Common patterns

In my time volunteering on the helpline for LawCare, as well as working with lawyers as a psychologist in private practice, certain patterns appear regularly in this group.

Thinking ‘worst case scenario’ makes for a good lawyer – but it can be problematic when practised in personal life. Can you distinguish this thinking as a necessary work-related strategy while creating a more balanced narrative in your personal life? Thinking ‘worst case scenario’ in life generally tends to influence levels of anxiety and depression.

Managing anxiety or depression

Anxiety and depression are conditions of the nervous system and their management is often very practical. Managing both the physiological stress response and thinking patterns can effect a change in levels of anxiety/depression. Examples of managing the body’s stress response include:

• Diaphragmatic breathing,
• Regular breaks,
• Exercise and relaxation,
• Maintaining social contact,
• Improving sleep and diet (eg. low levels of B12, excessive alcohol, sugar and caffeine use are known to increase anxiety and depression).

Processing emotions

Anxious and depressed thinking is always negative. Reframe negative self-talk – what percentage of your thinking is based in reality and how much is fear-driven? Reality-check your thoughts and create a balanced narrative of your situation, taking into account your strengths, capabilities and resources. Develop the practice of disengaging with anxious thinking (a mindfulness practice).

Processing of emotion is not a use of logic. Connecting with emotion and working with it through the body can be challenging for professionals trained to use rationality and mental acuity to problem-solve. Sitting with the distress (naming the emotion; locating where it is held in the body; ‘make room’ for, breathe into and ‘hold’ the discomfort; watching what happens with your mind’s eye until the distress dissipates) is a surprisingly effective strategy that dissipates emotion more quickly than trying to avoid it.

Depression doesn’t develop overnight. It often develops by degrees and individuals are not always aware until it becomes pervasive. If, over a two week period or longer, you notice a change in your usual work practice or withdrawal from normal daily activities, experience continued feelings of hopelessness and overwhelm or thoughts of self-harm, seek medical or therapeutic assistance without delay.

Talking through an issue, exploring options and deciding on a course of action is a pragmatic approach which many callers to LawCare find helpful.  Contact the helpline on 1800 991 801 or visit www.lawcare.ie.

eNewsletters

This article originally appeared in the June 2018 Law Society eZine. For more information, and to subscribe, see enewsletters.