Opioid Use and Abuse Affects Attorneys, Too
Opioids can destroy lives. While many attorneys have fought to hold drug manufacturers accountable for those lives, others were struggling – often alone and in silence – with addictions of their own.
Recently, the Daily Business Review reached out to 21 lawyers who had been disciplined by the Florida Supreme Court for reasons related to opioid and drug abuse. DBR also spoke with John H. (Jack) Hickey, whose advice was “seek assistance right away.”
From the Daily Business Review:
Trial attorney John H. “Jack” Hickey says he can empathize with this attorney’s story.
Hickey has seen clients in his personal injury practice who became drug addicts as a result of an injury and prescription pain medications. “This is a horrible situation,” Hickey said. “Addiction has a physical side and an emotional and psychological side which are all melded into one.”
Hickey recalls a client who got hooked on pain meds after surgery and went cold turkey to try and kick the addiction. “He was holed up in his condominium for weeks. He was in an agitated, emotional, suicidal state for most of the time,” Hickey said. “He was sweating and hallucinating. He could not eat or sleep properly. He was depressed and would cry. He thought about taking his own life. But he survived.”
The personal connection with the client reminded him that there are avenues of help that people can reach out to.
“As a former member of the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar, I know that TFB does offer assistance to lawyers who are addicted,” Hickey said. “And I urge any lawyer who is addicted to drugs or alcohol to seek assistance right away. There is no stigma and no downside to seeking assistance. The upside is getting your life back.”
You can read the entire article in the Daily Business Review here.
Struggling with addiction? Get the help you need from Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc
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Boca Raton, FL 33432
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Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey and his team handle a wide range of cases, including but not limited to cruise ship accidents, admiralty and maritime accident cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, railroad accidents and car accidents. We represent victims from all over the nation, the world and the state of Florida.
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