We all feel fluctuations in our moods (from elation to deep sadness). Some people feel this range of emotions to a lesser degree (find it hard to feel intense emotions) while others feel it to a greater degree (find it hard not to feel intense emotions). A common question we get is, “How can you tell the difference between a low mood and something more serious like depression?”.
While there is no magic to telling the difference between low mood and depression (people’s experiences exist on a continuum), there are some helpful guideposts to direct you toward solutions. I discuss a few of these guideposts in a recent podcast episode of the State Bar of Michigan: On Balance Podcast hosted by JoAnn Hathaway and Tish Vincent. In this episode we discussed the topic of Depression in the Legal Industry. I’ve also covered this topic in a previous blog post here.
A recent study on lawyer well-being found that practicing lawyers have a rate of depression that is 4 times higher than the general population. Not to oversimplify things, but law is stressful, and no one is immune from the effects of stress.
Whether you address feelings of depression through professional supports or not, the most important thing is to evaluate whether your technique is working. If it is not, be open to evaluating other methods that might be more effective. Depression is a treatable condition. Don’t put it off.
Lawyers, law students, and judges in Massachusetts can find more here on scheduling a Free & Confidential appointment with one of our licensed clinicians.
Dr. Jeff Fortgang, my colleague and co-author of The Full Weight of the Law: How Legal Professionals Can Recognize and Rebound from Depression (published by the ABA and available in our lending library), put together a survey on depression in lawyers to inform session together at the National Conference for Lawyer Assistance Programs in Charleston, SC in September 2018.
Read highlights from Jeff’s findings on lawyers’ recognition and response to depression here.
Shawn Healy, Ph.D.
