Coping with Stress During an Ongoing Legal Battle: How to Find Help

Whether you’re facing a strenuous legal battle, challenges in interpersonal relationships, familial issues, grief, stress related to work and school, or anything else that’s on your mind, finding a therapist can help.

If you’re in an ongoing legal battle of any kind, you know better than anyone else that it’s incredibly stressful. Prolonged stress can come with a range of potential negative mental and physical health implications, but it’s easy to see stress as something inevitable that can’t be fixed when it comes to legal issues. As much as it may feel that way, this doesn’t have to be the case. It is possible to cope with stress during an ongoing, strenuous legal battle and get the support that you need.

Coping with Stress During a Legal Battle

Here are some ways to cope with stress during an ongoing legal battle:

• Use self-compassion.

First and foremost, it’s vital to use self-compassion when facing legal issues or other similar battles. You’re going through a difficult time right now, and you deserve care and compassion. Affirmations and mantras, making an effort to think positive thoughts or acknowledge positive traits about yourself (for example, “I am worthy” or “I am strong”), and using self-talk when you start to feel down or face doubts may all be beneficial. 

• Prioritize self-care. 

During a stressful time, it’s easy to lose sight of self-care. However, making sure that your needs are met as well as they can be and taking care of yourself is crucial during times of stress. First, take a look at your sleep patterns. Make sure that you’re using healthy sleep hygiene practices and that you’re allowing yourself time to wind down. Then, look at other ways of taking care of yourself: Are you getting enough water? Are you eating regular meals and snacks to the best of your ability? Periodically, it may be helpful to check in with yourself and ask, “what do I need?” It could be rest, water, to talk to someone, or something else. Look at both your physical and mental health needs. Additionally, if you’re having trouble meeting your basic needs, do not hesitate to utilize resources in your area. There’s no shame in reaching for help, and everyone needs it from time to time.

• Nurture social relationships.

  

It can be tempting to isolate yourself from others during hard times. However, social relationships are imperative to our mental and physical health, and strong, healthy social relationships can help individuals to better cope with life stressors. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting connections. If you have little social support, don’t be afraid to join a support group. Some people find it cathartic to talk to others who are going through the same thing. Taking a class, signing up for an activity or regular meetup, and so on, may also be helpful for some, especially if you find having an outlet that allows you to get your mind off of things helpful. This could be an art class, an exercise class, or something else. 

• Let yourself feel. 

When you’re going through stress at the hands of a legal battle, heartbreak, or any other painful circumstance, learning to work with your feelings instead of against them is an important skill. Make sure that you feel your feelings and take a look at your thought process pertaining to those feelings. Are you holding things inside? Do you have someone to talk to about what’s going on? If you’re struggling to face your feelings, are feeling overwhelmed with regard to your situation and aren’t sure how to cope, or if you’re experiencing maladaptive thought patterns of any kind, seeing a therapist or counselor may be beneficial. 

• Challenge cognitive distortions.

Cognitive distortions are defined as inaccurate, typically negative, thoughts, patterns, and beliefs. There are a number of recognized cognitive distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, mental filtering, catastrophizing, disqualifying the positive, and jumping to conclusions. We all experience cognitive distortions, and learning to work through them is an advantageous skill. Say that you’re encountering all-or-nothing thinking that makes you feel as though things won’t get better or as though life is all bad due to current circumstances. You can then work on thought reframe by saying, “This won’t last forever, and I have no evidence to support that things will be this stressful forever.” This often goes along with self-compassion and is another area where the support of a professional may be helpful. 

Find a Therapist 

Licensed mental health providers such as therapists and counselors can support you in coping with or managing stress and getting through life challenges such as legal battles. Whether you’re facing a strenuous legal battle, challenges in interpersonal relationships, familial issues, grief, stress related to work and school, or anything else that’s on your mind, finding a therapist can help. There are a number of ways to go about finding a therapist. You can ask your doctor for a referral, contact your insurance company to see who they cover, conduct a web search, use an online therapist directory, or sign up for a reputable online therapy website with licensed providers like BetterHelp. Regardless of how you find a therapist, you deserve to get the support that you need, so don’t hesitate to reach out for help today.