A quick Google search into drugs and alcohol addiction amongst lawyers will show concerning results. Typically, such abuse is around one in 5 (20%) compared with about 3% of the general UK population. Interestingly, when the research is taken further, a closer examination actually reveals the level to be more like 35%. Denial appears to be alive and thriving!

This discrepancy suggests a hidden challenge that many legal professionals may be grappling with behind closed doors.

These findings are not necessarily surprising. High-pressure environments, whether in law, finance, medicine, or corporate leadership, can create a perfect storm for stress-related coping mechanisms.

Through my own experience of working not only with lawyers but with many highly pressured professions, I haven’t had to dig very deep to find problems of this nature. What often goes unseen is the toll these demands take on mental and emotional wellbeing. People in these roles are typically high-functioning and highly skilled at concealing distress, which can delay or prevent timely support.

This is not a critique of the profession itself, but rather a call to understand and address the real human challenges behind the job titles. In fast-paced, demanding fields, “work hard, play hard” cultures have often normalised the use of alcohol or stimulants as stress relief. But over time, such patterns can evolve into dependencies that undermine health, performance, and personal relationships.

When I worked in the City it was common knowledge that drugs and alcohol were the inevitable release from the pressures of the working day. High stakes: high financial reward Versus high emotional risk. Adrenaline, testosterone and affluence are a dangerous mix.

Drugs and alcohol work by mimicking the effects of natural neurotransmitters in the brain and hormones in the body. Think of these as chemical messengers which enable the human intelligence system to operate.

As humans, we have our own natural mechanisms for releasing and controlling these chemical substances. This mechanism is finely balanced to ensure that exactly the right amount is released at the time required. There is then a process of “reuptake” which makes sure that too much of the chemical is not left in the blood system. Synthetic drugs and alcohol do not have the same intelligence. They stay in the blood system and over a period of time cause less sensitivity to the impact of the substance, which in turn creates increased dependence. This then causes our brains and bodies to move out of their natural balance. Alcohol and drugs disturb and tap into the dopamine reward circuits of the brain, whilst also reducing the impact of acetylcholine, the natural hormone that brings us back into a state of grounding and balance.

What may have started as a nice experience becomes a fundamental need. The consequence is that our capacity to experience happiness, bonding, and “feel good factor” is impaired and distorted.

The cumulative consequence of this is the feeling of emotional volatility and suppression, so the professional has to work extra hard to suppress their emotional worries at work and therefore has a greater need to escape and release that suppression out of work. Such a course of self-destruction will inevitably be accompanied by typical problems of sleep and digestion issues, as well as a reduced ability to think clearly and maintain perspective.

The Role of Pressure and Performance

So why does this happen?

The obvious response is that it is a result of unreasonable work pressure. Yet most of us accept that a level of pressure is inevitable in any jobs that require high performance. But the question is whether it’s the right level and type of pressure.

The science tells us that the best way to improve our performance is to is through small incremental steps that take us outside of our comfort zone and our experience. This enables us to constantly keep adding to our portfolio of strengths. his is much more effective than pressure that takes us too far away from our comfort zone, where we replace feelings of challenge and learning with feelings of anxiety and fear of failure.

Then there is then the consideration of the type of pressure rather than the amount. When we are being asked to do something we feel we are good at, and we are in with a chance of achieving it, then pressure can be a good thing. That feeling of pressure is not ok when it’s something that exposes our weaknesses and when we are being asked to be somebody that we are not. This is a matter of authenticity.

Re-thinking Professional Culture

Companies are not investing enough time exploring the unique talents and potential of their employees. There is far too great a tendency to ask people to operate in their prescribed boxes. I have met so many people in professional roles who have discovered later in life that they’re not really in the place that they want to be. This could be about not being a solicitor, but more frequently it’s about not feeling okay about the type of legal practise that they’ve been asked to endure.

When we’re in a place that feels right for us our total intelligence system, involving not just the brain but the heart and the gut, becomes aligned, giving us a capacity for much higher levels of performance. In the sporting arena this is often referred to as “the zone”, and in more artistic circles we talk about being” in flow”. What I see today in many professional environments Is human-constructed barriers to people being in flow.

Finally, I would point to the essential role of culture in performance. Performance, both individual and collective, is far more likely to thrive in a supportive culture. People need to feel trust and trusted. Any energy we use to fight off supposed colleagues and to hide information is wasted energy. A toxic culture does not help to build productivity. It is far more likely to lead to missed opportunities and employee disaffection and burnout.

Building a Supportive Environment

So, what can we do about this? Of course, this is a huge subject and this is only a headline article, but I would suggest the following areas for attention -

1. Prioritise Culture Change. This is not a hopeful request for a more pleasant environment: it is a science-based input that demonstrates that people working in positive cultures can be far more productive than those who work in toxic cultures .

2. Modernise Leadership. Outdated, hierarchical models that rely on fear or rigid control stifle potential. Leaders should be trained in emotional intelligence, inclusive practices, and human-centred management.

3. Spot the Signs. Building a culture of openness. We need to build working environments where people feel able to talk about their needs for better support without being judged. This will help tackle the issue of destructive emotional suppression.

4. Signpost Services. We need to signpost specialist services that can be made available where people require support to be taken to a deeper level, and of course this should be handled with the sensitivity it deserves. At the same time, the real goal should be on prevention, such that the need for external support should be reduced anyway.

The dark days of using hierarchy, factory management styles of leadership, and implicit career threat should be numbered and replaced by an environment that truly understands human needs and the potential to take their performance to significantly higher levels.

For more information or to speak with the author, please contact contract@impactlawyers.co.uk