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I am so frustrated with my life


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

Disappointment in life. But once I believed in myself so much...

Requests for helpWrite your story

Perhaps, if I am not around, it will only become easier for everyone. I only create problems for myself and the people around me. I don't see the point
live. It’s very bad, the heart is breaking, the soul hurts so much that no calming ones can even come close to helping her.
Before, I believed, ... I believed in my future, I wanted to live, work, create, I thought that life is beautiful, people are all good and
caring, everything in this world is fair and honest . . oh how wrong I was.
Why live? I can’t find a job, I have knowledge, but there is no way to apply it. After all, it’s better to hire their nephew
or other relative than an outsider with knowledge.
Love... does it exist? It's a shame when you give a person your whole soul, and then he uses it, disappoints every day, and in
all troubles blames only you. When he does not understand the most important thing. When one day you open your eyes to a person and think: where am I
I looked at what I hoped for .. when he does not understand what you are talking about and when he does not hear you. And it only hurts. So long
met, I thought that he was the only one, but there were so many tears, quarrels, disappointments ... we are from other worlds. There is no strength to endure. I am
I thought that wearing clothes should bring happiness and joy, not pain. I don't want to get married.
Health is the most important thing in life. Never been perfect. But when she became nervous, living in stress became even worse. Permanent
medicines, tests ... tired, painful and insulting, scary .. and easier until it melts.
She was left alone with her problems. I don’t want to wake up in the morning, I don’t want to talk to anyone, I don’t want to spoil
people life.
But once I believed in myself so much ... I had SUCH plans in my life .... but now I'm confused.

Lena, age: 08/25/2013

Responses:

In fact, there is nothing surprising in the fact that your dreams did not come true. They generally come true for very few, and even if this happens, sometimes a person does not receive the satisfaction that he expected. And regrets about unfulfilled plans only exacerbate the current situation. You are now just going through another stage in life, and even if it is not the best, maybe even the most difficult, but you will come out of it with experience and strength for a further normal life. It’s just that some things need to be experienced, there’s no way without it, this is how this world works and we are not able to influence it, but we can influence ourselves and our view of certain things. If you think only about problems, then your life will consist exclusively of them, and if you learn to switch to something else, brighter, more joyful and pleasant, then you can get rid of problems altogether. Or at least not focus on them like that. In any case, this period will pass, nothing lasts forever, and in the future you will surely gain both strength and opportunities to build your own happiness!

Sergey, age: 08/31/2013

Lena, live, please... Everything will be fine, everything will be fine. I also have a sister, Lena, who is 25 years old, just like you. It pains me to read your letter.

I also used to have huge plans, dreams, goals in life. Now there is almost nothing.

May your biggest dreams and plans never come true. But the dreams and plans of many do not come true.

Start small. Try not to think about the bad. Start slowly putting your life in order. And with time you will meet a loved one. Believe me, a lot of normal, good guys would be happy to meet a girl like you.

You write that you no longer want to get married. You don't need all the guys "one size fits all". Relationships should be fun! Exactly! You will meet your dear boyfriend, you yourself will want to stay with him for life. Try to get to know each other more.

Just start putting your life in order little by little. And everything will be fine... Lena, I'm with you)

Alyosha, age: 08/26/2013

Hi Lena, it's good that you splashed out all your experiences here. After the outpouring of the soul, it usually becomes easier. ))) I wish you to gather your thoughts and sort everything out. Perhaps you have a lot of things that are not very pleasant at once? Everything is fixable!)) The sun will definitely smile at you. :)
Do not be nervous, think over everything over tea with herbs. Mint, oregano are very soothing, uplifting. Lay everything out on the shelves. Work will be found, love will happen. Be sure to watch your health.
I wish you all the best! Good luck.

Yuliya, age: 25/19.08.2013

Hello namesake! Everything in my life is almost the same .... There is no work, there is no second half (and I don’t need it). What can I tell you? It may sound trite, but the main thing for you now is not to give up. You worry because you have lost your illusions about the world and your future, and this is very difficult for any person. It's just that it's probably time to come up with a new future for yourself and make new plans. I like one saying of Schwarzenegger: "Do not be afraid to dream, but beware. " If you follow an unrealizable ideal, then you can easily see what is under your feet and stumble. It’s a pity that you can’t leave contacts here, otherwise we could chat. I think that you will definitely get out and find yourself a decent and interesting job. Chin up!

Lena, age: 08/24/2013

Depression .. Ways to treat it can be searched on the Internet too. You need to find your way. Look for him.
There is an intuitive feeling that you can help yourself.
People for communication can be found too, on the Internet, in everyday life, if there is a lack of communication.

Alexey, age: 08/31/2013

Thanks a lot to everyone for the replies! Sincerely, thank you very much. It was so important for me to speak up. Thank you for the words of support, for such
warm, so necessary words to me.
I know that I have no right to despair, that there are people who are even worse than me and it’s harder (God give them strength, patience to change everything),
but too much has piled on me in a short period of time.
Too bad we can't leave contacts here. I would love to talk to some people. Thanks again and all the best!

LENA, age: 25/19.08.2013

Hey Lena! Life is certainly not sugar, and in this you are right. I understand you wonderfully, with my 2 higher educations and a bunch of courses and
trainings. Just like you dreamed that I would have everything and achieve it myself, for the sake of a second education I got into terrible debts here 4th
I can’t pay for a year, and then the whirlwind began, there was no work, no money, and the family constantly reproaches that of me and with 2 higher
it doesn’t work out for a person, it’s the same with a personal one, she got married, there was such love, and financial problems began, she quickly ran away to her mother, (though
that I sent off all the wealthy gentlemen, I think I can handle it myself), leaving me with my debts, sessions, etc. How many tears shed, glory
There are no children to God, I would definitely have already checked, the neuropathologist already accepted me as his own every time and sincerely did not understand that with my
psyche is not. There was no money, the husband did not support, job offers came either with a hint of intimacy or with a salary
purely symbolically ... Len, what can I tell you, your heartache and disappointment are understandable, just accept it ... but accept that the world is
not like we imagined it, that everyone needs strong, beautiful and healthy, other rules the shell of the world is deceptive, while you are at
high, the world loves you falling ... roll on. So don't give up, keep your head up and... win. I think you belong with
strong and judging by your letter, it seems to me that you have strength, just disappointment and resentment get in the way. There are good people and there are more than
bad ones, believe me, but they help those who are struggling, and not those who ask for help. So have more confidence and accept the rules of the game,
man against the system, stay decent and believe in the best, but be strong.

SvetLana, age: 08/27/2013

Here, I have another question about the comment! People like this: No wonder your dreams didn't come true?????????? What are you,
will definitely come true, Len, believe in yourself and don’t compromise your principles and everything will come true, adapt, look for a compromise, but believe everything
come true. I know that for 5 years after university, I am not tired of fighting, and every time I answer the same thing, yes I am, I am so for myself
decided. And I work normally, and they pay normally, and no one can help me except my head, well, that's what I decided for myself in life and go to
this itself, if people believe that dreams do not come true and this is normal, then something is wrong with our world. Leen, your dreams will come true, but
you will have to fight for them, correctly and competently, remaining yourself and learning new things from people. Learn, develop, be sure to believe everything
will come...

SvetLana, age: 08/27/2013

Lenochka, hello! I am your age. Recently, I also wrote a letter to this site with exactly the same problems as you. Answered because
I recognized in your letter the same notes of disappointment in life because of unfulfilled hopes. It is difficult for me to give any advice, but I will write you
my incentive, which I always tell myself from the age of 16, when it is very bitter and insulting: "IF YOU GIVE UP THEN YOU HAVE LOST"!!!! Good luck! We have all
it will work in the future!

Julia, age: 25/23/2013


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The joy of life - disappointment in everything - how to cope with the problem?

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