Stressed out

Not long ago a successful young female solicitor, who I did not know but had come across, married with three young children, killed herself. One of the things about life as a lawyer which is the great elephant in the room that no one mentions is the question of stress and the pressure of the job.

What this illustrated about stress and depression was that this was a woman with everything to live for both as regards husband, family, and career. Unfortunately the pressure obviously got to the stage where she could no longer recognise how much she meant to all those people and how if things got to be too much for you you are not letting people down if you step back from it.

Studies have shown that depression and stress are rife amongst lawyers. At the same time, although notionally one could seek support, the problem is that no one ever wants to show such a sign of weakness.

I often think that to some extent the same must apply to the judiciary. There was the judge who recently resigned against the background of two drink related driving offences. Was the stress of the job a factor? We do not know. Although there are facilities available for people to seek assistance, the problem is everyone always regards them as a one-way ticket to Palookaville, i.e. a fast-track to oblivion. One of the problems that support systems always have to grapple with, is that part of the stress is the fear of not making the grade. If by seeking help you effectively put yourself out of any chance of progression or promotion, then it is not only unlikely to help, but you're unlikely to seek help in the first place.

This of course is by no means to say that stress is unique to lawyers. I'm sure that there are many other professions or occupations that involve stress. I do not for a moment wish to compare the stress of being a lawyer with the stress of trying to clear landmines in Afghanistan. However legal stress does involve a particularly difficult combination. That involves lots of responsibility, lots of pressure, huge expectation, and utterly utterly relentless hours with frequently no way of putting things off. If a case is taking place, or a deal is taking place, legal advice after the event is worse than useless.

I think I cope extraordinarily well with stress, but possibly virtually every lawyer would tell you the same (about themselves, not about me). In my case I think it's true but others may tell a different story about me at different times and in different circumstances. While I may cope with the stress, it does sometimes mean that it's difficult to turn off. Others may spot the signs of stress that you yourself miss entirely.

While it may sound utterly banal to say so, if your job is making your life a complete misery then it is simply not worth it. Neither the status, nor the stimulation, nor the responsibility, nor the achievement, nor the money, can possibly ever be worth getting to the stage where you have no life or feel your life is not worth living.

While that might seem obvious, it is rarely as simple as that. CS Lewis once described the road to hell in terms to the effect that it was not an obvious path, but operated on gently descending and meandering byways, so that you're almost there before you realise what was happening. Stress and overwork is like that. You think you are on top of things and by the time you realise there is a problem you are often beyond the point of no return.

Frequent short breaks are a good idea. (Long weekends are perfect: one of the problems about long holidays is that usually the stress of clearing the desk to go on them, and the consequential pandemonium when you return, exceeds the benefit of the holiday itself). Another good idea is trying to make sure that you get into the habit of doing something completely different each weekend. Equally valuable is trying to ensure that you have at least one hobby. Also to be recommended is trying to stay in touch with your friends however sporadically.

If you become a lawyer you will probably frequently fail in relation to all these efforts to lead a normal life. Unless you at least try however you are likely, sooner or later, to have real problems.