She has everything she has always wanted, yet feels enervated and guilty about not enjoying her success. Edgar graduated from law school four years ago. He took a temporary job at a hardware store while looking for legal work, but his last employment interview was two years ago. He still works at the hardware store. Edgar feels hopeless and worthless.
Studies show that lawyers are more likely to be depressed than other professionals.
I regularly see depression in the lawyers I counsel through the Washington State Bar Association's Lawyers' Assistance Program. Depression is often associated with feelings of loss, isolation, powerlessness and hopelessness. Three environmental factors Law is a largely adversarial enterprise in which the winner takes all. Barbara Harper, director of our Lawyers' Assistance Program, believes it is often this adversarial attitude that contributes to depression. In his 1994 book, The Soul of the Law, psychotherapist and lawyer Benjamin Sells notes that his lawyer-clients frequently experience problems in maintaining close relationships.