Why do i feel like im not myself
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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Suggested Resources
What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families
Created for family members of people with alcohol abuse or drug abuse problems. Answers questions about substance abuse, its symptoms, different types of treatment, and recovery.
Addresses concerns of children of parents with substance use/abuse problems.It's Not Your Fault (NACoA) (PDF | 12 KB)
Assures teens with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs that, "It's not your fault!" and that they are not alone. Encourages teens to seek emotional support from other adults, school counselors, and youth support groups such as Alateen, and provides a resource list.After an Attempt: A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
Aids family members in coping with the aftermath of a relative's suicide attempt. Describes the emergency department treatment process, lists questions to ask about follow-up treatment, and describes how to reduce risk and ensure safety at home.Family Therapy Can Help: For People in Recovery From Mental Illness or Addiction
Explores the role of family therapy in recovery from mental illness or substance abuse. Explains how family therapy sessions are run and who conducts them, describes a typical session, and provides information on its effectiveness in recovery.
For additional resources, please visit the SAMHSA Store.
Last Updated: 08/30/2022
SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
HomeWelcome to the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance use/addiction and/or mental health problems.
PLEASE NOTE: Your personal information and the search criteria you enter into the Locator is secure and anonymous. SAMHSA does not collect or maintain any information you provide.
Please enter a valid location.
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FindTreatment.
gov Millions of Americans have a substance use disorder. Find a treatment facility near you.
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988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Free and confidential support for people in distress, 24/7.
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National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Treatment referral and information, 24/7.
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Disaster Distress Helpline
1-800-985-5990
Immediate crisis counseling related to disasters, 24/7.
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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).
Depersonalization: a syndrome that interferes with feeling - BBC News
Image caption,Sarah says that because of her illness, familiar places seem like decorations
People with depersonalization syndrome see the world as unreal, two-dimensional, as if in a fog. Every hundredth suffers from this disorder, but despite this, British doctors are not taught to work with such patients, experts say.
"The connections you think are valuable lose their original meaning. You know you love your family. But the thing is, you're more aware of it than you feel it," says Sarah on Victoria Derbyshire's BBC program.
-bc.
Sarah is an actress, she constantly tries on different images and reproduces other people's emotions. But in reality, for most of her conscious life, she is emotionally paralyzed and unable to experience any feelings.
The reason for this is a little-studied mental disorder called depersonalization.
Sarah had the syndrome three times. The first time it happened was when she was preparing for her final exams.
The main sign of depersonalization is the feeling that a person loses physical connection with the world around him and his own body.
It is believed that this is how a defense mechanism manifests when, during stress or a serious shock, consciousness is disconnected from reality. Some drugs, such as marijuana, can cause the same effect.
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For people with depersonalization syndrome, the world can change in a second.
"It was an unexpected switch. Everything around seemed alien and even intimidating. Suddenly, the apartment and other places where you used to be become a film set for you, and all your things become scenery," says Sarah.
Other patients report feeling that they are outside their body, that it does not belong to them, and that the world around them seems two-dimensional and flat.
This happened to Sarah during the second episode.
"I was reading, I had a book in my hands. And suddenly my hands began to look like a picture on which two hands were drawn.
There was a feeling that the real world and my perception of it did not coincide."
Sarah's disorder is not uncommon. Three independent studies have proven that it occurs in one person out of a hundred.
Experts say the disorder has long been recognized as a medical condition. It is as common as obsessive-compulsive disorder or schizophrenia.
Some untreated patients may suffer lifelong depersonalization symptoms. And yet, not all doctors know what it is.
A doctor who recently graduated and suffers from this disorder himself stated that depersonalization was not taught in medical school or in continuing education courses for therapists.
He admitted that he misdiagnosed his patients at least twice. According to him, he will be very surprised if it turns out that at least one of his colleagues has heard about this syndrome.
Sarah says that in her life she encountered at least 20 professionals who had no idea what she was talking about.
Among them are consultants, therapists, district psychiatrists and doctors.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in London said that mental health was a key element of an expanded curriculum for physicians.
The institute added that the study of more complex psychological problems is still in development.
The Royal College of Psychiatry stressed the need to ensure that these disorders are properly understood.
Image caption,Dr Elaine Hunter runs the only referral center in the UK that treats patients with depersonalization
Poor diagnosis is only part of the problem, access to treatment is another complication.
There is only one specialist clinic in the UK. Its resources are limited, it can only accept 80 patients a year. Despite the fact that 650 thousand people can potentially suffer from this disease.
To access this health center free of charge, a referral from a local doctor is required.
And even if the patient is diagnosed with depersonalization, treatment will have to wait several months or longer.
After a year of waiting in line, Sarah decided that the only way out was to pay for the treatment herself.
"I used to have panic attacks all the time. It's really scary. I knew it was a crisis," she says.
A specialist center for patients with depersonalization syndrome operates at the Maudsley Hospital in south London. However, there are restrictions for patients under 18 years of age; the center only treats adults.
Often the disease occurs in adolescence. Dr. Elaine Hunter, who heads the center, is concerned that she has to withhold care for children and adolescents.
"Sometimes 15-year-old patients come to us deeply depressed and frightened, but we have nothing to offer them," she says.
One of the adult patients of the center developed the syndrome at the age of 13.
For two years she could not leave the house, she experienced ten panic attacks a day caused by the disorder.
At the beginning of the treatment, she did not even recognize her own parents.
Dr. Hunter hopes that over time, the right treatment will be available to underage patients.
She believes that treatment should be organized in every district. Physicians in local centers for psychological assistance should undergo special training, then disseminate information among other specialists.
Image caption,Sarah Ashley couldn't eat or sleep until she was treated by Dr. Hunter
Hunter developed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specifically for patients with depersonalization. She believes that she will be easily mastered by doctors who already have experience in talking therapy.
Sarah Ashley, a patient of Dr. Hunter, says she was initially skeptical about the technique, but after a while she felt a huge difference.
"[Before CBT] I looked at my own hands or other body parts and felt like they weren't mine. I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't realize it was me," explains Sarah.
"I couldn't eat or sleep, and due to stress I lost 42 kg. Now I still have some symptoms, but I can get over them quickly," she continues.
Treatment is available but difficult to obtain.
As Dr. Hunter says, we need to correct the situation in which patients are forced to look up information about their disorder on the Internet, and then explain to the doctor what it is about. Instead of, on the contrary, the doctor told the patient about his illness.
What to do if you think you are worse than others
Varvara Grankova
The feeling that you are worse than your colleagues can manifest itself in many different forms. It can pass quickly - for example, if the boss complimented someone else in front of you, or put pressure on you constantly - for example, if your colleague quit to start his own business.
Use the following five tricks to keep your spirits up and improve your own efficiency.
Track what makes you stressed. Think about what makes you compare yourself to others. Does it upset you if your boss praises someone but not you? Are you jealous of the achievements of specific acquaintances? Do you often find yourself scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and feeling more and more lonely and insecure? If yes, you are not alone. According to research, social media exacerbates our tendency to give more attention to unpleasant feelings than to pleasant ones.
Try to notice what makes you compare yourself to others: by understanding that these are triggers, you can try to respond to them in a more constructive way.
Try to make use of your own feelings. You most likely can't help but listen to what your boss has to say about you and your colleagues. And while you may stop talking to your friends or quit social media, it will probably only make you feel more lonely.
It is better to act differently: to deliberately use these feelings to your advantage.
The next time you're scrolling through social media feeds, ask yourself why you're doing this. Are you bored? So, look for something interesting, not something that will make you feel even worse. And if you hear the news about a colleague's career success and feel like you're giving in, stop and calmly, without judgment, follow your feelings, and then make a decision and try to perceive the colleague's success objectively. Think as if you are not a direct competitor to him, but a journalist who writes an article about him.
If all this is too hard, of course, it is better to pause. But remember that you can always try to learn something in every situation. Don’t say to yourself “I wish I could do this too” or “I wish I could do this too.” Better phrase it like this: “Why shouldn’t I do the same?” Listen to the thoughts that will arise in your head after such a phrase.
Show your strengths to regain your strength and motivation.
During an acute bout of insecurity, you can get stuck thinking about how to catch up with others. At times like these, it's important to regain your sense of efficiency: do something simple and win a small victory. Use your greatest strengths, show them to the world and recharge your confidence from it.
One of my clients was to be promoted to Senior Vice President, but due to the pandemic, his promotion was delayed. He was very upset and envious of acquaintances from other companies who managed to cross this line even before the crisis.
The more he suffered, the worse he worked. To break this vicious circle, he decided to use his forte: the ability to write. He wrote a good article for the company's blog about how management is coping with the crisis - and it became the most viewed post in the history of the blog. Many junior and senior colleagues thanked him for his honesty and optimism. This feedback gave him back his confidence in his own usefulness to the company.
Create a new field of play. Comparisons with a narrow group of colleagues do not make sense: colleagues can either overtake or lag behind them. But if you take a broader view of the situation and include new, more diverse groups, the idea of success will become more voluminous and you will have new areas in which you can win.
Jackie, a director at a Fortune 100 company, has not been promoted to vice president for three years. It did not give her peace. Realizing that she always compared herself only to a small group of other vice presidents, Jackie began to connect with people outside the company. Taking part in a meeting of entrepreneurs, listening to presentations of local startups and being in the role of a mentor, she felt a surge of strength. She also lagged behind this group of new acquaintances, because they already had their own business, but she was pleased to learn from them. Not only did this help her turn away from unpleasant comparisons with colleagues within the company, but it also gave her the energy and motivation to reassess her career ambitions.
