These articles are written by the family members of Mississippi lawyers lost to suicide. But for the Grace of God these stories could be about anyone of us affected with these illnesses. Rodney, Robert, and Portrait were real people, loving fathers, husbands, and lawyers. Often our culture focuses on “the suicide.” With these stories we […]
Archive for the ‘Depression & Suicide’ Category
The Price of Modernity and the Loss of Love
Posted byYou have probably noticed the rash of recent biographies about the founding fathers. Why do we have this thirst for insight into the lives of our heroic American forefathers? We seem to long for a sense of greatness in ourselves and our leaders that seems missing in our complex modern lives. A forthcoming biography focusing […]
The Promises of Alcoholics Anonymous
Posted byOne morning I went to a place beyond dawn. A source of sweetness that flows and is never less. I have been shown a beauty that would confuse both worlds, but I won’t cause that uproar. – ‘Rumi No matter how we grow up -wealthy or poor, well loved or forsaken – we form a view of life. […]
The Pursuit of Happiness
Posted by” . . . [H]appiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.” – Victor Frankel Thomas Jefferson’s phrase has long resonated in the minds of Americans. But only recently has there been extensive research on what makes people happy. For many years, […]
Trouble Sleeping
Posted byThe lawyer explained, “just don’t have time to see my doctor.” Or, the explanation of what he did not have time for could have been, go to support group meetings, see a therapist, play with my kids, or take my spouse out to dinner. One of the great benefits and burdens of technology has been the […]
The Importance of Trust and Curiosity In Treatment
Posted byTurns out that one of the most important aspects to addressing any emotional, mental health or addiction problem is learning to be curious. Over the years, numerous studies of the application of different psychological theories have failed to show any factor about a particular theory which made the application of that psychological theory better than […]
When Does Meaningful Change Occur?
Posted byMalcolm Gladwell has written a book called, The Tipping Point. Gladwell wants to know what made Paul Revere’s ride successful. How did Hush Puppies, sometime in the late 90’s, become high fashion? What caused the crime rate in New York City to fall almost in half in five years and for the murder rate to drop 64.3%? […]
It’s Now Easier for Law Students to Get Help
Posted byEvery now and then the Lawyer Assistance Program gets a call from a law student at one of our seven North Carolina law schools. The student would rather talk without giving his or her name. The LAP person answering the phone says that’s OK and asks what the concerns are. Usually the student is facing […]
A Revealing Survey Sheds Light On The Well-being of Lawyers
Posted byClose to ten years ago, the members of the Consortium for Professional Recovery Programs began discussing a collaborative project to survey North Carolina professionals. This consortium, comprised of representatives from medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, psychology, nursing, and social work, met regularly to discuss methods to improve the behavioral health issues experienced by their professionals. The […]
There’s Happiness in Healthy Relationships
Posted byRecently social scientists have taken a look at the relationship between material well-being and emotional well-being or happiness. For most of the world, greater levels of material wealth have led to greater levels of perceived emotional well-being, most everywhere, that is, but in the United States. (The Atlantic, January/February 2003) In the United States, those defining […]