Secondary PTSD among Lawyers and Judges: Real and Frequent

I have been diagnosed with and have lived experience with secondary PTSD.  I have now received treatment and strategies for it.  This has also included peer support and saved my life.   

I did not receive this diagnosis (let alone treatment) until I was in my early 50s and after more than three decades as a lawyer.  As a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer, I certainly knew most of my clients were in severe emotional distress.  And I felt much empathy for them and was determined to help them.   Most of my clients commented about what a caring lawyer I was.  I had no idea how high the risk is for me and other lawyers, as well as judges, for secondary trauma or PTSD.   It is not anything I ever remember being discussed among lawyers.   Like many others with this sort of PTSD, I was exposed to highly charged, emotional situations, as well as often disturbing evidence, which can lead to vicarious traumatization associated with changes in self-identity, spirituality, and one’s sense of safety and trust.  I lost sleep, worried incessantly if I was missing something or doing enough, and had severe mood swings and anger.  I “self-medicated” for many years, which became its own problem with its own adverse and complicating (and further traumatic) consequences.   I have posted another blog on this page about my substance use/self-medication struggles and recovery.

I now know that lawyers and judges are at very high risk of secondary PTSD.   This is especially true of those practicing and adjudicating in certain areas of law, such as, just for example, criminal, family, civil rights, and immigration.  In fact, studies comparing legal professionals’ secondary trauma to other occupations have shown PTSD symptoms and psychological distress were greater for lawyers:  higher for lawyers than for social workers and psychologists; higher for lawyers than for other mental health providers; higher for lawyers than for administrative support staff; and higher for immigration lawyers than for hospital or prison staff.  And these studies were conducted before events in the current legal climate.   

I hope you will watch this short and powerful video from Prosecutor Michael J. Rourke about his own PTSD experience, and the proactive efforts he has undertaken to receive and provide peer support for his colleagues:   

I also recommend any lawyer, law student or judge take the short self-test regarding PTSD at the WaLAL website, and after learning the results of the evaluation, see the evidence based resources that are offered.

Leslie Hagin, JD (President Of Washington Lawyers Assisting Lawyers) lhagin@walal.org