I often find myself trying to help someone understand what it is like to live with a major depressive disorder. My go-to metaphor is to compare depression with the weather. Typically, people modify their behavior based on what the weather is each day, often without stopping to think about it at all. For example, at least in Minnesota, people tend to wear heavier coats during wintertime. The net effect is that they mitigate the weather’s impact on their daily lives by altering their behavior based on their expectation of how the day’s weather will proceed.
Similarly, people with major depressive disorders—and many other mental health issues—learn to adapt their behavior to mitigate the effect their condition has on their daily lives. While these skills can be challenging to learn, once mastered, they can become habits. These habits, often supported through therapy and medications, also further one’s recovery.
The practice of self-care encompasses many of these same skills, behaviors, and habits. LCL offers CLE programs that incorporate self-care and resilience skills. LCL supports Minnesota’s legal profession by assisting with any issue causing distress or concern in the lives of lawyers, judges, law students, their immediate family members, and legal staff members.