Alcoholism

The Addiction Research Foundation predicts that approximately 5% of the adult population in Ontario is alcoholic and another 5% drinks at a level that may lead to serious problems. Studies indicate that the legal profession consists of a greater number of people that are prone to developing alcoholic dependencies. Some jurisdictions have reported that 18% of its members have a serious problem with alcohol.

A 1996 Law Society of Upper Canada study revealed that nearly 50% of lawyers facing serious disciplinary sanctions admitted to either alcohol, drug or psychiatric impairment. Contrary to society's stereotype of a drunk, most alcoholics have careers, families and homes. Many of the members of the legal profession never receive any training on recognizing symptoms of alcoholism. Consider the information provided in the following pages.

What is Alcoholism?
The first step in guarding against alcoholism is having a clear understanding of what it is. The following sites provide definitions for alcoholism and other related words.

• National Counsel on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Do you drink too much?
Do you or someone you know have a drinking problem? Try one of the following self-assessments to evaluate your drinking habit.

• Lawyers Concern for Lawyers
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Bellwood Health Centre
• Renascent Self-assessment

Cases in Point
Consider these case studies which illustrate the debilitating effects of alcoholism on a lawyer's professional and personal lives:

• The Circle Of Silence
• Down, But Not Out
• A Drowning Lawyer Gets A Chance
• Sober And A Top Practitioner
• You Think I Drink Too Much? Just Look At What I Do In A Day!
• This Lawyer Will Be Missed

Treatment Centres & Resources
The following is a partial listing of treatment centres and resources offering professional help for people living with alcoholism.

• Al Anon and Alateen (www.alanon.org)
  For over 50 years Al-Anon has offered help to families and friends of alcoholics. Alateen offers assistance for younger people. This organization is separate and distinct from Alcoholics Anonymous.

• Alcoholics Anonymous (www.alcoholics-anonymous.org)
  AA provides solutions and support to people with alcohol problems and those in recovery. The 12-step program is followed during weekly meetings held across the country.

• Bellwood Health Centre (www.bellwood.ca)
  This facility provides treatment to individuals from across Canada who have alcohol and drug addictions, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addictions and stress-related illnesses as well as a variety of compulsive or problematic behaviours.

• Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (www.ccsa.ca)
  CCSA is Canada's national addictions agency. It provides objective, evidence-based information and advice that will help reduce the health, social and economic harm associated with substance abuse and addictions.

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (www.camh.net)
  This centre is a public hospital providing care for people with mental health and addiction problems. CAMH is Canada's leading teaching hospital and also offers community-based facilities offering health promotion and prevention services across the province.

• Emotions Anonymous (www.emotionsanonymous.org)
  Emotions Anonymous is built on a twelve-step program, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. It facilitates weekly meetings for the purpose of working toward recovery from emotional difficulties.

• Homewood Health Centre (www.homewood.org)
  This centre, located in Guelph, Ontario, provides a wide range of programs dealing with mental health and addictions.

• Ontario's Drug and Alcohol Registry of Treatment (www.dart.on.ca)
  DART's role is to link professional callers with a range of suitable treatment options tailored to their individual clients, and to link members of the general public with local assessment and referral, withdrawal management, and other treatment resources for themselves or someone they know.

• Renascent (www.renascent.ca)
  Renascent treats alcoholism and drug addiction, delivering superior outcomes through its Complete Care approach. Renascent offers immediate access to gender-specific 12-step facilitated treatment and supports family and workplace wellness.

• Addiction Resource Guide [US] (www.addictionresourceguide.com)
  This site has a comprehensive directory of addiction treatment facilities.

• Betty Ford Center [US] (www.bettyfordcenter.org)
  The Betty Ford Center is a well-known rehabilitation centre which provides treatment services for alcoholism and other drug dependencies.

• Del Amo Hospital [US] (www.delamohospital.com)
  This is a private psychiatric hospital located in Southern California. It provides a wide-range of individually tailored programs such as crisis stabilization, trauma-based disorders, borderline personality disorders, eating disorders, sexual addictions, detox and mental illness.

• Dr. Koop [US] (www.drkoop.com)
  Dr. Koop offers daily consumer-friendly advice about a variety of health and wellness issues.

• Hazelden Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centres [US] (www.hazelden.org)
  These centres offer programs to help people recover from alcoholism and other drug addictions. There is also a good collection of information and resources on this website.

• Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers [US] (www.lcl.org)
  This is a US based organization of attorneys and judges dedicated to assisting those in the legal profession who suffer due to various causes, including but not limited to alcohol and/or chemical addiction.

• National Counsel on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence [US] (www.ncadd.org)
  Is an organization founded to reduce the stigma and to educate people that alcoholism and other drug addictions are preventable and treatable.

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [US] (www.niaaa.nih.gov)
  NIAAA provides leadership in the national effort to reduce alcohol-related problems through research on the causes, consequences treatment and prevention of alcoholism.

I want help now
OLAP (Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program) provides one-on-one ongoing volunteer peer support and professional counselling to lawyers, judges and law students who suffer from alcohol, drug or other addictions, eating disorders, stress, burnout or mental illness. They will assist with referrals for support, assessments and counselling. If you, your partner or your spouse needs help, please call. All calls are strictly confidential. To contact the Volunteer Executive Director, call John Starzynski 1-877-584-6227. Leota Embleton, Program Manager, can be reached at 416-241-7983 or 1-877-576-6227. The OLAP 24-hour Helpline is 1-800-667-5722. For more information on OLAP and other programs that offer assistance click here.