Health

HEALTH • Winter 2018 19 years of law school bearing down on practicing attorneys. According to the American Bar Association, law students can expect to carry debt of more than $150,000. "They need to work hard in order to get that bonus to help pay off those loans," Isaacson said. Law school, Isaccson said, is where studies show the decline in mental health begins. "There's an old saying about the thrill of being admitted to law school ending of the first day of classes," he said. Anthony Salerno, a partner at Longton's firm, said legal education doesn't educate attorneys on how to deal with stress. Law school also lacks in educating young attorneys on how to run a business, he said. In addition to practicing law, have to manage a business too. According to Salerno, attorneys in small firms have three things to maintain: skill level, the business and family. "Unfortunately, there's only time for two of those things during a 24-hour day," he said. Salerno spent 10 years as a Massachusetts state trooper in a variety of roles and was quickly exposed to the realities of life he said prepared him for life as a lawyer. "I've probably done 100 autopsies," he said. "When you take that and kind of have that experience and exposure, you can deal with stressful things a little easier." Despite confidence and an exer- cise routine to help keep stress levels down, there is still one thing about being a trial attorney that haunts Salerno and every trial lawyer: when the jury comes out with a verdict. "My chest still pounds every time I hear that foreperson stand up and say 'guilty' or 'not guilty,'" he said. That anxiety can turn to depres- sion when the months or maybe years spent working on a case is seemingly useless after a guilty ver- dict, Salerno said "It's crushing," Salerno said of los- ing a case. A defeat, he said, can force a lawyer to question his or her abilities or fixate on any mistakes. It's the failure to acknowledge the stress and the failure to do some- thing about it that can derail an attorney's career and life, Salerno said. Robert Cox, a managing partner and environmental lawyer at Worcester firm Bowditch & Dewey, said the demand of the profession Holden Hearing Aid Center, Inc. 695 Main Street, Holden MA 01520 Phone: (508) 829-5566 www.HoldenHearingAid.com Let our Center help you HEAR better! Matthew Moreno, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology Swim Plugs We offer comprehensive hearing care services including complete hearing evaluations, hearing loss rehabilitation, education and counseling. Amplified Phones Hearing Aids Batteries & Accessories Assisted Listening Devices Hearing Evaluations Wax Removal Hearing Protection Musician's Ear Plugs edging that someone could use some help, Botsford said. There are already organizations that address the mental health of lawyers, including Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, a Boston-based organization that promotes the well-being and resilience in the legal community. Executive Director Anna Levine is on the SJC's committee. "It seems to be that one of the important goals of any effort is to try to reduce that stigma," Botsford said. Organizations like Worcester-based Spectrum Health Systems is one of several that is trying to do just that. Attorneys have frequented the mental health services of Spectrum at an increasing rate, said CEO Kurt Isaacson. "If you're a litigator, you sometimes have to defend people who have allegedly committed crimes you find morally abhorrent," Isaacson said, cit- ing mass shooting cases. "I'm sure these lawyers defending those shoot- ers feel an obligation to provide a defense for them, but they can't feel morally good about it." That dynamic sets up a conflict that breeds depression and anxiety, Isaacson said. To cope, many attor- neys turn to drugs and alcohol. Also contributing to that stress is the weight of student loans from The impact of the legal profession A 2016 study in the journal of addiction medicine found troublesome results for substance abuse and psychological effects in lawyers.* have been increasing every year as technology advances. "There is a demand, as there should be, from clients that matches the tech- nologies we see day to day," he said. Responses are now expected promptly, but legal briefs still must be accurate and deliberate. To ease that stress, the firm has partnered with UMass Memorial Health Care to provide an employee assistance program that offers ways to reduce stress and address behaviors like alcoholism and drug abuse. The 104-year-old firm is on the smaller side, but a lawyer who's been there for a decade is still considered a newbie. That close, family-like atmosphere helps to keep everyone happy while performing at a high level in a tough industry. "Our practice demands that we devote a lot of time to it," he said. "It can be exhilarating and fun, but it's still time-consuming to do." H Lawyer Nicole Colby Longton says lawyers often have to remove emotion to serve their clients. Symptoms of depression Symptoms of anxiety Symptoms of stress Hazardous drinking or possible alcohol abuse 28% 19% 23% 36% * Researchers said the results showed "a concerning amount of behavioral health problems" among 13,000 lawyers surveyed. Source: Journal of Addiction Medicine (2016) P H O T O / Z A C H A R Y C O M E A U

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