New Member

[Andrew33]

Hi there,

I’m new to this. Thought I should reach out and also share how I am instead of bottling it up.

A bit about myself - I am a lawyer so the role is very stressful. I worked in a team where I felt so stressed and always pressured. I’ve since moved teams, but the stress and anxiety is still there. I’ve recently been having issues with my anxiety and even had a panic attack at work today so I left early. I’m constantly feeling stomach pain and shortness of breath along with a loss of appetite. I’m beginning to think that maybe I should change professions.

[StaticRose51]

Hi andrew let me ask a question do you have any hobbies in your spare time? If so are you still doing them. If not why not? Looking forward to your reply 🙂

[Andrew33]

Hi StaticRose 51

i love puzzles and used to run a lot, however, since I’ve been feeling like this I lost my passion and haven’t felt like doing anything but going straight home after work and sleeping until the morning. There are days (like today) where I have no appetite and just don’t eat because of my stomach pains.

[baet123]

Hi Andrew,

Welcome to the forums and thank you so much for posting and sharing your situation with us; This is an extremely difficult thing to do and you possess many amazing qualities including strength, bravery and resilience just to name a few. You should be proud of these qualities!

Sorry to hear your struggling at present and it does sound like you are experiencing "real" common physical symptoms as a result of your anxiety and elevated stress levels. My dad is a solicitor so I know how stressful the industry can be and it absolutely has the ability to take its toll on even the strongest individuals.

It is amazing that you are aware of your feelings and emotions and that you acknowledge that you may need to make some changes in order to enjoy a better quality of life. I would consider seeing your GP and discussing the numerous treatment options available which generally include a combination of medication and therapy. When your current emotional status is detrimental to your quality of life, this is when professional assistance is required in my opinion.

May I ask if you believe if there are any underlying issues attributing to your stress and anxiety or do you believe the primary source is your profession?

What type of law do you specialise in by the way? My father specialises in family, personal injury and commercial law.

I look forward to seeing you around and hope this helps.

All the best,

Nick.

[Andrew33]

Hey Nick,

Thanks for those kind words. Well these issues started developing when I was bullied at work for my first 2 years being a lawyer. It was my first job and I didn’t know I could ask for help (HR) as my team was small and always away from everyone else. So my previous manager really killed my confidence and I’ve been doubting myself and constantly worrying as I know she is still around. I think it’s more that manager, but the problem I find is I am not confident in myself anymore even when everyone else at work says I’m great at what I do.

I specialise mainly in personal injury law. I am also doing some commercial law work at the moment.

[baet123]

Hey Andrew,

Your welcome mate.

Your first employer definitely had a duty of care and were responsible for your emotional well-being whilst at work and employed with them. Did you ever tell anybody about the bullying/harassment that was occurring whilst employed with them? Have you ever thought about taking legal action against your first employer in as a lawyer? I am not sure whether there is a statute limitation period relating to workplace bullying and harassment as I am not very familiar with IR laws. Maybe this might provide you with some sense of closure but it as you know these cases may be very complex and may cause more harm than good.

Your lack of self-confidence is extremely common and most of us face challenges similar to this on a daily basis. It takes time to build up confidence and self-esteem and you will get your confidence and self-esteem levels back to where you would like them to be but it takes time. Time is extremely important to the recovery/treatment phase and unfortunately the time it takes to get to where we all want to be varies.

In the meantime, I believe it is extremely important to reiterate to yourself and tell yourself that you are amazing and great at what you do. Positive thoughts often yield positive outcomes.

Have a great weekend mate.

Nick.