Attorneys can fall into addiction tendencies, just like anyone else, but unlike other professionals, they may have a particularly hard time being held accountable for it. In fact, attorneys are some of the least likely professionals to receive addiction treatment. There are a number of reasons an attorney would deny their addiction, to themselves and to the world. They are accustomed to arguing their case, whether they are right or wrong. They are highly intelligent and it is difficult to impress them with a counter argument. In addition, they usually have a lot at stake, between their careers, reputations, lifestyle and reputations. They do not want their addictions found out.

Attorneys argue cases for a living. Their professional duties include researching a case and preparing an argument to sway the decision about the case. Chances are, when it comes to their addiction tendencies, they have probably developed an intelligent case around defending them the way they would a court case. They have compiled data, for their own benefit, that reflects their addiction tendencies in a positive light, such as any type of health benefit they may receive from the source of their addiction, or statistics that favor liberal use of whatever it is they are indulging in. The obvious trouble with this reasoning is, just like some of their court cases, they are ethically defending the wrong side of a case. An attorney may defend someone who should actually be penalized, and they may defend their own addiction tendencies which are actually disastrous.

Attorneys also have good reason to deny and cover up their addiction tendencies: they have a lot to protect. Legal professions are high income earning. They bring in a salary that one would do anything to keep. With this high salary, attorneys make large investments which can only be sustained by their ongoing income. The prestige of their careers and the value of their reputations are what gets them work and notoriety in their professional field. It is what supports their families and their personal interests. Many attorneys deny and hide their addictions so that none of these things will be jeopardized.