Drugs, Alcohol, and Other Perils: JLAP Can

Help

By the end of this session you will be better able to:•Describe services available to judges, lawyers, and law students through JLAP•Recognize warning signs of substance abuse, depression, and compassion fatigue/burnout•Identify the role of friends and colleagues in helping an impaired lawyer•Create a self care plan to protect yourself against compassion fatigue

Learning Objectives

What is JLAP?

JLAP helps law students, lawyers, and judges dealing with stress, mental health, substance abuse, or any other issues affecting their quality of life and ability to practice law.

Some Myths You May Have Heard

Myth

JLAP only works with substance abuse issues.

We help with:

Fact

Myth

If I call JLAP they will report what I say to the Disciplinary Commission.

Fact

• JLAP is entirely separate from the Disciplinary Commission.

• In addition, any contact you have with JLAP is held in strict confidence under Admission and Discipline Rule 31. Whether you are calling because you need help yourself or because you are concerned for a friend or colleague, no one will know about your call unless you give your permission.

Myth

JLAP is just for people who are in trouble with the Disciplinary Commission.

Fact

The majority of the people working with JLAP come to us voluntarily. Only about 10-15% of our cases are formal referrals, and the remainder are either self-referred or are referred by a concerned friend, family member, or colleague.

The Bottom Line

The earlier JLAP can get involved, the more we can do to get the person the help they need and avoid any legal, admission, or disciplinary issues.

Signs of Trouble:Substance Use &

Depression

Changes from Baseline

• Everyone has a baseline for personality traits and behavior

• Warning signs are always relative to the person’s baseline

Early Warning Signs: • Client neglect• Unreturned phone calls/unopened

mail• Late for hearings/depositions• Barely making deadlines• Cancelled appointments• Increased sick days• Technical trust violations

Later Stage Warning Signs

• Failure to appear at office or court• Intoxicated in court• Unprofessional appearance/hygiene• Inappropriate mood (angry, withdrawn)• Substantive trust violations

(misappropriation)• Statute of limitations violations• Dishonesty to tribunal• Abandonment of practice

Substance Abuse

• A maladaptive pattern of use continued despite significant substance related problems.

• It is a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease. It cannot be cured but can be successfully managed.

Difficulty in Diagnosing

• 66% of American Adults drink alcohol. (2012 Gallup Poll)

• What is the difference between a mental illness and normality?

• It is not how much or how often you drink or use, but what happens to you when you do, including during the use and later consequences.

The Disease of Alcoholism

• Primary Disease• Progressive• Fatal• Treatable• Relapse is common• Genetics play a part• Denial is a hallmark of the disease

Signs of Depression

• Changes in sleep pattern• Appears sad or quiet• Change in appetite or weight• Loss of interest in activities

previously enjoyed• Decreased ability to concentrate• Decreased energy

More Signs of Depression

• Slowed motor activity or agitation• Thoughts of suicide or death and

dying• Unexplained physical symptoms • Isolating• Uncharacteristic irritability• Uncharacteristic disorganization

Causes of Depression

• Inherited Predisposition/Genetics• Chemical Imbalance in the brain• Stress – chronic or acute• Medical problems – thyroid, heart• Medication Side Effects • Personality/World View• Abuse of Alcohol or other drugs

Depression is Treatable

• Rule out Physical Causes• Individual Therapy• Medication• Support Groups• Partial Hospitalization or IOP• Exercise• Review of Alcohol Consumption

The Role of Friends and Colleagues

What You Can Do

• Recognize Problem• Avoid Enabling Behaviors• Address the problem head on• Call JLAP to help locate

resources

Early Intervention Pays Off

• Saves lives in some cases• Better chance to save law practice• Increased chance of saving

relationships

How to Help: DO•Educate•Observe•LISTEN•Respect•Support•Offer Options•Motivate•Treat everyone involved as adults responsible for their own behaviors and decisions

How to Help: DON’T

• Diagnose• Accuse• Direct• Solve• Order• Blame• Assume• Enable

We want to avoid this…

Why are Lawyers Stressed?

• Adversarial System• Long Hours• Rigid deadlines• Clients• Uncivil Colleagues• Compassion Fatigue

Compassion Fatigue

“The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet.” (Remen, 1996)

What Is Compassion Fatigue

• A condition resulting specifically from empathizing with people who are experiencing pain and suffering

• The emotional residue or strain of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events

DOING…

• Too much• For too long• With too few resources• And working with the big uglies

in life

Contributing Factors

• Nature of the work

• Nature of the clientele

• Nature of the worker

• Nature of the social/cultural context

Signs & Symptoms• Exhaustion• Uncharacteristic anger and irritability• Losing compassion for some people while

becoming over involved with others• Experiencing illness, aches, or pains• Dread of working with certain clients/cases• Diminished sense of satisfaction with work• Difficulty separating work life from personal life• Heightened anxiety or intrusive imagery

Why We Need to Care about Compassion

Fatigue

The Cost Of Compassion Fatigue at Work:

• Reduced productivity in yourself• Influence others and reduce their

productivity• Not able to serve clients to your best

ability

The Cost Of Compassion Fatigue…to You

• Reduced effectiveness in all areas• Lower self-esteem• Feeling of guilt in not fulfilling

commitments

The Cost Of Compassion Fatigue to Those You Love

• You are emotionally drained or unavailable

• You feel disconnected or aloof

Preventing Compassion Fatigue Through Self Care

• Sleep 7-9 hours a night• Follow a regular exercise regimen• Connect with someone daily• Set boundaries• Unplug• Laugh• Cultivate your creativity• Good nutrition (excellence, not

perfection)

Self Care Inventory

• See handout• Mark an “X” by the things you

already do• Mark an “O” by things you would

like to do more

Developing a Self Care Plan

• Warning signs and symptoms• Accountability partners• What things I can control• How I will relieve stress• How I will prevent/reduce stress

Commit to Change

• What changes will you make in the next–Week–Month–Year

• Keep this list where you can see it• Share it with your accountability

partner