Don't spend another day suffering from depression or substance abuse
A confidential phone call to a member of the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program could be the most important call you will ever make.
All inquiries, questions and conferences are privileged and held in the strictest confidence between the program and the lawyer by ยง 8.3(f) of Rule 407, SCACR.
Call the Lawyers Helping Lawyers toll free helpline at 1.866.545.9590. or contact any of the Lawyers Helping Lawyers committee members directly.
Lawyers Helping Lawyers - Can Help
Lawyers Helping Lawyers provides confidential services and assistance through a volunteer network of judges and lawyers to members of the legal profession in South Carolina who suffer from substance abuse and/or depression.
Lawyers Helping Lawyers is a program of the South Carolina Bar that assists legal professionals by providing referral services, peer support and monitoring services. In addition, the program sponsors preventative services including educational outreach, mailing and literature distribution, display ads in various periodicals and media, and presentations to the judiciary, the University of South Carolina School of Law and various Bar groups. Lawyers Helping Lawyers also provides sponsorship of and curriculum for continuing legal education programs.
Lawyers Helping Lawyers is not a treatment program, counseling center, employment agency, legal referral center or employee assistance program; however, all of these services can be accessed through the program's resources and referrals. Lawyers Helping Lawyers is not a twelve-step program. However, the program often recommends participation in programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or other recovery programs as major resources for a lawyer's or judge's recovery.
Lawyers Helping Lawyers program will be administered by professional personnel employed by the South Carolina Bar.
Depression
Are you suffering from depression?
If so, you are not alone. Lawyers are three times more likely to suffer from depression than any other professionals. But depression does not discriminate. According to the National Mental Health Association, more than 19 million Americans (8.3 percent) will have a depressive disorder at least once during their lifetime, and more than 10 million Americans (5.8 percent) currently have a depressive disorder.
The South Carolina Bar's Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program is now providing resources and support for lawyers suffering from depression.
Symptoms of Depression Include:
Depressed mood most of the day;
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or most activities;
Significant weight loss or gain;
Sleep disturbances;
Fatigue or loss of energy;
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt;
Indecisiveness and diminished ability to think or concentrate;
Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide; and
Suicide attempts.
Substance Abuse
Is your life out of control because of an alcohol or drug problem?
If so, let the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program help. This confidential member service of the South Carolina Bar has a program director, and volunteer fellow lawyers throughout the state who are sympathetic to your needs and can help you obtain assistance and/or treatment.
About 14 to 18 percent of the work force-an estimated 118 million civilian workers-are addicted to alcohol and drugs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. But alcoholism and drug addiction are treatable illnesses. A lawyer or judge who has an alcohol or drug abuse problem can recover by getting help. Those who seek and get help have an excellent chance of recovering.
Symptoms of Alcoholism Include:
Blackouts;
Increased tolerance to alcohol;
Problems with relationships or on the job;
Preoccupation with alcohol;
Loss of predictability over control;
Attempts to control drinking;
Mood swings or changes in personality;
Feelings of guilt;
Shaking or D.T.s after heavy drinking; and
Physical deterioration and other medical problems.
Help You Can Trust
When you decide it's time to reach out for help, call people you can trust. Call Robert Turnbull at the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program. Robert, director of the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program, knows lawyers and the stresses they encounter, the problems they face day to day. This assistance is confidential.
1.866.545.9590
All calls are confidential and toll-free.