Q&A: Chief Judge Guy D. Dutcher
Chief Judge Guy D. Dutcher, Waushara County Circuit Court, considers himself a bit of an introvert, but he is reaching out to start a conversation in the judicial community on mental health. As part of that process, Dutcher submitted the Q&A article below.
Dutcher said it took a long time for him to realize that he needed help for anxiety and depression, and that reaching out would be beneficial.
Through most of his life – and well into his 18-year judicial career – Dutcher thought all the worrying and anxiety he experienced was similar to what others experienced.
The productive change in his life came during a conversation with a colleague in the legal profession who recognized the symptoms.
“We had a heart-to-heart conversation, and he helped me realize that I had an illness, and that something could be done about it,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher sought treatment and takes medication that he said helps moderate “the peaks and valleys” of his worrying and anxiety. He also practices coping skills and takes time to celebrate positive feedback and events and people in his life.
By making it easier to talk about openly, Dutcher wants to help remove the stigma that can be associated with mental health issues. Mental illness is no different than other medical conditions that need treatment, such as a torn rotator cuff, for example, he said.
Dutcher has developed an informal support network of judges who talk and provide support to each other. Supporting others also serves as an antidote to some of his own mental health issues.
“We are starting the process of talking about it. People don’t know if it’s OK to acknowledge it, and to seek help, and, if they got a little help, they might be better,” he said.
Q: Why have you become involved with the Supreme Court’s Mental Health Initiative?
A: I have struggled with severe anxiety and depression since I was a young child. The nature and the magnitude of these challenges were essentially ignored or suppressed until I reached my late 40’s, when the severity of my illness approached debilitating. No one ever knew because I had become so effective at concealing my struggles. Nearly a decade removed from this watershed moment, I have learned much about recognizing and managing my own mental health. I am hopeful that having people like myself openly acknowledge that they have a mental illness will allow similarly afflicted individuals to realize that they are not alone and that may find strength and assurance from people who understand exactly what they confront.
Q: What led you to recognize your own mental health concerns?
A: A very good friend and fellow legal professional recognized that I was showing indications of significant struggle. During a very deep and personal conversation, this person acknowledged their own mental health challenges and told me that I was displaying similar symptoms. I was encouraged to consider seeking help and taking medication because both had been successful for my friend. This revelation allowed me to recognize that someone who was a pillar of my own profession was facing nearly identical struggles. I realized that this person had identified their illness and had taken measures that left them better situated in their life and practice. I promised my friend and promised myself that I would do the same. My life has been much better ever since.
Q: What must be done to better address the mental health of persons working within the court system and of those individuals that the system serves?
A: Regardless of whomever we seek to assist, we must first remove the stigma that our culture has traditionally attached to mental health. Mental illness is conceptually indistinguishable from any other health-related issue. There is no scorn or ridicule assessed against a diabetic, a Parkinson’s patient or someone diagnosed with cancer. These persons are not forced to shamefully conceal their illness, internalize their challenges and to suffer their aliments alone. Rather, they are encouraged to seek support and treatment. Our society must view mental health within the same context.
This de-stigmatization is even more essential within a profession such as the judiciary. Our society forgets that the robes seen in court are worn by human beings that all have emotions, fears and sentiments just like other people. Judges and others serving the system are exposed to stressors that far exceed the norm. We work long hours while attempting to manage overwhelming volume. We are expected to maintain some level of expertise within virtually every area of law. We work with persons who are often confronting the most difficult period in their lives and we must make decisions that profoundly affect those individuals. Furthermore, the judiciary is constantly under attack from politicians, the media and disgruntled litigants. This provides fertile ground for mental health concerns to become exacerbated. Judges and those working closely with them must feel liberated to acknowledge that they are struggling, and to feel supported as they seek the help that they need. A judge would never fear backlash when requiring a knee replacement, and we must reach a point where acknowledgement of a mental illness is treated the same way.
Q: How have you been able to manage your mental health?
A: The most important step was acknowledging that I had an illness and recognizing that I needed help. Once overcoming this obstacle, I started taking medication. That has helped, although it will never completely defeat this illness. There are still challenges every day. What is thus essential for me is the strength derived from close friends, most of whom suffer from similar difficulties of their own. These people understand what I face, help me keep focused and remind me to apply the personal coping skills that I have developed. I have also found that helping others who suffer similarly is an effective antidote when feeling overwhelmed by my own struggles. There is great strength garnered from the knowledge that many kind, talented and solid people face the same type of mental health challenges I do every day.