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I am Medicine and I am Poison

Rule number one of not getting yourself torn into little bitty shreds on N&B is probably to avoid making things too personal. I?m breaking that rule as I write this post tonight, which involves a topic that?s intensely personal to me?both as a budding young member of the legal profession, and as someone who just yesterday lost another family member to a needless disease.

That disease being, alcoholism.

To recap what most of us already know: Alcoholism, and other forms of substance abuse, disproportionately affect those in the legal profession. Most statistics show that substance abuse is twice as likely among attorneys compared to the general population, with about 18% of all lawyers admitting to having a problem with drinking (that number goes up to 25% if you?ve been practicing for 20 years or more).

Why lawyers are more prone to substance abuse is an interesting question. A 2009 article in the ABA Journal seemed to suggest that personality traits like perfectionism, overachiever tendencies and a workaholic nature may help high-functioning alcoholics succeed professionally despite their disease. Common sense offers other reasons as well: Low job satisfaction, being unable to function socially without alcohol, and depression.

Given these statistics, I'm disappointed by the lack of alcohol education at Boalt. We bury this issue in courses on professional responsibility (and let?s be honest, how many of us are even lucid in those classes)?or maybe an occasional message from our resident shrink. Meanwhile, the social culture here is unashamedly dependent on alcohol.

Let me make myself clear before I get added to some kind of ?Kip?s Revolt? hit list. I?m not advocating against Bar Review, having a good time, etc. I am a social drinker myself, despite the heavy toll alcohol has taken on my family. But after two years of walking the halls?at a professional school, mind you?hearing ?OH MY GAWWD I got so hammered last night!!? and getting emails from journals, plying me with ?Free booze? oh, and did we mention, more free booze??? and attending meetings where red cups are being passed around under the tables, I?ve become concerned.

I don?t want to be preachy. I suppose I have no better takeaway for my fellow Boalties than just: Be careful guys, okay? If you have inklings that dependency might be an issue, look into it? the earlier, the better. And you aren?t alone? contrary to popular belief, this isn?t a disease that only affects 40-somethings. It often takes root in the behaviors of people in their 20s and 30s, who are under extreme stress (just like us).

As a final note, I?d caution against assuming that everyone around you likes to drink. Alcoholics, and those of us who have lost loved ones to the disease, are typically a silent bunch. We like to fit in, and fly under the radar. When you?re sharing stories about how funny and drunk you were, or insist that someone else have a drink, try to be mindful that some of your peers may be struggling already because of alcohol, in one way or another.

Full post as published by Nuts & Boalts on March 03, 2011 (boomark / email).