I'm being sued by my former employer and depression is rearing its head

Hi all,

I am new to these forums and have turned here in an act of desperation due to recent life events that have sent me spinning.

A little background on me
I was a very anxious, depressed, self-harming teenager, and over 10 years ago at age 20 I was hospitalised for major depressive disorder and a minor psychotic episode, related also to alcohol and substance abuse.
The past 10 years I've worked a lot on myself - I haven't been on any medication for over 5 years now, and I'm actually 6 months sober, after a few false starts last year.

Now
I'm a freelancer, but I was working for an agency. Last November they told me they didn't need me any more and I worked my *** off setting up on my own, finding new clients, making my website etc.

Everything was going great until I was handed an envelope two weeks ago - my ex-"boss" is suing me for 130k. According to this document, it's for stealing a client (I didn't, and I can prove it), plus some strange civil law her lawyer has dug up about creating possible confusion for prospective clients of products and services.

The legal letter is all pretty wishy-washy, and I don't think I'm liable for any of this, but it's set me spinning. I've got a lawyer now and I have to go through this with him, but my mental health is nosediving and I don't know what to do.

I'm dealing with severe anxiety right now, trying to push away negative thoughts. It hurts to be in this kind of defensive mode, particularly when I'd just started to relax into my new life. Suicidal thoughts have cropped up for the first time in several years, and I'm losing weight really quickly.

I live in the EU, in a country where I've only been for 3 years and have no knowledge of the mental health services here.

I would love some kind of therapy, but I can't afford anything and I don't know where to turn.

This thing will keep going on for at least the next six months and I'm just trying to find out a way to survive.


Has anyone else experienced litigation depression/anxiety? What did you do to help yourself get through it?

Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thank you x

Sorry you are suffering through this, StayIn. You will make it through, do not freak.

Yes. Been through this very thing. A former business associate who is a sociopath attempted to steal 50% of my laser practice. He hired perhaps the most morally bereft lawyer in this city and carpet-bombed us with vitriol and threats and hatred for two years, before we finally went to arbitration and kicked his evil ***** all over the courtroom.

First advice to you is to hire the most highly respected business attorney you can conceivably afford. Lawyers are not where you want to save money in such a situation. Good lawyeres are like prescious stones. You cannot even put a number on their true value, trust me. They are actually priceless, in the truest sense of that term. Borrow, if you have to.

What country are you in? I would like to read abou tbusiness litigation laws there, so I may be of more use to you.

Stay strong. If you have panic attacks, whihc may happen, get those treated. Klonopin or whatever. Depression must also be treated. I highly recommend a psychiatrist for these issues, not GP. Pdocs just have much more familiarity with all current options. So, go google psychiatrists in you town or a nearby city. There will be a list. See if one has some decent reviews on those review sites. Then, call and get an appt. do it now. Today. They should still be in the office.

Stay strong. You will survive. Do not ignore you rmental health. Get help now and often

If you ever need an empathetic ear from someone who has done this, just PM me. Happy to chat with you and support you. You will make it past this. But you need help.

Hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!

My advice is to find a way to see a therapist ASAP. In fact, it may be a great idea to have your lawyer find one for you. Here in the USA we are allowed to counter-sue for damages caused by a frivolous lawsuit.


1. Tell your lawyer about the true impact this specific action is having on your mental health.

2. DOCUMENT ... If you are too depressed to wake up and work, write down the date and some details. Example: 7/5/2020 Could not get out of bed until 1pm due to overwhelming sadness caused by thoughts of being sued by someone I once trusted. Lost 4 hours of client paid time.

Document the cost of going for therapy. Take out a loan if you must! Find a therapist who will see you with a promise to be paid once you have the money refunded from the counter lawsuit.


3. Your lawyer should tell the other party about the counter lawsuit. This can sometimes be enough to convince the other party to drop something if they believe they are going to lose the initial case and then be forced to pay damages they have caused.

Depression stinks and it is hard enough living without idiots adding to the trouble. So sorry you are hurting.