Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 80, No. 8, August 2007
This series of questions about one's use of alcohol and/or drugs is an informal inventory of "tell-tale signs" with many items tailored to lawyers. It is not a list of official diagnostic criteria and does not substitute for a professional evaluation.
1) Do I plan my office routine around my drinking or drug use?
2) Have I tried unsuccessfully to control or abstain from alcohol or drugs?
3) Do my clients, associates, or support personnel contend that my alcohol/drug use interferes with my work?
4) Have I avoided important professional, social, or recreational activities as a result of my alcohol/drug use?
5) Do I ever use alcohol or drugs before meetings or court appearances, to calm my nerves, or to feel more confident of my performance?
6) Do I frequently drink or use drugs alone?
7) Have I ever neglected the running of my office or misused funds because of my alcohol or drug use?
8) Have I ever had a loss of memory when I seemed to be alert and functioning but had been using alcohol or drugs?
9) Have I missed or adjourned closings, court appearances, or other appointments because of my alcohol/drug use?
10) Is drinking or drug use leading me to become careless of my family's welfare or other personal responsibilities?
11) Has my ambition or efficiency decreased along with an increase in my use of drugs or alcohol?
12) Have I continued to drink or use drugs despite adverse consequences to my practice, health, legal status, or family relationships?
13) Are strong emotions related to my drinking or drug use (e.g., fear, guilt, depression, severe anxiety) interfering with my ability to function professionally?
14) Are otherwise close friends avoiding being around me because of my alcohol or drug use?
15) Have I been neglecting my hygiene, health care, or nutrition?
16) Am I becoming increasingly reluctant to face my clients or colleagues in order to hide my alcohol/drug use?
A "yes" answer to any of these questions suggests that it would be wise to seek professional evaluation, but may or may not indicate that you have a diagnosable addictive disorder. Evaluations of alcohol/drug problems should be done by a clinician with addiction credentials and/or experience working in an addiction-oriented setting.
This list is used with permission of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Inc., a private, nonprofit Massachusetts corporation funded by all Massachusetts-licensed attorneys, and available at www.lclma.org.
Wisconsin Lawyers' Assistance Program, You're Never Alone
Lawyers are human, and we experience human emotional problems that can affect our work, leading to difficulties in professional performance and, sometimes, to ethical lapses.
The Wisconsin Lawyers' Assistance Program (WisLAP) provides confidential, meaningful assistance to lawyers, judges, law students and their families in coping with alcoholism and other addictions, depression, acute and chronic anxiety, and other problems related to the stress of practicing law.
WisLAP treats each request for help with the same confidentiality as a lawyer-client relationship. WisLAP is exempt from reporting professional misconduct to the Office of Lawyer Regulation under Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule 20:8.3(c)(2). WisLAP does not require callers to disclose their identity and does not keep any case records.
WisLAP volunteers and staff help the State Bar and its members by:
- providing advice on coping with mental health and addiction problems;
- putting callers in touch with a member of the program's extensive network of trained volunteer lawyers, even on nights and weekends, when callers need to talk to someone who has faced similar problems;
- locating professional resources and treatment programs both in the caller's area and around the country;
- presenting educational programs on mental health and addiction problems to local bar associations, law firms, judges, and law students;
- providing information on traditional and nontraditional recovery programs; and
- arranging for interventions in situations in which a lawyer's problem is so overwhelming that it is interfering with his or her practice and personal life.
WisLAP Educational Programs: To schedule a program for your group or receive more information on WisLAP, contact the State Bar of Wisconsin at (800) 728-7788 or (608) 257-3838.
WisLAP Available 24/7: (800) 543-2625
Wisconsin Lawyer
