their health. Attorneys in this case, would fall ill more often, and they would discover that the “high-effect” which the drugs and alcohol gives, is short-lived. Hence, they would find themselves battling stress, anxiety and depression more frequent than usual.

Addicted attorneys are advised to promptly seek help, so that they do not end up ruining their legal career. Knowing fully well that they cannot use conventional addiction treatment centre, they are advised to try out the executive option.

When an attorney confronts their own addiction problem and realizes they need help, just any standard addiction treatment program will not suffice. An attorney argues cases for a living. It would be far too easy for them to argue a case for their addiction in a standard treatment program. What an attorney really needs is an executive rehab because only there will they find addiction treatment professionals who are as intelligent as they are, who are able to call them on their excuses and justifications.

Executive rehab is addiction treatment on an attorney’s level. The material is more current, the environment is more accommodating and the staff is more highly educated and professional than at a standard rehab program. This is not to say that the staff of a standard rehab program are unintelligent or further behind. The staff of an executive rehab simply tends to be more highly certified and trained in their areas of expertise, making them more equipped to work with high profile individuals and brilliant professional minds.

Executive rehab programs are also very good about accommodating their client’s work commitments. The owners of executive rehabs know that their clientele does not always have the option of separating themselves completely from their professional obligations. Checking into rehab cannot mean checking out of the working world for a number of business professionals. Most executive rehab programs allow their clients to make their treatment schedules flexible in order to attend meetings, conferences and other in-person professional obligations. Executive rehabs will also frequently offer their clients a full business center so that they can work out of the treatment facility as well.

And lastly, an executive rehab will be far better at accommodating an attorney’s lifestyle than a standard rehab will. An attorney is in a position of prestige, and they are accustomed to some of the finer things in life. In an executive rehab, the accommodations and amenities will cater to this type of lifestyle so that the clients do not have to adjust to an entirely different lifestyle while they are recovering from addiction or substance abuse.

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Legal professions are some of the most stressful positions a person can hold. The legal systems in the United States and Canada are rigorous, carefully scrutinizing any given case with an attention to detail that most other professions come nowhere near. Legal professionals have to be this detail oriented in order to be successful in their line of work. But between the obsessive attention to detail, the high stakes, the expectations, the consequences and the time consumption of a legal career, many legal professionals find themselves stressed beyond what they can handle and slowly self destructing.

The legal professional’s attention to detail is its own source of stress. One small, missed detail can cost an attorney their case, or a judge their reputation. All of the legal system depends on the legal professionals knowing the details of the law inside and out, which is why a legal education is so grueling and a bar exam so difficult to pass. This hyper-perfectionism expected of legal professionals can be very taxing over time.

Another cause of a legal professional’s stress is simply how high the stakes are. Legal professionals determine the fates of many people who are processed through the legal system. When a case is brought against a person, the verdict that the court system arrives at can affect a person’s quality of life for years to come, and even their own mortality. Legal professionals go about their work everyday aware of how high the expectations are on them and how dire the consequences are if they fail.

Another fact about a legal professional’s stress is that their careers take up more time than other careers do. Compiling all the information for a case is a very heavy task, and an attorney may devote all their spare time to a case for weeks or months. This may consume time that they should be spending decompressing, being with family or taking care of their health, which increases their stress to an unmanageable level.

Approximately 16-percent of attorneys in Canada are struggling with substance abuse; a statistic that trumps other professions. This demographic requires very specific conditions of care when they seek treatment. Lawyers are high-functioning individuals who face exceptionally high levels of stress in their profession and need special accommodations and expertise in order to fully recover.

Most rehabilitation centers in Canada do not have the resources to provide attorneys with the treatment, environment, privacy and luxury that they expect and require in order to focus on their sobriety. For a successful rehabilitation, an attorney struggling with addiction should choose a luxury treatment center that specializes in high profile professions such as law.

Many attorneys do not want to admit to their substance abuse problem for fear that their career will be damaged. Nothing should inhibit an attorney struggling with addiction to seek treatment, as it is the best option for you, your colleagues and your personal relationships. Upscale rehabilitation centers will fiercely protect their patient’s privacy so they do not need to worry about their reputations, allowing them to focus completely on their recovery.

It is true that a luxury rehab is more expensive, but this is because the quality of the treatment is more reputable and current. Inpatient luxury rehabilitation will provide addicted attorneys with an environment where they can detox, receive counselling, undergo therapy and find continuing support, all while enjoying a fine quality of life and an abundance of privacy. Whether you are practicing law in Calgary, Vancouver or with an Okanagan law firm, there are luxury rehab opportunities in Canada that were designed specifically for you.

Stories of addiction are becoming entirely too common in the legal profession. Young attorneys are hand picked for their impressive academic resumes and are groomed to become law partners, but the stress and pace of the legal world soon get on top of them, and they turn to substance abuse in a desperate attempt to escape the pressures and expectations of their careers.

Substance abuse is the most common addiction found in the legal profession, far exceeding that of the general population. A vast majority of malpractice lawsuits are brought on by claims of substance abuse, creating credibility problems for lawyers. Firms that do not address addiction problems are more likely to be sued for malpractice, which indicates that cases of addiction are the firm’s problem, as well as the attorney’s.

In the past, it was common for law firms to be un-involved in their attorney’s addiction problems, but the ethic has changed in recent years. It is becoming the obligation of firm members to ensure that all attorneys within the firm are upholding a high ethical standard in practicing law. If an attorney within the firm is making decisions that endanger the firm’s reputation and have the potential to hurt the client’s interests, such as indulging in a substance abuse problem, it is the responsibility of the other firm members to hold them accountable for their conduct.

This ethic can often be found formally in the law firm’s code book, detailing what behavior will and will not be tolerated. It is often made clear to attorneys joining the firm that any choices they make in their personal life that negatively affect their professional performance will not be tolerated. Another ethic of the legal profession is to offer rehabilitation assistance and education on addiction rather than punishment.

With the right approach to addiction on the part of the law firm, the attorney in question can receive quality addiction treatment and return to practicing law, sparing their personal and professional life from ruin as well as restoring an asset to the law firm.