Depression when alone

SAMHSA’s National Helpline | SAMHSA

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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.

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For additional resources, please visit the SAMHSA Store.

Last Updated: 08/30/2022

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

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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.

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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).

How to overcome depression and loneliness? Treatment of depression in the Allianz Central Medical Health Center

In the modern world, the cult of physical and psychological perfection prevails. The basis is strength, vigor, material well-being and success. In an effort to meet the expectations of society, people are forced to hide experiences and problems. This leads to a sense of inadequacy, deprivation of the necessary support and limited communication.

Loneliness is a reason to figure out what doesn’t suit you in the people around you, but those around you don’t like you. Instead of falling into depression, it is better to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist and solve the problem.

Loneliness in psychology is considered a factor that has a destructive effect on a person's emotional state. Often this forced state becomes the cause of depression.

Depression is a mood disorder according to ICD-10. It is considered a disease if the following symptoms are present for two or more weeks:

depressed mood;
loss of interest in favorite work, hobbies;
pessimistic ideas about the future;
lack of desire to communicate, refusal of social interaction;
destructive thoughts about personal achievement and appearance;
sleep and appetite disorders.

It is possible to get rid of depression due to the lack of a personal life, but for this it is recommended to seek the advice of a psychotherapist. The longer a person is alone with negative thoughts and feelings, the more severe the symptoms of the disorder will be.

How to define the line between a problem and an illness?

When depression occurs from loneliness, what to do is a common question that a specialist is asked during an initial consultation. A conversation with a psychotherapist is the first and so far the only way to understand a person's problems.

Important

The fundamental difference between a psychologist and a psychotherapist: only a psychotherapist can prescribe medication. If you have severe symptoms of depression, see your doctor.

If a person wants to understand why it is not possible to build friendships or love relationships, a psychologist or psychotherapist will help him. It is impossible to see yourself from the outside and evaluate your behavior, while a specialist will definitely be able to assess your life goals and suggest how they can be optimized. You feel your “own” specialist already from the first session, but in order to fully understand the problem, you need to complete the full course.

If symptoms of depression (the cause of depressed mood is not important here) prevent a person from living and working - nothing gives pleasure, it is difficult to concentrate and remember, sleep problems (insomnia, daytime sleepiness) torment, it is better to consult a doctor. A therapist will be able to prescribe mild antidepressants that will relieve symptoms. And then it will be much easier for a person to solve the main problem.

How to overcome depression and loneliness?

What helps with depression and loneliness? Visible and quick help is provided by individual cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy.

This allows the patient to see a real positive result in a short time, since the work will be directed specifically to the problem of loneliness. The essence of therapy is to replace negative beliefs with positive ones, therefore, a person’s behavior also changes.

The inclusion of group therapy helps to shift the focus from the client's personal experiences to the external environment. Communication and participation in the lives of other people is an effective way to get rid of the feeling of loneliness. In such sessions, patients are given the opportunity to talk about their feelings and experiences to other people.

At group therapy sessions, what is so lacking for a person in modern society is available - the opportunity to share the most intimate and support, without judgment and prejudice.

Such an act necessarily has a positive reinforcement in the form of support, encouragement and acceptance by other members of the group. Thus, the fear of being ridiculed, misunderstood, or receiving condemnation from society is worked out.

If during the passage of psychotherapy the intensity of symptoms persists, then, in agreement with the patient, medical support is added. Treatment with a psychotherapist allows you not only to learn how to overcome depression and loneliness, but also teaches you practical techniques for controlling your emotional state. With the help of a qualified specialist, you will successfully overcome the disease and enjoy communication again.

Depression from loneliness: how to cope and not fall into depression

Communication for a modern person is a prerequisite for his optimal functioning. However, the fast pace of life, busy work schedule and many responsibilities make people want to be alone with their thoughts and feelings. Depressive personality disorder is associated with loneliness, which can be both a cause of illness and its consequence. Severe mental disorders requiring professional treatment can be the result of fear of close relationships and betrayal, a person's isolation and inability to communicate.

Causes of depressive loneliness

Some modern people make a conscious decision and lead an isolated lifestyle. They explain this circumstance by the fact that communication with others requires temporary and emotional resources. People with this attitude believe that serving the family or doing things together takes up a lot of time that they could spend on self-development or recreation. Psychologists note that people who make this conscious choice do not suffer from loneliness.

Depressive loneliness is seen in the modern world as a painful and painful condition. In this case, people feel the need for recognition or protection, they yearn for warm and trusting relationships. Loneliness can occur even in those people who are surrounded by family.

The main reasons for the emergence of feelings of loneliness in the modern world are:

Individual personality traits.

People with traits such as self-doubt, pessimism, autism, introversion often do not have many friends and prefer to be alone. A common reason such clients turn to psychologists is the fear of communication.

Psychological trauma.

Divorce, unhealthy relationships, death of loved ones, moving to a new place of residence, loss of a job can act as an obstacle to establishing social contacts.

Objective factors requiring social isolation.

Physical disability, the need to regularly care for loved ones, disability can cause physical isolation.

Life in a big city.

People who live in megacities often note a lack of communication that is not related to their work activities. Working in a busy schedule, people can not allocate enough time to maintain existing contacts and establish new connections. In such conditions, emotional exhaustion can also occur, causing social isolation.

Desire for material superiority.

Intensive professional activity brings a decent income, in the pursuit of which people forget about meeting the need for communication. In such situations, after achieving the goal, people do not feel satisfied, as they cannot receive recognition and the necessary attention.

Loneliness caused by the loss of a loved one is considered as a separate cause of depressive syndrome. The main position in the formation of this violation is the feeling of loss, in addition, a person is faced with many negative feelings and experiences, the need to change the usual way of life.

Effective methods of getting out of depression

The difficulty of getting rid of depression that occurs against the background of loneliness lies in the fact that people of different sexes have certain social expectations. Social standards suggest that a man should be strong and successful, it is unacceptable for him to show sadness and weakness. In this case, depression is formed due to the fact that a man cannot express emotions and uses alcohol to relieve psycho-emotional stress.

In women, the depressive syndrome is associated with the impossibility of their realization as spouses and mothers. Depression from loneliness can be exacerbated by the fact that a woman enters into an unhappy marriage or is pressured by loved ones because of not meeting their expectations.

Many depressed patients mistakenly believe that in order to overcome their problem they need to arm themselves with charm and good looks, and then go to an entertainment establishment for company. Such a strategy is destructive to the individual and does not effectively get rid of depression. The increase in the number of acquaintances and casual connections can increase the feeling of loneliness. The search for new acquaintances and attempts to communicate gradually deplete the resources of a depressed person.

Experts recommend starting the fight against depression and loneliness by looking for existing resources and connections. Satisfaction is possible when communication is restored with relatives or old friends. In addition, the patient can discover in himself resources that make his personality unique.

Reassessment of professional activity also helps to get out of depression in cases where it is not possible to restore social ties. For this, some patients turn to specialists to remove psychological clamps and blocks that affect self-esteem. An effective way is also favorite activities or hobbies that not only distract from negative thoughts, but also become a means of personal development.

If you have severe symptoms of depression associated with loneliness, you may need the help of a psychiatrist. This specialist works with patients who have cognitive and motor impairments, suicidal thoughts.

Some patients are afraid of publicity and do not go to medical institutions for help, because they believe that they will be put on a psychiatric register. This measure is used in exceptional cases when the patient poses a danger to others and himself. Medicamentous treatment can also be carried out by a private psychotherapist, who does not record patients. This direction of treatment is often based on taking antidepressants, which improve the psycho-emotional state in a few weeks.

Sequelae of depressive disorder from loneliness

Patients with depression often try to get through the difficult period and cope with the problem on their own. However, in cases where loneliness becomes an obsession, patients do not notice a gradual restriction of social activity.

A common consequence of depression on the background of loneliness is the formation of dependence on alcohol or psychoactive substances. In such a situation, people do not participate in social life, stop looking after themselves and are not aware of the problems.

The danger of depressive disorder caused by loneliness is a high risk of suicide. Patients with moderate to severe forms of the disorder may show suicidal tendencies. It is easier for a lonely person to realize his plans, which he may not even hide from others. Auto-aggressive behavior is dangerous for the patient, therefore, in such cases, hospitalization is carried out.

Prevention of depression from loneliness

How to cope with loneliness and depression is known to specialists in various fields, these conditions can be corrected. Psychotherapists and psychologists recommend that people with a lack of communication to prevent depression set a long-term goal that will require the participation of other people and a large physical investment.

Learn more