Mark S. Goldstein of Reed Smith

I was certain that “disheartened” is a word. No question there. But what about its converse: “heartened”? Perhaps I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I wasn't 100 percent sure. Eventually, I decided to look it up. (Spoiler alert: it's a real word.) Why was the word “heartened” so important to me though? That's simple: because I have been using it so frequently, in the past few months, when discussing the future of mental health issues in the legal profession.

Let's rewind for a moment to February 12, 2019. Around 2:30 pm that day, The American Lawyer published an article chronicling my journey with mental health disabilities (more particularly, severe depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety.) I ruminated on the panoply of possible responses. Would I be labeled “that crazy Reed Smith lawyer” or perhaps “the attorney who spewed almost 2,000 words on his 'mental breakdown'”? How would clients and colleagues perceive me? Would anyone even read the article?

Almost five months later, however, it would not be an exaggeration to say that “going public” with my story has changed my life—for the better—and hopefully the lives, or mindsets, of others as well (even if only incrementally).

In response to the article, I received emails, handwritten notes and phone calls from thousands—literally—of individuals from all walks of life, both within and outside of the legal profession. I heard from judges and elected officials. I heard from big firm lawyers and solo practitioners. I heard from in-house lawyers. I spent time talking with attorneys, in both the private and public practice spheres, about the mental health issues bearing down on them or their loved ones. I was invited to speak at various conferences, panels, events and webinars, and at several law schools.

Dozens of clients, including in-house counsel and human resource professionals, reached out to express their support. Many shared their own personal mental health trials and tribulations. Several even asked me to speak with their workforces about my struggles. Internally at Reed Smith, the reaction was equally supportive. I was inundated with messages of compassion from hundreds of attorneys and staff members (just as mental health conditions do not discriminate against their victims based on age, race, gender or the like, they similarly do not discriminate based on whether one holds a juris doctor degree).

I was astonished at how many people have faced, are currently facing, or know someone facing the same issues I did. These are people I respect. People that our industry would term “rainmakers.” People I have seen on TV or read about in periodicals. Back in February, I was unsure whether a single person would be able to relate to or identify with my article. But to see it resonate with so many individuals from such diverse backgrounds, and, more importantly, to hear them share their own journeys, was beyond anything I could have fathomed.

Despite this, I am reminded every single day that mental health issues still pervade the legal industry—and to a staggering degree. (Google the statistics—they are alarming.) I am reminded that this is a subject that remains undiscussed, and one that cannot even be broached, in many corners of the profession. I am reminded that my journey is not necessarily reflective of others' experiences with mental health issues and that I can only speak to my own ordeal. I am reminded that change will not be achieved overnight. And I am reminded that we are in only the nascent stages of a journey—one that may well be frustrating at times and that will last years, if not decades.

But I am still extremely heartened for the future state of discourse and, more importantly, action concerning mental health issues in the legal profession. Why?

Because, in the past few months, I have been lucky enough to cross paths with what I consider to be some of the most courageous individuals not just in our profession, but in any field. Because I have met people who have unapologetically made it their mission to openly address and hopefully, someday, eradicate the mental health stigma. Because I have met so many people who, at least to me, epitomize what it means to be a leader.

I am heartened because I have met hundreds of folks who, although they may not themselves suffer or have suffered from mental health conditions, want to learn more and to spread awareness. Maybe it's because a family member is in distress. Maybe it's because they suspect a colleague needs help. Or maybe it's simply because they know that mental health disorders are, by far, the most pressing health issue facing Americans and, in particular, attorneys today.

I am heartened because thousands of lawyers from coast to coast have embraced with open arms my story and the stories of other attorneys who have, in recent months and years, also publicized their own struggles with mental health issues. Because the tidal wave of support has yet to recede, almost five months later. In fact, when I decided, recently, to create a separate email folder with just a small sampling of some of the more poignant article responses I received, I could only whittle it down to 379 messages.

I am heartened because we are starting to see some real, meaningful change on this issue, even if it is incremental. A number of jurisdictions, for instance, recently began the process to remove mental health-related questions from bar applications. And the number of firms who have signed the American Bar Association's pledge to tackle lawyer mental health and substance-use issues, continues to grow each week. Likewise, in just the past few months alone, a slew of U.S. law schools have committed themselves to providing students—from 1L to 3L—with mental health education and support services (it is astounding how many attorneys have conveyed to me that their mental health struggles began during law school or bar exam review/preparation).

In short, I am heartened for the future because we, as a profession, finally appear ready to start having a real, constructive dialogue on the complicated, and often uncomfortable, issue that is mental health. The dialogue is going to have its ebbs and flows, but it is a dialogue nonetheless—one that we were not having, and in fact actively avoided, until quite recently.

I want to end this article with something I've mentioned at several recent events. The reason I wrote my original article and also the reason I've written this one, is to put a voice and a face to mental health issues and the mental health stigma in the legal profession. With this in mind, I'm Mark. I'm a Reed Smith employment lawyer. I suffer from mental health disabilities. And if you do too, or if you simply are passionate about or can relate to this issue, remember that you are not alone and that together, we can create the future about which I am so heartened.

Read more: Minds Over Matters: An Examination of Mental Health in the Legal Profession

Mark Goldstein is in the employment practice of Reed Smith in New York. He is also a member of Law.com's Mental Health Advisory Board.