Home » Misc » Lack of purpose

Lack of purpose


SAMHSA’s National Helpline | SAMHSA

Solr Mobile Search

Share Buttons

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

Last Updated: 08/30/2022

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

Solr Mobile Search

Share Buttons

Your browser is not supported

Switch to Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari

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:

  • Medications for Substance Use Disorders
  • 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

Last Updated: 03/22/2023

Existential despair: what does the lack of goals in life lead to

231 228

Know yourself Loneliness

If every person were temporarily deprived of his daily duties - the need to go to work, take care of household chores, take care of children - the whole world would soon sink into a nightmare, says American psychotherapist John Cilimparis. Most people would wallow in obsessive thoughts on completely unnecessary topics. They would drive themselves into a frenzy by asking questions that have no answers.

For example, fruitless arguments about life and death — that we are all born from some dark and unclear void, and after death we return to it. These heavy thoughts invariably lead to the fact that a person begins to ask questions like "Who am I?" and “Why am I here?” driving yourself into an intellectual dead end.

Deprived of all life goals, people would find themselves in such an existential void that anxiety would simply throw them off balance. Our mind does not tolerate idleness, perceives it as a real punishment.

Experiencing existential despair, we come face to face with our own mortality, an unbearable awareness of the finiteness of our existence

Thanks to them, we maintain balance and do not indulge in endless thoughts about our ephemeral, and possibly meaningless, existence.

A former patient once told me that, despite her anxiety and depression, she was forced to think about the future because of her two children. Every prom she attended, every football game, every musical rehearsal, every new milestone in her children's lives, made her look to the future with hope, not fear.

The older we get, the more important children and grandchildren are to us. They allow us to focus on their youth rather than our own aging. For this woman, motherhood for some time became the meaning of life. It helped her to control herself and cope with psychological problems.

If, with age, a person continues to live aimlessly and disorganized, most likely, he will begin to mentally turn to the past more and more often. He will be tormented by obsessive thoughts about past mistakes, losses, unsuccessful decisions. Existential despair creeps up unnoticed and forces us to constantly analyze the past, although this does not give us anything.

Complete immersion in oneself

All-consuming despair can push a person to solipsism — complete immersion in oneself, in one's desires, fears and experiences. He develops the unfounded belief that his "I" is the only measure of truth. This is an inadequate perception of reality distorted by egoism.

Uncertainty, lack of control and unpredictability are simply unbearable for a person who is completely immersed in himself. The egocentric mind is often hostile to everything new, and getting out of the comfort zone becomes almost impossible.

It is important to remember that it is not the future that scares us, but our inability to control it. Plunging into ourselves, we find ourselves in an endless carousel of neurotic experiences about the future, which cause constant anxiety.

As we plunge into ourselves, we begin to exaggerate our own importance.

It begins to seem that our personal problems are more important than the problems of the rest of the inhabitants of the planet, and therefore everyone around us is constantly watching us and criticizing our actions. Or it seems to us that we are completely unique and no one in the world suffers as much as we do. Or that God himself took up arms against us personally and deliberately makes our life unbearable. You know what? You're not that important, period.

So, we have come to the conclusion that the aimlessness and disorganization of everyday life can be dangerous for the psyche. When we live aimlessly, our mind is idle, not getting any tasks to make it work.

A few months ago, I went on a small mountain hike alone in Santa Monica, west of Los Angeles. For some reason, I felt loneliness especially acutely, I began to feel sorry for myself a little. When I reached the highest point of the route and looked down at the magnificent view that opened before me, something seemed to switch in my head.

Standing in silence on the top of the mountain, as if isolated from the whole world, I shed tears and felt some kind of despair

It was a very unpleasant feeling - heavy and sad. All life's anxieties seemed to me much more serious than before, from the usual fear of old age to doubts about whether I turned off the air conditioner when I left the house. It felt like this new despair was eating me up inside.

This sudden change in consciousness unsettled me and completely disoriented me. But there was something comical in all this. It was as if violins and cellos were playing in the background, while I was being sucked into some kind of swamp of absurdity.

These experiences made me stop and think. Now I myself have come face to face with the realization of how limited my possibilities are and how short my stay in this world is. And last week, while playing tennis, I got injured - a torn calf muscle. I had to cancel all appointments with patients for the next few days. I wore orthopedic shoes and moved around the house on crutches.

Having temporarily lost my daily duties and got out of my usual routine, left alone with crutches, I again felt that same despair. And it inspired me to write this article.

10 tips to avoid existential despair

1. Find a goal for yourself

Any goal, not necessarily noble or intellectual. Let it be something you enjoy doing for yourself or for others. Immerse yourself in your chosen cause with maximum dedication and unyielding determination. If you don't like your current job, look for other job opportunities. Do not be afraid to take on new projects that cause you genuine enthusiasm.

2. Do not allow yourself long periods of idleness

Plan your time wisely. Regular mental exercise is very important for the health of the mind and psyche. There is no remote control in life, you will have to “switch” the channels yourself. Don't lie mindlessly on the couch.

3. Focus on those areas of life where you can really do something useful

For example, relationships with a spouse or partner, raising children, relationships with relatives, work, a healthy lifestyle.

4. Set goals and challenge yourself every day

Sometimes it's good to deal with a conflict that you've been avoiding for years. It is also helpful to overcome yourself by trying something new - something that scares you.

5. Don't expect guarantees

Some uncertainty about the future is inevitable and normal.

6. Don't put off everything until later

Take action. Be prepared to make decisions and stick to them.

7. Do not isolate yourself from the world

Try at least once a day to have a heart-to-heart with someone. Remember that most people do not tolerate loneliness well. Talk to someone, support a friend or acquaintance who is having a hard time with a kind word and a smile.

8. Don't torment yourself with global philosophical questions that can't be answered easily

You don't need to unravel the secrets of the universe right now. Be inquisitive and curious, but at the same time learn to cope with the unknown and uncertainty.

9. Remind yourself that you are not a victim of circumstances and bad luck

You cannot change everything, but you can change how you react to what is happening.

10. Do not think that all the events that happen to you are directly related to your life

This is not always the case. You are not such an important person on a global scale. Accept this fact.

As one of the founders of existentialism, the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, once said: “Initially, life is not endowed with meaning. Only we can give it meaning and create some value for ourselves.”

Moodboard

Another way to regularly remind yourself of the values ​​in your life is to create a mood board. Print out photos of people and places dear to your heart and remember all the good things that happened to you.

Advertising. https://aliexpress.ru

Text: Nikolay Protsenko Photo source: Getty Images

New on the site

Narcissus and career: how excessive narcissism harms work

Scientific approach and environmental friendliness: what are the advantages of Evalar Laboratory complexes

"The road to the unconscious": Sigmund Freud's 5 key ideas about dreams - know yourself

12 questions to the doctor that will help prevent or detect cancer

"All my life I feel worthless because of my mother's dislike”

“My friend criticizes my gifts and actions. How to tactfully hint to her that this is unpleasant for me?

Are you an honest person? If so, how do others see you?0003

Sapiosexuals: in love with the intellect

what life without purpose leads to

The great writer and connoisseur of human souls F. M. Dostoevsky was firmly convinced that life suffocates without a purpose. Many psychologists agree with this statement, because a new goal is a guideline, an incentive that helps to cope with difficulties, endure pain, hardens and makes stronger. No purpose, no meaning. Lack of purpose in life will inevitably lead to a sense of routine. Thinking about the futility of every day lived drives a person crazy, which is why there is a feeling of suffocation. How to deal with it and what to do if there is no goal in life, nothing interests you.

1 Why is it important to have a purpose in life?

1. 1 If there is no purpose in life and I don't know what I want

2 How to help a person become purposeful

3 Psychologists' advice

3.1 What to do if the goal is reached

4 Life without a goal is a theme glorified in literature

Why it is important to have a goal in life

Each person is like a house – if mistakes were made when laying the foundation, this will inevitably affect the whole structure, that is, the formation of personality and the course of life. Let's figure out why a person needs a goal in life.

If there is no goal in life and I don't know what I want

According to statistics, the lack of a goal in life is a problem of people who were overprotected by their parents in childhood. It is important to understand that overprotection is not taking care of a child. This style of parenting and restrictions do not help, but harm. If for many years the child is not allowed to show independence and make all decisions for him, as a result, he simply will not know how and what to do in adulthood. Such confusion leads to the fact that a person feels lost, does not know what to strive for.

What should an adult, well-formed person do if he realizes that the “foundation” of his personality has been laid with errors? Undoubtedly, the situation needs to be corrected and this needs to be done as quickly as possible. You should be prepared for the fact that the process is going to be laborious and quite lengthy. In order to correct the situation and “build” a new personality, it is necessary to break certain stereotypes and attitudes laid down in childhood. In most cases, you have to turn to the help of specialists, because it is impossible to solve the problem of how to find a goal in life on your own - over the past years, a person has become so accustomed to living aimlessly that a new life frightens him. He doesn't know if achievement can make him happy. In today's information diversity, there are several good courses that you can take on your own. Here is one of them: Goal setting course from the famous Wikium training platform. You can try the first lesson for free. There are six in total.

This is important! If in childhood the child was not taught to make decisions on his own, in adulthood the need to take responsibility will cause a feeling of fear and even provoke panic.

How to help a person become purposeful

Now about how to decide on a goal in life. Learn more about how to set goals the right way in this article. If we are talking about helping a teenager achieve his goal, first of all, the participation of parents is necessary. Namely, they should not make past mistakes and control every step of a child who has already grown up. A teenager must understand for himself: whether the achievement of a goal always makes a person happy. You can’t plan for him, take on his experiences. Your own experience matters. A matured child must learn not to be afraid not only to make decisions, but also to be responsible for them.

This is important! If you want to visually understand how the relationship develops between the child and the parents who take care of him, check out the concept of the "Karpman triangle". A similar psychological trap was described by psychoanalyst Stephen Karpan in 1968.

People who fall into this pattern of behavior involuntarily assume certain roles - Victim, Persecutor and Rescuer. It is difficult to get out of the trap, as a rule, the help of a specialist is needed. First of all, you need to figure out what the Karpman triangle is and why the life situation is developing this way.

  • A victim is accustomed to suffering and thus attracting attention, her main task is to seek the help of the Savior.
  • The Savior, in turn, also likes his role, he does everything for the sake of the Victim.

As a result, all participants in the triangle need each other, over time their roles turn into real life without a goal.

This is important! It should be understood that the behavior and actions of each person involve a certain self-interest and manipulation, therefore, the triangle is problematic.

Helping a person who wants to start a new life consists of fairly simple actions.

  • First of all, start trusting him with simple requests and instructions.
  • Be sure to praise any attempts to be independent.
  • Encourage any person's attempts to gain independence.
  • Be interested in how the day went, what new things happened, what events happened.
  • Forget criticism and stop worrying. Show your trust. Encourage - tell the man that he is strong and knows how to act in any situation, and repeat to the woman how attractive and wise she is.

This is important! As a rule, most often problems arise in families where sons grow up. Under the close care of mothers, boys do not grow up independent and do not understand at all how to live without a goal.

Advice from psychologists

Experienced psychologists recommend not just praising and encouraging the boy. Start by writing down your mistakes on paper. If it is difficult for you to refuse advice to your child, modify them - present the advice in the form of information - you heard it somewhere, read something. Before you say something, say the phrase out loud and think about how you yourself would react to it. Do not neglect the help of psychologists, the specialist will tell you how to quickly and easily change the habits formed over the years. Learn how to set the right goal.

What to do if the goal is achieved

To help a person find a new life, try to surround him with people with similar interests. Only in society we harmoniously develop and form as a person. Find a sports school or creative courses, language courses, of course, consider your preferences. It is important to always be in the process of achieving the goal. When there is no goal in life, nothing interests you, then a person gives in to disappointment. Achievement motivation is energizing. That's why it's important to have a purpose in life.

Life without a goal is a theme glorified in literature

The problem of achieving a goal is repeatedly raised in classical works. The most striking examples are Eugene Onegin and the Hero of Our Time. In the first case, we are talking about a person who suffers from the fact that his life is boring without a moral goal. Balls, acquaintances, hobbies in various activities do not save from boredom. As a result, the protagonist goes to live in the village in order to radically change the external environment, but this did not help him cope with his feelings and find a new goal. Confessions of feelings for Tatiana are nothing more than a confession in his own despair, a confession that he has no dreams and goals. The work shows the problem of a person without a goal in life.

Learn more