Days where you feel depressed

SAMHSA’s National Helpline | SAMHSA

Your browser is not supported

Switch to Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari

Main page content

SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Also visit the online treatment locator.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The service is open 24/7, 365 days a year.

English and Spanish are available if you select the option to speak with a national representative. Currently, the 435748 (HELP4U) text messaging service is only available in English.

In 2020, the Helpline received 833,598 calls. This is a 27 percent increase from 2019, when the Helpline received a total of 656,953 calls for the year.

The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.

The service is confidential. We will not ask you for any personal information. We may ask for your zip code or other pertinent geographic information in order to track calls being routed to other offices or to accurately identify the local resources appropriate to your needs.

No, we do not provide counseling. Trained information specialists answer calls, transfer callers to state services or other appropriate intake centers in their states, and connect them with local assistance and support.

Suggested Resources
What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families
Created for family members of people with alcohol abuse or drug abuse problems. Answers questions about substance abuse, its symptoms, different types of treatment, and recovery. Addresses concerns of children of parents with substance use/abuse problems.
It's Not Your Fault (NACoA) (PDF | 12 KB)
Assures teens with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs that, "It's not your fault!" and that they are not alone. Encourages teens to seek emotional support from other adults, school counselors, and youth support groups such as Alateen, and provides a resource list.

After an Attempt: A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
Aids family members in coping with the aftermath of a relative's suicide attempt. Describes the emergency department treatment process, lists questions to ask about follow-up treatment, and describes how to reduce risk and ensure safety at home.
Family Therapy Can Help: For People in Recovery From Mental Illness or Addiction
Explores the role of family therapy in recovery from mental illness or substance abuse. Explains how family therapy sessions are run and who conducts them, describes a typical session, and provides information on its effectiveness in recovery.
For additional resources, please visit the SAMHSA Store.

Last Updated: 08/30/2022

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

Home

Welcome to the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance use/addiction and/or mental health problems.

PLEASE NOTE: Your personal information and the search criteria you enter into the Locator is secure and anonymous. SAMHSA does not collect or maintain any information you provide.

Please enter a valid location.

please type your address

FindTreatment.
gov
Millions of Americans have a substance use disorder. Find a treatment facility near you.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988

Free and confidential support for people in distress, 24/7.
National Helpline

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Treatment referral and information, 24/7.
Disaster Distress Helpline

1-800-985-5990

Immediate crisis counseling related to disasters, 24/7.

Overview
Locator OverviewLocator Overview
Locator OverviewLocator Overview
Finding Treatment
Find Facilities for VeteransFind Facilities for Veterans

Find Facilities for VeteransFind Facilities for Veterans
Facility Directors
Register a New FacilityRegister a New Facility
Register a New FacilityRegister a New Facility
Other Locator Functionalities
Download Search ResultsDownload Search Results
Use Google MapsUse Google Maps
Print Search ResultsPrint Search Results
Use Google MapsUse Google Maps

Icon from Find practitioners and treatment programs providing buprenorphine for opioid addiction (heroin or pain relievers). Find practitioners and treatment programs providing buprenorphine for opioid addiction (heroin or pain relievers).
Icon from Find practitioners and treatment programs providing buprenorphine for opioid addiction (heroin or pain relievers). Find programs providing methadone for the treatment of opioid addiction (heroin or pain relievers).

The Locator is authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255, Section 9006; 42 U.S.C. 290bb-36d). SAMHSA endeavors to keep the Locator current. All information in the Locator is updated annually from facility responses to SAMHSA’s National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS). New facilities that have completed an abbreviated survey and met all the qualifications are added monthly. Updates to facility names, addresses, telephone numbers, and services are made weekly for facilities informing SAMHSA of changes. Facilities may request additions or changes to their information by sending an e-mail to [email protected], by calling the BHSIS Project Office at 1-833-888-1553 (Mon-Fri 8-6 ET), or by electronic form submission using the Locator online application form (intended for additions of new facilities).

What to do to stop feeling overwhelmed

August 10, 2016 Productivity

Do you feel that your strength is at the limit, and the work has not been going well for a long time? Find out why this happens and what to do to correct the situation and enjoy life again.

You have a lot to do, but critically little time to complete them. Too many people want you to pay attention to them, but you can't because you're always in a hurry somewhere. You don’t understand how you can do everything on time, and even so that there is time for your personal life. Familiar situation?

At the dawn of the digital era, we firmly believed that gadgets would make our lives easier and less stressful in many ways. It seems like we've never been so wrong.

We have started working much harder than before and we can't stop even if we really want to: smartphones, Skype, instant messengers and e-mail have become an integral part of modern life. Yes, and colleagues from different time zones who want to be in touch around the clock. We are stuck at work. It is not at all surprising that with such a frantic pace of life, we often feel unwell.

Reasons why people feel overwhelmed

Sometimes it can be quite difficult to understand what exactly caused your depression. It seems like it all came crashing down at once. But think about this: fatigue is just a feeling that will pass sooner or later, you just need to identify what caused it and eliminate the cause.

Here is a short list of the most common causes of depression.

Someone is constantly taking advantage of you, and you don't know how to handle the situation and get rid of unpleasant obligations.
You are very much afraid that you will get into a compromising situation and will not be able to get out of it with dignity.
You are too responsible and are afraid to admit to yourself that you are no longer able to deal with the accumulated problems on your own.
You do not understand what you are asked to do, but you are afraid to confess, and this weighs on you.

What to do if everything went wrong

When it seems to you that everything in the world is infinitely sad and hopelessly bad, it is quite natural that you begin to feel the same way. Being depressed and tired from time to time is absolutely normal, but if this condition has become your constant companion, then you need to take appropriate measures.

Understand the real reason for your bad condition. What really upsets you? Or who?
Think about what you can change. Look at the problem realistically, honestly assess whether the situation can be turned around for the better, and do whatever is necessary to do so.
Make a plan. Draft a to-do list of several items that will help solve the problem. Commit changes as you go. Feel free to ask for help.

It also happens that you are simply unable to influence the current situation. Then you just need to accept it. Yes, it is not easy, but it makes a valuable contribution to the treasury of your life experience.

Done with the general advice. Let's move on to specific actions that you need to perform daily in order to feel much better.

1. Delegate

Do only what you are really good at. Sometimes people take on extra tasks just because they're easy enough, done quickly, and don't require a lot of effort. Sometimes - because of distrust of other people or because they believe that no one else is able to cope with them. Sometimes it's just out of habit.

All these tasks can easily be delegated to someone else so that you no longer feel like a loaded donkey. Ask yourself: Am I really the only person who can do this? In most cases, the answer will be no.

2. Question

Too often we do things just because we have to, or because we always did them. But are they really necessary? It is quite possible that we regularly spend a lot of time on absolutely useless activities. To stop wasting precious minutes, ask yourself two questions: Do I really have to complete this task? Will anything change if I don't do it? If both answers are negative, feel free to cross this item off your to-do list.

3. Take breaks

Find time to take a break. No matter how busy your schedule is, it is quite possible to allocate at least 15 minutes in it. This time will be enough for your brain to take a break and start working much more efficiently.

Imagine that these 15 minutes are the kind of mini-vacation you miss so much. Close your eyes for a couple of minutes and allow yourself to relax a little. And then, as if from the outside, try to look at the problem that worries you. We assure you, a solution will definitely be found.

4. Ask for help

When we feel overwhelmed and overwhelmed, we need support more than ever. For her, we turn to friends, family and even colleagues. Complaining about life within reasonable limits is perfectly acceptable, but know the measure: if you start constantly telling everyone about how difficult it is for you, you will achieve exactly the opposite effect. You don't need a reputation as a whiner, do you?

It is often helpful to look at a situation through the eyes of another person.

Tell someone about your concerns and ask for advice. Ask how your interlocutor would act in a similar situation and what actions he would take. Sometimes a fresh look helps to find rather unexpected ways out of a critical situation. And in general, maybe you are winding yourself up in vain and the problem is not as terrible as it seems?

5.

Learn to refuse

Assess your abilities adequately: if you cannot cope with a large amount of work on your own, do not burden yourself with things just because it is inconvenient for you to refuse. Set reasonable boundaries and learn how to finally say the word "no". Every time before agreeing to something, think twice whether you can really cope with the obligations entrusted to you.

Don't know how to politely refuse? Be diplomatic. If your requester is a boss or an important client, try saying things like, “This is going to be pretty difficult given our current priorities. Let's try to find other ways to solve the problem?

6. Think about the people closest to you

If you can't cope with the growing tension, think about your closest people and how they would support you if they were suddenly nearby. Instead of worrying about what a new colleague or some unfamiliar person will think of you, it’s better to remember those whose opinion you really value. This will give you the strength you need right now.

“It will suck, but I can handle it”: how to tune in to life after the news about Ukraine

– These days, the feeling of uncertainty, helplessness can push you to do something. This is not about destructive behavior, but about spontaneous decisions to quit a job, go somewhere, break off or start a relationship. Is it worth stopping yourself in these impulses, or is this a generally normal strategy for coping with stress? And if you allow yourself to make such decisions now, how not to mess things up?

– Uncertainty has now reached unprecedented proportions, and the possible options for the future are as diverse as possible, and among them there are many frightening ones. Since it is not clear what exactly to prepare for, so many people experience a state of stress. Stress is a non-specific reaction of the body, in which our body prepares for instant physical actions. And just in case, to anyone. Glycogen is broken down and converted into glucose, which enters the bloodstream. After that, the level of sugar in the blood rises, which means that fast energy resources are available to all muscles. The body is in a state of readiness to act, and this greatly affects our thoughts.

Our body makes us want to drop everything and leave right now.

To relieve stress in the short term, any physical activity will do: jump, squat, do push-ups, go take a contrast shower. Long stay in stress is very unhealthy: the risk of thrombosis, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes mellitus increases. Remember, the most important thing right now is to keep your body healthy.

At the same time, it is obvious that we cannot influence the very cause of our stress in any way, which means that we still have to make some decisions regarding our life. But what is the "right decision"? It is the solution that is most in line with our goals and values. When choosing between "leave" and "stay", each person faces a conflict of very significant values, which means that everyone must answer the question for himself what and for what he is ready to sacrifice. At the same time, it must be remembered that the more equal the values, the more painful the choice and the more difficult the results of this choice will be perceived.

The situation is so unpredictable economically and politically that there are no guidelines that could serve us in order to say which decision will be bad and which will be good. Therefore, whether we have broken firewood, we will be able to say only after some time, and each person will answer this question for himself, based on his values.

I definitely think that the decision to leave should not be an impulse.

You need to think over for yourself the economic consequences and the entire organizational part. Assess whether it is possible to work remotely or quickly find a job on the spot, rent a house or live with friends, that is, not to go anywhere. For the first time, there should be a financial airbag. If all this is thought out, then such a decision can be made.

Should you stop yourself if you have a strong impulse to leave and you can't think logically? In this case, it is enough to answer one question for yourself: what kind of stress is it easier for you personally to endure? Stress from the unknown, what will happen if you stay in your own country, or stress from the unknown how to arrange life in a foreign country?

Again, there are no correct answers in this situation. If a spontaneous departure is the only way to maintain psychological peace, perhaps it should be used. Maybe you will go to another country, where you can exhale and make a more informed decision a little later. For example, to return or just stay and look for work in a new place.

- Some people feel guilty about having a certain civic position, but for some reason they are afraid or unable to express it. Or, for example, because they can lead a normal daily life, while people are suffering almost nearby. How to deal with this feeling?

- Guilt has a variety of sources, but I would like to make two points. Most often, it occurs in a situation where the other person feels bad, and we cannot do anything. In general, the ability to feel the emotions of other people is an integral property of our psyche. Add to this our ideas about good and evil, the peculiarities of temperament, and it turns out that it is almost impossible not to feel anything today.

Don't beat yourself up about it, acknowledge the emotion and don't run away from it. Breathe in and out, say to yourself “yes, I feel guilty, just because I’m human, I can’t help but feel. Not because I really did evil."

The second moment - if a person experiences a feeling of guilt and at the same time cannot immediately solve the problem, then this feeling is an internal signal to himself that what is happening is very significant for a person. Since there is a sense of guilt, it means that the situation is not indifferent to him.

As for everyday affairs, the context has changed a lot now.

Previously, going to a cafe was just going to a cafe and brought joy. Now this trip to the cafe is included in the context of the conflict that is taking place between our countries. Day-to-day activities will no longer be emotionally the same. This means that the very wording “I lead a normal life when someone is suffering” is incorrect. We do the same actions that were in life ten days ago, but they do not bring us into the same state that they brought us before - I went to a cafe, drank coffee and I felt great. No - I came to the cafe, drank coffee, and this makes me even sadder. Or more anxious. Or joy, but such, with an eye. That is, from the fact that I can physically do this action, it does not bring me closer to my usual life, which was before. These habitual actions can be continued to do, you can not do. Here everyone decides for himself.

The question, it seems to me, is different - can we globally afford to receive joy when we know that there are those who suffer?

You know, I have a colleague, she told me a story about how she ended up in a children's hospital. There were mothers with sick children, some longer, some less. And everyone there was waiting for the children to recover, and the mothers were waiting and the children were waiting. And behind this expectation, days and weeks passed. And no one thought that you can live, and not wait. My colleague made a different choice. Yes, there is pain and procedures in the hospital, you can’t imagine that it doesn’t exist. But there is time free from them, and during this time you can live. Drinking tea is living, looking out the window at the sun is living. Life in the hospital is definitely different from life outside, but it is still there.

Our new reality is the coexistence of two worlds, familiar and cruel. It is difficult to combine them within one human soul, but we will all have to learn this.
It will not turn out that compassion does not affect us at all, but it should turn out so that our usual activities continue, and we can be useful to ourselves and others. Soon each of us will find our new balance point. Learn to do things that were previously familiar, with an eye on what is happening around.

The famous psychologist Sigmund Freud argued that in each person there is simultaneously a desire for life (eros) and for death (thanatos), they can take over in turn or be present to one degree or another simultaneously.

Do not reproach yourself for the fact that you are a human and that it is in your nature to strive for life and joy, no matter what happens.

On the contrary, it is this striving that will help overcome the dark time and then restore peace around. Remember that we are made up of impressions and relationships. This cannot be taken away from us.

- Someone finds comfort in making plans for the future - this brings some relief at the expense of a sense of control. But in the current conditions, there is a high risk that these plans will not be implemented. So is it worth resorting to this method, or is the risk of aggravating your condition too high as a result?

- Here the most accurate comparison will be with drugs for pregnant women. If the expected benefit outweighs the potential harm, then use this drug. Here is the same thing. Since we all know that we have some uncertainty, I assume that most people, when making plans for the future, still do it with the caveat: everything will be fine, then I will do it. Such a plan will be calming (because people are calmed by thinking about pleasant things), and, in principle, it is quite realistic. If everything goes well, we will implement it. That is, the presence of this clause protects you from a possible collapse in the future. At the same time, it is important that the saving effect of this fantasy plan at a particular moment exceeds the potential harm from a possible collapse of your plans in the future, which can then somehow demoralize or upset you.

- Many psychologists recommend that you spend more time on your daily routine, everything that, again, gives you a sense of control. But it is clear that in the long term we have to prepare for changes. How to set yourself up for this without too much panic?

- We must admit to ourselves that there will be changes, and we will not avoid this in any way.

Recognition of the truth is the best remedy for unfulfilled expectations and excessive emotions about this.

Why does panic and helplessness occur at all? The fact is that the most difficult thing for a person is the experience of the unknown, when it is not clear what will happen. The external world is not under control, a person does not feel himself the author of his life. Before that, he did something, planned, he had goals, and then they seem to tell him - you no longer decide anything in your life. Here are the new conditions for you, play by the new rules. The loss of authorship is experienced very painfully.

The next important point is inner confidence in oneself and one's strengths and skills. Confidence that no matter which path we take, we will successfully follow it. In any labor market, someone will work, people and cities will still remain, which means that everything will gradually improve. Yes, it will be difficult, yes, we don’t know how, but I know for sure - I’m able-bodied, and I’ll find some kind of job, our economy has reserves, it’s a market economy, and this will allow the market to somehow even out, some kind of life will continue, and I will deal with it. It might suck for me, but I can handle it.

It is this feeling that “I can handle it” that will reduce all panic and all negative consequences.

Here you can object and say - what if I fail, we do not know what the consequences will be. Such arguments arise precisely from a feeling of insecurity in one's own abilities. As soon as you move into a sense of confidence, the panic will pass. We are not talking here about the fact that if you have this feeling, you really can do it. But this state will help you not to worry right now. It is better to think well of yourself, and then you will come into this unknown at least in a better emotional state, which means that your chances of actually coping with it will increase.

– What other feelings, besides anxiety and fear, are you at risk of encountering under current conditions?

- Here you can write down the whole range of negative feelings - anxiety, fear, helplessness, hopelessness, hopelessness, longing, anger, anger, guilt.

It can be anything, depending on the individual, on his habitual way of emotional response.

There are people who tend to feel guilty in principle, they are more likely to experience these negative experiences. There are people who, if they don’t like something, they actively get angry at those around them - they will show anger and all sorts of aggressive moods. In principle, the set of these negative emotions can vary from person to person. It depends on the existing inclinations, on how a person usually reacts to stress, on his temperament, how expressive and impulsive he is, extroverted or introverted. It depends on the past experience of coping with such events: if it was a negative past experience without the ability to cope with emotions, then there will be more of a passive experience, a feeling of being unable to do something. That is, the current negative situation will resurrect all past ways of responding to negative situations that have already happened and strengthen them.

– How to track them down in time, remind yourself that these are just situational experiences?

- It seems to me that the whole tragedy of the current situation is that these are not situational experiences. The situation affects us all so much that not a single person in Russia and Ukraine will be able to distance themselves from it. This is our new physical, economic and psychological reality.

How to distance yourself from cold weather? No, you need to dress warmer.

So it is here: we will all have to adapt to a new reality that we still do not fully know, and how we will adapt to it is not yet clear.

There are stages of accepting grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. This is the emotional spectrum that every person has to go through. We can pretend that nothing is happening, try to say that this is situational, and this will save up to a certain point. We can be angry that this is happening, we have already accepted that this is bullshit, we have accepted that something terrible is happening, we are angry. Then we can say to ourselves - no, probably everything will not be so bad. And after that there will be an emotional acceptance of the new reality. What it will be, we do not know, none of us knows. After that, the emotional background will even out after a while.

It is important to understand that every resident of Russia and Ukraine faces a stressful situation to a different extent. You can imagine a tunnel, we have already entered it, and we will have to go through this tunnel completely, with all the negative emotions. Unfortunately, this is the truth that we cannot close our eyes to. About which I, as a psychologist, cannot say, they say, do household chores and everything will be fine with you. Doing household chores is important to support ourselves as we walk down this terrible black corridor.

As Ekaterina Shulman said: “We are in a long corridor of historical misfortune.”

Household chores will support us, they will help us to go through this corridor, but we have already entered it, and we will pass through it anyway. I will quote Ekaterina Shulman once again: “We should not forget about the normal life that we lived. These skills and these memories will be very useful to us in the future.”

- It is obvious that anxiety is now natural and well-founded. But how to understand how to find that line when it is time to resort to the help of a specialist?

- We can talk about several moments of varying severity. First of all, it is a violation of emotional and cognitive functions. It is difficult to concentrate, a depressive, emotionally depressed state, from which it is impossible to get out. If you have such symptoms, it is important to understand how patient you are and how much money you have now for specialist help. I think that in such a situation it is worth asking for help. If this does not go away for several days, does not go away from talking with friends, returns, it is worth talking to a specialist.

There are more serious symptoms - sleep disturbance, eating disorders, for example, a complete lack of appetite or vice versa, uncontrolled stress eating.

In this case, help should be addressed unambiguously.

Learn more