(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – For many lawyers, the effects of the job can include declining mental health, substance abuse, problem gambling, suicide ideation, and even declining cognitive skills. These are the results of a survey of Illinois attorneys, “The Weight of Practice,” commissioned by the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program.

Factors include the stress of being part of people’s lives when their clients endure experiences which are difficult to let go of; the stigma of seeking help; fear that potential clients will not hire a lawyer who is getting treatment for behavioral health; and the constant demand to rack up billable hours.

Diana Uchiyama, ILAP’s executive director, says the results are concerning

“We have a population of attorneys that struggle with mental health issues,” said Uchiyama. “What we didn’t know is how many were in (self-classified) poor or fair health, and that came out to be twenty percent of the people who responded with one third of those having suicidal ideation and 24 pct of those having thought of killing themselves within the past two weeks of the survey.”

Uchiyama says help is available on ILAP’s web site.

“Getting help is the biggest sign of courage and bravery that you can do for yourself,” concludes Uchiyama. “You diminish the shame that you feel about yourself and what you perceive as your inadequacies.”