I am a lawyer. I am also an alcoholic. I drank in college, but the alcoholic drinking started in the military and persisted through law school and the next 22 years. I was a quiet drinker. I did not hang out in bars; I drank either in the office at night or at home. I […]
Standing at the doorway of the courtroom, I reflected on how I had come to be here as a civil court judge. My reverie took me back to another time when I stood at the door of a different room, where a meeting of recovering alcoholics was in progress. I recalled wondering how I had […]
The LAP received a call on the afternoon of July 24, 2007, from the daughter of an aging attorney. She said that she needed assistance to help her 90-year-old father close his law practice. Though I did not speak with the woman, my initial impression was that she was seeking to have someone from the […]
What is the difference between being a conscientious lawyer and a worrier? While they may at first blush seem to be similar, an understanding of the physiology of worry shows how different they really are. Worrying involves spending a lot of time thinking about negative possibilities. Worrying becomes a problem when the excessive thinking of […]
It wasn’t too long ago that you saw him on television and read about him in the newspapers, as he spoke for his famous client. He relished the spotlight, the notoriety, and the money; and he seemed to be at the top of his career. Mike, a pugnacious lawyer, was short in stature but larger […]
What are the common risk factors for a heart attack? Obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure rate at the top of the list. But most heart attack victims have absolutely NO advance warning symptoms. Believe it or not, the first heart disease symptom they experience is the actual heart attack! There is a little-known […]
“Nature has given us one tongue, but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.” Epictetus Communication is a fundamental aspect of work in the legal profession. Often we take the process for granted. Effective communication is part of what makes for success and satisfaction. Lawyers often see their […]
In our society, there is a very negative and prevalent association with the words “addict” and “alcoholic.” This antiquated association was, and continues to be, born of ignorance and unhealthy shame, or stigma. Shame and the societal stigma that accompanies it are detrimental to understanding addiction, identifying those in need of treatment, and facilitating acceptance, […]
It was like any other Monday morning. I got up and got in the shower and began planning the day ahead. After a few minutes I started feeling dizzy while I was shaving. My heart started racing, my breathing became short and erratic, and an unexplainable sense of fear overcame me. The anxiety seemed to […]
I was always able to get by on my brains and wits, so the drinking in high school and later in college wasn’t an obstacle to making it through. Of course, I wasted my brains by doing as little as possible academically, had a good time, and finished college with “gentlemans.” Looking back on it […]
Following is the story of a North Carolina Bar member. In the spirit of avoiding pride in recovery, it is provided to you anonymously. While in my first year of law school my father passed away from hard living and booze. I was terribly angry with him at death too. Not only was there the hurt […]
Two lawyers who were very respected members of the Bar were both patients seeing the same counselor. Each had come because of loneliness, depression, and burnout. Neither was aware that the other was also seeking help. As the sessions progressed both men talked about their deep caring about many of their clients and their love […]