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Facebook is making me depressed


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.

  • 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

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

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Misusing alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can have both immediate and long-term health effects.

The misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medications affect the health and well-being of millions of Americans. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health. These reports and detailed tables present estimates from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Alcohol

Data:

  • Among the 133.1 million current alcohol users aged 12 or older in 2021, 60.0 million people (or 45.1%) were past month binge drinkers. The percentage of people who were past month binge drinkers was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (29.2% or 9.8 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (22.4% or 49.3 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (3.8% or 995,000 people). (2021 NSDUH)
  • Among people aged 12 to 20 in 2021, 15.1% (or 5.9 million people) were past month alcohol users. Estimates of binge alcohol use and heavy alcohol use in the past month among underage people were 8.3% (or 3.2 million people) and 1.6% (or 613,000 people), respectively. (2021 NSDUH)
  • In 2020, 50.0% of people aged 12 or older (or 138.5 million people) used alcohol in the past month (i.e., current alcohol users) (2020 NSDUH)
  • Among the 138.5 million people who were current alcohol users, 61.6 million people (or 44. 4%) were classified as binge drinkers and 17.7 million people (28.8% of current binge drinkers and 12.8% of current alcohol users) were classified as heavy drinkers (2020 NSDUH)
  • The percentage of people who were past month binge alcohol users was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (31.4%) compared with 22.9% of adults aged 26 or older and 4.1% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (2020 NSDUH)
  • Excessive alcohol use can increase a person’s risk of stroke, liver cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, cancer, and other serious health conditions
  • Excessive alcohol use can also lead to risk-taking behavior, including driving while impaired. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver daily

Programs/Initiatives:

  • STOP Underage Drinking interagency portal - Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking
  • Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking
  • Talk. They Hear You.
  • Underage Drinking: Myths vs. Facts
  • Talking with your College-Bound Young Adult About Alcohol

Relevant links:

  • National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
  • Department of Transportation Office of Drug & Alcohol Policy & Compliance
  • Alcohol Policy Information Systems Database (APIS)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Tobacco

Data:

  • In 2020, 20.7% of people aged 12 or older (or 57.3 million people) used nicotine products (i.e., used tobacco products or vaped nicotine) in the past month (2020 NSDUH)
  • Among past month users of nicotine products, nearly two thirds of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (63.1%) vaped nicotine but did not use tobacco products. In contrast, 88.9% of past month nicotine product users aged 26 or older used only tobacco products (2020 NSDUH)
  • Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death, often leading to lung cancer, respiratory disorders, heart disease, stroke, and other serious illnesses. The CDC reports that cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States
  • The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health reports that more than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking cigarettes

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use data:

  • In 2021, 13.2 million people aged 12 or older (or 4.7%) used an e-cigarette or other vaping device to vape nicotine in the past month. The percentage of people who vaped nicotine was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (14.1% or 4.7 million people), followed by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (5.2% or 1.4 million people), then by adults aged 26 or older (3.2% or 7.1 million people).
  • Among people aged 12 to 20 in 2021, 11.0% (or 4.3 million people) used tobacco products or used an e-cigarette or other vaping device to vape nicotine in the past month. Among people in this age group, 8.1% (or 3.1 million people) vaped nicotine, 5.4% (or 2.1 million people) used tobacco products, and 3. 4% (or 1.3 million people) smoked cigarettes in the past month. (2021 NSDUH)
  • Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Among both middle and high school students, current use of e-cigarettes declined from 2019 to 2020, reversing previous trends and returning current e-cigarette use to levels similar to those observed in 2018
  • E-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, or pregnant women, especially because they contain nicotine and other chemicals

Resources:

  • Tips for Teens: Tobacco
  • Tips for Teens: E-cigarettes
  • Implementing Tobacco Cessation Programs in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Settings
  • Synar Amendment Program

Links:

  • Truth Initiative
  • FDA Center for Tobacco Products
  • CDC Office on Smoking and Health
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco, Nicotine, and E-Cigarettes
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: E-Cigarettes

Opioids

Data:

  • Among people aged 12 or older in 2021, 3. 3% (or 9.2 million people) misused opioids (heroin or prescription pain relievers) in the past year. Among the 9.2 million people who misused opioids in the past year, 8.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers compared with 1.1 million people who used heroin. These numbers include 574,000 people who both misused prescription pain relievers and used heroin in the past year. (2021 NSDUH)
  • Among people aged 12 or older in 2020, 3.4% (or 9.5 million people) misused opioids in the past year. Among the 9.5 million people who misused opioids in the past year, 9.3 million people misused prescription pain relievers and 902,000 people used heroin (2020 NSDUH)
  • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Understanding the Epidemic, an average of 128 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose

Resources:

  • Medication-Assisted Treatment
  • Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
  • TIP 63: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
  • Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Criminal Justice Settings
  • Opioid Use Disorder and Pregnancy
  • Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
  • The Facts about Buprenorphine for Treatment of Opioid Addiction
  • Pregnancy Planning for Women Being Treated for Opioid Use Disorder
  • Tips for Teens: Opioids
  • Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Grants
  • Tribal Opioid Response Grants
  • Provider’s Clinical Support System - Medication Assisted Treatment Grant Program

Links:

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Opioids
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Heroin
  • HHS Prevent Opioid Abuse
  • Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
  • Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network
  • Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network

Marijuana

Data:

  • In 2021, marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug, with 18. 7% of people aged 12 or older (or 52.5 million people) using it in the past year. The percentage was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (35.4% or 11.8 million people), followed by adults aged 26 or older (17.2% or 37.9 million people), then by adolescents aged 12 to 17 (10.5% or 2.7 million people).
  • The percentage of people who used marijuana in the past year was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (34.5%) compared with 16.3% of adults aged 26 or older and 10.1% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (2020 NSDUH)
  • Marijuana can impair judgment and distort perception in the short term and can lead to memory impairment in the long term
  • Marijuana can have significant health effects on youth and pregnant women.

Resources:

  • Know the Risks of Marijuana
  • Marijuana and Pregnancy
  • Tips for Teens: Marijuana

Relevant links:

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse: Marijuana
  • Addiction Technology Transfer Centers on Marijuana
  • CDC Marijuana and Public Health

Emerging Trends in Substance Misuse:

  • Methamphetamine—In 2019, NSDUH data show that approximately 2 million people used methamphetamine in the past year. Approximately 1 million people had a methamphetamine use disorder, which was higher than the percentage in 2016, but similar to the percentages in 2015 and 2018. The National Institute on Drug Abuse Data shows that overdose death rates involving methamphetamine have quadrupled from 2011 to 2017. Frequent meth use is associated with mood disturbances, hallucinations, and paranoia.
  • Cocaine—In 2019, NSDUH data show an estimated 5.5 million people aged 12 or older were past users of cocaine, including about 778,000 users of crack. The CDC reports that overdose deaths involving have increased by one-third from 2016 to 2017. In the short term, cocaine use can result in increased blood pressure, restlessness, and irritability. In the long term, severe medical complications of cocaine use include heart attacks, seizures, and abdominal pain.
  • Kratom—In 2019, NSDUH data show that about 825,000 people had used Kratom in the past month. Kratom is a tropical plant that grows naturally in Southeast Asia with leaves that can have psychotropic effects by affecting opioid brain receptors. It is currently unregulated and has risk of abuse and dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that health effects of Kratom can include nausea, itching, seizures, and hallucinations.

Resources:

  • Tips for Teens: Methamphetamine
  • Tips for Teens: Cocaine
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse

More SAMHSA publications on substance use prevention and treatment.

Last Updated: 01/05/2023

How not to get depressed because other people have achieved more than you

January 16, 2015 Life

We all know that no one will ever be able to fully understand everything that another person has gone through. But, despite this, many people constantly compare themselves with others, and because this comparison is not in favor of the comparer, they can become depressed and feel like losers. To learn how to avoid these deplorable consequences, read our article.

A Quora reader shared his story and asked for advice on how not to get depressed. Given that this is more or less close to each of us, we decided to share with you the best responses from users.

I received a good education but had little interest in what I was studying (studied as an engineer). I graduated with a master's degree and eventually realized that I was not studying what I want to do in life.

Many of my peers immediately after graduation began to successfully and quickly climb up the career ladder. Now I'm 26 years old and I feel like I haven't found my place in life. I work for a small company, but I can't say that I like what I do.

When I look at the profiles of my peers on Facebook* or LinkedIn, I realize how ambitious these guys are, unlike me. And I feel like a failure. I have always been more interested in other aspects of life: art, traveling, meeting interesting people.

But I can't help but compare myself to others in terms of work success. My peers are way ahead of me. The realization of this devours me from the inside, I feel that I am falling into depression. How to deal with it?

Don't be afraid to spend time doing what you enjoy

The surest way to become unhappy is to constantly compare your life with the lives of other people.

You say yourself that you are interested in art, traveling and meeting new interesting people. What are you waiting for? Get Started! You are only 26. If funds allow, decide to spend a year traveling the world. Or take up mountain climbing or volunteering. Or, alternatively, start learning a foreign language.

Do not be afraid to spend a year of your life solely on yourself. It's a myth that if you spend a year away from work-work-work, then after that you'll have a hard time finding a job due to a year's gap in the "Experience" section.

Think about what it means to you to be a happy person. A lot of money and professional achievements? Or rich life experience and close people nearby? After you answer this question, you will understand what is really important to you, and you will be able to focus on it, and not torment yourself with doubts and envy.

Good luck to you!

We should be masters and not victims of our thoughts

I think it's all about habits. Bad habits are not only smoking or drinking too much, our thoughts that plague us can also become a bad habit.

If we are used to thinking about something negative, if we are constantly looking for something bad in everything, we see a catch everywhere, then this way of thinking is a vicious circle that can ultimately lead to severe mental illness.

The good news is that we have the power to change our thoughts. The first step is, of course, awareness and recognition of the problem. Sometimes there are severe cases when a person is already so bogged down in thoughts of permanent negativity that one cannot do without the help of a qualified psychologist. But in most cases, people themselves are able to direct their thoughts in the right direction.

We should not be victims of our thoughts. We must be their masters.

Remember that you can always find something bright. It is only in your power to change your thoughts and stop chewing on the negative.

Remember that everyone has their own life

After reading your story, it can be assumed that your depression is the result of your perception of yourself and the world around you. Change your perception. And try to follow your true interests.

Yes, of course, every person wants to get a promotion at work, buy their own house, car and God knows what else. But do not forget that we, the people, are not a collection of our property. We are alive and we are free to follow our desires, we have aspirations and feelings.

Sometimes we tie our own hands. We take a mortgage for 10 years and tie ourselves to a certain place. We do not go to study where we really want, but where our parents want. Our work brings us nothing but money.

We look at other people who are more successful than us. We begin to envy them, feel like nothingness, and because of this we fall into depression. But we forget that even super-successful people, in addition to their ups, have their downs. They too lose and lose, fail. That's life.

In the end, everyone has their own path. And only you can determine for yourself what victory or success means. And if you are not interested in your own life, then you will constantly compare yourself with others and because of this you will be an unhappy person.

You wrote that you know what matters to you - travel, art, communication. Maybe you should find a job that has everything that brings you pleasure. Or maybe you should start your own business if you can't find a job that suits you?

Stop looking at others. You have your own path. And only he matters.

It's simple

It's simple: log out of Facebook*, change jobs and stop comparing yourself to other people.

Action Guide

I had a lingering depression and this is what helped me get back to normal:

  1. Feel part of the world, find what will help you become a successful person. The path to success will never be easy, and you should prepare for the fact that failures and trials await you. Sometimes you will feel irritated and angry. And that's not bad. This means that you are a living person.
  2. Physical training. Helps to distract from unnecessary thoughts, especially cardio training.
  3. Watch your health. Sometimes mental problems are just a consequence of physical ones. Make sure your health is good. For example, I had to limit my sugar intake and start taking vitamin D.
  4. Stop hanging out with people who keep you busy. Now you have your own problems, and you don't need someone else's.
  5. Don't stay at home. Meet and chat with new people.

Many people whose lives you read about on social media hate their jobs

  • You are only 26 years old, so it's too early to say that your career has failed.
  • Do not drive yourself into a corner and remember that you can change jobs at any time. You don't owe anything to anyone.
  • Stay away from Facebook* and LinkedIn for at least a month. You will be surprised when you notice how much less often you begin to think about other people's lives.
  • Remember that one of the best medicines is a change of scenery. Go on a trip or redecorate your home.

And finally…

Many people whose lives you read about on social networks hate their jobs with all their hearts and will never find solace in the money they earn.

What do you think about this?

*Activities of Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.

The harm of social networks: depression, psychosis, aggression - how to deal with addiction

You wake up with a phone in your hand. Scrolling through social media feeds while brushing your teeth, shaving, standing in traffic. During the working day, you are distracted by notifications and instant messengers, and by the evening you start posting something yourself. And now you are already five hours a day - the average for the world - spend buried in the screen of a smartphone. For 26% of humanity, this figure has reached seven hours.

According to statistics, a person spends half of their screen time in social networks and instant messengers. Even if it's 2.5 hours a day, in a month they add up to a full three days that you killed to look at celebrities, participate in meaningless polls in stories, comment on someone else's vacation photos and complain about the weather.

This innocent procrastination is detrimental not only to your time, but also to your psyche. American psychologist Robert Kraut proved that there is a direct relationship between depression and time spent on the Internet: the longer you are online, the sadder you become.

Social networks are not only a source of memes and news, but also stress, envy, bullying, Lost Profit Syndrome (FoMO), the cause of addiction and fear. Platforms that were originally created for limitless communication, motivation and cultural exchange are now increasingly leading to self-imposed social isolation and personality disorders. Moreover, the younger the user, the shorter his path from registering on the network to registering at the hospital.

In 2017, the results of a massive study were published that studied the behavior of half a million American schoolchildren over a period of five years. It turned out that during this period, against the background of increasing immersion in social networks, symptoms of depression in adolescents began to occur 33% more often, and suicidal tendencies - by as much as 56%.

Nevertheless, the stories about the destructive power of social networks are still something of an urban legend - they say that someone goes crazy because of Facebook, but we have not seen such people. But Yulia Tkachenko, a preventive medicine doctor at BestDoctor, saw them. “All mental illnesses can be divided into two groups: endogenous, that is, arising from internal causes, and exogenous, caused by external factors. The first - schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and clinical depression - social networks can aggravate, but only if the person was already sick, but even initially healthy users can develop diseases from the second group. Together with Dr. Tkachenko, we have selected five disorders, the path to which is the shortest on the Internet.

The network of these mental disorders can be catered to through Facebook, Instagram, VK, and Odnoklassniki

Depression

Symptoms

You feel like your life is very boring compared to your Facebook friends; Are you constantly upset by reading the comments of the haters? you post sad songs and black-and-white photographs with philosophical captions; you have a quote from Dostoevsky in your status.

What is it

This is a disorder, the main features of which are considered to be a bad mood, decreased performance and loss of a sense of pleasure from life.

How social media affects you

Most likely, before you get depressed, you will experience the syndrome of missed profit. This syndrome, also known as FoMO, makes you feel under-engaged in the interesting and important events that happen all the time in other people's lives. This causes a decrease in self-esteem and an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety. And who doesn't feel sad when the Kardashians manage to attend every social event and earn a million dollars per post?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Symptoms

You regularly re-read your posts and comments, edit them and bring them to the ideal; vigilantly monitor the color scheme on Instagram, spend hours processing pictures and making layouts of your stories; with particular pleasure, you sort photos into albums, and friends into groups, and with disgust unsubscribe from those who publish content randomly, polluting your flawless feed.

What is it

A condition or neurosis during which a person is haunted by obsessive thoughts and delusions, as well as a heightened desire for perfectionism. This disorder is characterized by the presence of repetitive rituals.

How social networks influence

Studies show that people with OCD (and we are not talking about the Russian Olympic Committee) use smartphones more often. Updating the social media feed for them is one of the rituals that relieve nervousness, but there is no exact understanding of what is the cause and what is the effect.

Paranoia

Symptoms

Do you feel that you are being closely watched in social networks, for example, by your former, future, and maybe potential; Are you afraid of grades? chat only in secret chats; hide geolocation; delete dialogues; you blacklist every stranger who likes it, and you are so doubtful about your posts that you sometimes delete them immediately after publication.

What it is

Paranoia is not considered a separate disease, but delusions of persecution accompany many deviations.

How social networks influence

The fact that other users evaluate your actions can lead to a fear of public actions - social phobia.

Addiction

Symptoms

You check your social media feeds every five minutes; constantly texting someone and get angry if they answer you longer than usual; all your life you broadcast in stories and carefully track who watched them from start to finish, and who turned off.

What is it

An obsessive need that has reached an extreme degree, when some desire turns out to be stronger than you and you can no longer refuse to fulfill it.

How social networks influence

The basis of the formation of any addiction is a violation of the reward system of the brain. Neurons release pleasure mediators when the brain regards an event as important. The more seriously a person perceives his virtual life, the more important for him is each reaction in the form of a like or comment, which causes the release of neurotransmitters, and at the same time a feeling of pleasure. The necessary dose of this buzz grows over time, and the person begins to strive for more and more activity in the social network. Like any other addiction, smartphone addiction can significantly impair the quality of life. In advanced cases, it leads to isolation, impaired attention and sleep disorders.

Uncontrollable attacks of aggression

Symptoms

You will certainly enter into any dispute in the comments, because someone is wrong on the Internet, which means that he needs to be put on the right path, and this is your mission; you love to criticize other people's posts and look for errors in them; you inform all subscribers about your every negative life experience; you rarely like, because almost all other people's posts and stories annoy you, but you continue to watch them.

Learn more