Regardless of the shame and the fear of losing his lagal career as a lawyer, Reid Murtaugh came out openely to declare that he was diagnosed of bipolar II and this has immensely contributed to his recuperation. Reid is married and they both, himself and the wife have a toddler and live in Lafayette, Indiana. He explained how difficult it was to acknowledged that you are suffering from an issue that nobody knew you had and you can not tell anyone about it. He said it was hard to live consciously hiding it from others.
He said he was struggling with that guilt of being insincere as he always had to pretend and cover up his true feelings regularly. It occurred to him that hiding his problem from those around him, his colleagues of which they are always together for the greater part of each day made it difficult for him to cope and recuperation process more difficult. He likewise acknowledged that his duty and responsibilities are lying low lacking proper attention. So, he resolved in his mind that instead of a continued struggle, he will be open about it and reach out to others who are suffering from the same problem. And also make efforts to relate with those around him genuinely.
Although there were other lawyers he is aware of that are not secretive about their issues as it relates to their mental well-being, however, the shame spreads like wide fire not just in the legal profession, but in the society at large of which he was concerned about. Notwithstanding, being open about his mental condition is something he was sure would help him cope and enhance his recovery process. So, he took the bold step to relate it first to his colleagues and then went on to tell his friends. On a good day, he penned down a piece relating his bipolar experience and posted it on Facebook. After which Reid wrote a piece for the Indiana lawyer.
Interestingly, everything Reid was so scared of about making open his mental condition never became a reality even after the article was published in the year 2017, January precisely. Instead, his legal career has flourished beyond his imaginations and as against the awkward reactions he expected from his colleagues, they appreciated him for his honesty and openness. He exclaimed that it is now a lot easier to talk about it and share it with others that he is now wondering why he was ever troubled about how he will relate it.
Adjusting to bipolar as a practitioner
It was an issue for Reid how he would combine his work requirements and maintaining his mental condition and thought of the possibility. However, his support group which was made up of other attorneys suffering from bipolar helped see how he can practice as a lawyer successfully even though he has bipolar. He mentioned that being around those persons in the support group who have similar challenges and experiences makes it easier to forget about that feeling of being alone in all of it. In adjusting, he started a private practice where he worked solely instead of conducting law suit in the year 2015. Since conducting law suit is based on the calendar of the court, so he centered his private practice on estate planning as well as business consultations.
Currently, he says has rule over when he works and has limited proceedings and deadlines to meet up with. Also, without accountability to anyone whether boss or partner, he enjoys less pressure for efficiency he added. Even though Reid made progress by being open about his mental condition, but then it resulted in another problem of how best he can reach out to persons with similar condition without making the condition his identity. He mentioned that at times he wishes to return to being quiet about all of it, but then he really wants to make an impact. And added that the entire process have affected him positively as he is less bothered about the condition as he used to. His burden is now less since he chose to share his experiences and challenges. Reid advises those experiencing the same issue of bipolar to continue learning about it as that will help them to cope better. Also, to lean to take their minds off it once in a while and finally to feel good about themselves.
