Ron’s Story

Six years ago, when I was entering my seventeenth year in my law practice, I hit emotional crisis. I had been working so hard, for so long, and for much of that time I felt unhappy and anxious. My crisis came when I was in a meeting with another law partner.  I felt a profound wave of sadness come over me, I lowered my head, and I began to cry. Nothing in particular that day triggered the breakdown. It was simply a culmination of years of undiagnosed anxiety and depression. 

Looking back now, it is no surprise that I reached a place of crisis. Markers of emotional turmoil were present throughout much of my adult life.  I was the victim of a violent home invasion when I was a teenager. The trauma of that event went untreated, substantially contributing to my emotional condition. 

Leading up to the day of my crisis, uncontrolled frustration regularly bubbled to the surface. A deep sadness often overwhelmed me. I was anxious, nervous, and at times profoundly unhappy.     

Up to that day, I kept having the same thought: “This is what a lawyer does. A lawyer’s job is hard. A lawyer’s job is mentally exhausting. A lawyer’s job is 24/7. The fact that I feel unhappy. The fact that I feel sad. The fact that I feel angry. That’s just what you do. You button up your suit and go into court.” 

I was wrong! 

The day I hit emotional crisis, I reached out to a psychiatrist who referred me to a therapist. The very next day I started seeing my therapist, and my personal journey to health began. 

Through therapy, I learned how to embrace and manage my emotions. As I became healthy, I began to see the beauty in the world around me. Becoming healthy opened my eyes to a world that had hidden its face from me for so long. Important to my profession, through therapy, I found pleasure and meaning in the practice of law in ways never felt before. 

I also learned that being mentally healthy required attention to proper life balance. Work could not be all I did. Therefore, I embraced healthy amounts of exercise, as well as getting outdoors and kayaking. These activities took me to a place of peace. Today, even when I don’t believe  I have time to exercise or get outside, I make time. It is an important release that allows my mind to relax; this way, when the stress of my profession dominates my day, I am mentally rested and prepared to meet the challenge. 

Now that I am healthy, I enjoy practicing law more than I ever have. I was a good advocate before; I’m a great advocate now because I’ve been able to shed so much of the emotional baggage that was holding me back.

My journey has also made me a better father, husband, friend, and colleague. You may need professional help like me. If so, please reach out to a professional. In other cases, you may simply need a friend to walk beside you. Right now is the time to take the first step by joining an Issues Lawyers Face support group where other members of the legal profession can walk beside you as friends.