Work through depression
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
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
7 psychological reasons why a job is not found — Work.ua
Depression, fear, learned helplessness - these are far from all the psychological barriers that prevent us from finding a job. What other psychological reasons for failures in job search are, Work.ua found out from psychologists.
It happens that the reason for the inability to find a suitable job is not external factors, but internal reasons and psychological conditions. What are they and how can they be weakened or even eliminated, we asked our experts.
Julia Sulaeva
psychotherapist, trainer, head of training center Content
Depression
The impact of depression on job opportunities is often underestimated. But in vain. The current pace of life, the pursuit of achievements and constant stress have led to the fact that every fifth person faces this unpleasant condition quite seriously. Main symptoms: low vitality, pessimism, lack of motivation, loss of interest in life, inability to enjoy, inability to make decisions and concentrate on achievements, chronic fatigue, increased or decreased appetite, insomnia or excessive sleepiness, decreased sexual desire. It is necessary to distinguish between short-term depressive states as a reaction to grief, loss, stress, change in health status and long-term depressive state, which lasts from several months to several years. And no matter how much others urge a person in depression to get together, stop moping and strive for achievements, this does not help.
Depression is a disease, and another kind of help is needed here.
What to do
If you find yourself with most of the symptoms, and they are quite pronounced, remember how long this condition lasts. In the current situation of quarantine, almost all of us are going through depressive periods as a stage of experiencing a loss of stability and certainty.
a) If the depression is not long-term - do not worry and give yourself the opportunity to live it. Get plenty of rest, do not scold yourself for low productivity and, if possible, replenish the resource. It can be contact with nature, delicious food, warm communication with loved ones, communication with animals and so on. Some simple and accessible things that make you feel fulfilled.
b) If depression lasts more than a month, seek help. A competent psychotherapist will determine the cause of your condition and the method of treatment. Sometimes depression can only be managed with psychotherapy, and in some cases it will also be necessary to consult a psychiatrist and receive medication.
Learned helplessness
Sometimes, in the case of experiencing a strong fiasco, loss, crisis, and most often from a long series of failures, a person falls into a state called “learned helplessness”. At the same time the ground under my feet is lost, my hands drop, and there is a feeling that all efforts are in vain and nothing depends on me. This greatly affects motivation, since it is influenced not only by desires and needs, but also by the assessment of the ability to achieve the desired. If there is no certainty that “I can, I can do it”, then there is no need to invest much in achieving the desired readiness.
What to do
a) Reflect on the fact that every failure is an experience and the next step towards achievement. All successful people at first went through a series of mistakes and failures. For example, Edison made about 10,000 unsuccessful experiments while trying to improve the incandescent light bulb and did not give up.
b) Create your experience of successful achievements, your "Achievement List". Make a to-do list for the day, starting with very simple and easy things. Let this list be more than 20 items. For example, get up in the morning and do 5 squats, brush your teeth, drink coffee, call a friend, read 1 page of a book, look at vacancies, select suitable ones, send 2 resumes, and the like. After each completed task, mark it in the list. Strive to ensure that all tasks are completed by the end of the day. This will gradually create an experience of success and a feeling that you are influencing your life. As the feeling of confidence grows, more complex and important things can be added to the list.
Inadequate self-esteem
Both low and high self-esteem hinders finding a job. From the point of view of psychology, these are two sides of the same coin, since a person inflates his own grandiosity due to the fact that inside he feels insignificant.
The key to achievements, successful development, a healthy mental state and harmonious relationships with others is an accepting, warm attitude towards oneself and an adequate understanding of one's strengths and weaknesses.
What to do
a) Sit back, relax, close your eyes and say the phrase "Despite the fact that I ... (the main claim to myself), I completely love and accept myself." Listen to your inner feelings. If this phrase causes rejection and other unpleasant emotions, this topic needs to be worked out. Repeat it daily and watch how the sensations change.
b) Think about the messages you received most of the time from your parents as a child. Were these more critical comments, or did you receive more support and approval. Usually a sufficient amount of support and the absence of severe stress in childhood form a fairly adequate self-esteem. If this does not happen, then you can correct the situation now.
Pretend you are small and write that boy or girl a letter of encouragement and encouragement. Reread it from time to time.
c) Make a list of 20 points why you are good / aya . Include both personal and professional qualities in it.
d) And only after you feel that your attitude towards yourself has warmed up, make a list of qualities and skills that you want to improve in yourself. Map out the first steps towards achieving them.
No desire to work
If you have been looking for a job for a long time, but you still can't find it, find out if you really have a desire to work. If there is no desire to work, then the employer easily “considers” it. Yes, and you will always find unacceptable shortcomings in the proposed vacancies, subconsciously rejecting even good options. The reasons for the lack of such a desire may be different. It happens that a person has experienced many unpleasant situations at a previous job and is subconsciously afraid of their repetition.
Perhaps, due to excessive stress, zeal and regular overloads, he received a “professional burnout”, and in this state there is absolutely no desire to work. The cause may be depression, which is described above. Perhaps you are doing a job that you do not like, or you have already grown out of it. Or there is a strong desire for another person to provide, such as a marriage partner. So a woman can dream of doing housework and raising children, and entrusting the material support of the family to her husband.
What to do
If you honestly admit to yourself that deep down you do not want to work, then try to determine the reason. If the reasons are: severe trauma in the previous place, professional burnout or prolonged depression, it is definitely better to seek professional help, it is extremely difficult to correct such conditions on your own. In other cases, look for options that are acceptable to you - it may be worth considering new areas of activity, agreeing with a partner on the distribution of responsibilities in the family, and so on.
It all depends on the cause.
Inability to present oneself
Many of the applicants, despite good professional training, are very lost and embarrassed at the interview. Because of this, they are perceived as not professional enough, insecure and weak. Judge for yourself, other things being equal, who would you prefer? A person who speaks calmly, kindly and with dignity, looking at the interlocutor, without nervousness, clearly, with good articulation, or someone who mumbles, looks away and shifts from foot to foot?
What to do
Upgrade your communication skills. There are many good videos on the Internet on this topic. If possible, take courses in public speaking, it is a very useful skill to present yourself, your ideas and projects with inspiration and persuasiveness.
Dmitry Kushch
psychologist, trainer, leading specialist of the training center Content
Fear
Sometimes applicants talk about fear, fear not only of participating in the competitive struggle for the desired place, but also of the necessary changes after achieving the goal.
Preparing for an interview, everyone tries to present themselves from the best side, investing both time and effort into preparation. Gathering his strength and flashing all the colors at the interview, the applicant finds himself in a situation where he needs to maintain his new bright image even after receiving the desired position, that is, to give all the best at work all the time, day after day. For some, as a result of this, even before the interview, a subconscious fear arises from the prospect of living in constant tension. Of course, every employer wants to get the best employee, but common sense says that people are not robots and are capable of maximum dedication only at critical stages of work, otherwise any professional will burn out.
What to do
Look for a harmonious combination of workload and your opportunities , but do not forget that learning and improving your professional level is the key to your success.
The applicant does not have a clear understanding of what he wants to do
No specifics of his future activities. There are many specializations in any profession. If someone wants to work as an artist, but has not decided in which direction, then he runs the risk of wandering around the labor market for a long time in futile searches and attempts. Some artists draw landscapes, others draw cartoon and comic book characters, who are engaged in computer graphics and graphic design, and so on.
What to do
If you narrow down your search criteria and decide on the desired result , it will be much easier to choose the path to the goal.
- To whom and for what they are ready to pay 20,000 or more remotely
- "I don't know" at the interview: how to replace this killer phrase
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how to work with a sick employee / Sudo Null IT News0001
"I'm sorry, I think I should have said this earlier - I'm dealing with depression." I received such a letter in the morning from one of the employees, who for a couple of days could not close a simple ticket.
Context: I work as a team leader in a large corporation, subordinate to a remote team of 50 people (territorial spread - from New York to Tokyo). The employee who faced depression is my age (+- 30 years old), has been working at this place for 5 years. One of the best members of the team, consistently showing excellent results, there were no problems with motivation before. The working day is irregular: sometimes thick, sometimes empty.
No, this is not professional burnout. His work has always driven him, he doesn’t want to change anything in it (neither the location, nor the team). "I'm looking for a therapist."
Some dry statistics . According to the World Health Organization, 264 million people worldwide suffer from depression.
In severe cases, the disease can lead to suicide: 800,000 people die every year as a result of suicide. Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion a year.
Remote work creates additional risks for the development of depression. According to a 2017 UN report, 41% of distributed team members reported “high levels of stress.” For comparison, only 25% of workers in traditional offices experienced this condition.
How are they?
In the United States, a person with a disability (depression is on the list of diseases) is protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The employer in this case is obliged to provide the employee with “acceptable conditions” for his work in the circumstances. For example, he might offer a depressed person a flexible schedule, the opportunity to be away during work hours to see a doctor or group therapy, a quiet workplace, work from home, and so on.
The boss may or may not ask the subordinate for a doctor's note with a diagnosis.
An employer cannot fire a confessed employee unless he has “objective evidence” that the person cannot do his job or is a danger to others.
At the same time, according to the law, the employer does not have the right to ask the employee if he is sick with something, if he himself did not say. Whether or not to tell your boss about depression is optional. Here is what Ronald Riggio, a professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College, told me about this topic:0005
“This is a very sensitive issue. In the US, it is illegal to ask about an employee's health status. So the best strategy is to send him to the so-called employee assistance program. Many companies have them (or have a contract with an external agency): within the framework of such a program, a depressed person can receive the help of professional consultants.
How about us?
Do your companies have such "programs"? We have a full-time psychologist, but, frankly, there is about as much trust in him as in a corporate therapist (once I came to him with, as it turned out later, advanced sinusitis, and he dripped vasoconstrictors, they say, “there is no temperature, what else sinusitis).
Much more useful is the ability to turn to external specialists with whom the company has a contract. Not for one visit (as many are provided for by VMI), but for the entire period of treatment. In Russia, by the way, there are services with which you can agree on the provision of such services to employees, of course, on an anonymous basis. I won't name it here, it's easy to google.
Unfortunately, most people in Russia do not consider depression to be a serious illness, although in severe cases a person is physically unable to get out of bed. How many sick people get sick leave (and this, by the way, is technically possible)? And this despite the fact that in our country about 8 million people suffer from depression - and these are only those who fall into the field of view of doctors. That is, in fact, there are much more sick people. According to statistics, depression is experienced by approximately 8-12% of the world's population.
3 tips for managers:
- Don't discount the problem.
Comforters in the spirit of "It will pass!", "Do not hang your nose!" and phrases like “Well, not cancer and thank God!” out of place here - Offer help. Allow the employee to sometimes work from home (if he is not a remote worker anyway) or change the situation (internship, vacation). If you let an employee go on time off, do not overwhelm him with tasks - let him rest. Do not overload with tasks. Ask an employee what else they can do to help
- Create a trusting environment in the team so that employees are not afraid to share with the manager the problems that affect the work process. Maintain confidentiality - the "between us" conversation must not be leaked
Personally, I told my employee the following:
“You are great for what you said. In our country, this problem is hushed up, many do not take it seriously, they say something like “Get together, rag!”, “Oh, I also have problems”, “You are mad about fat”, etc.
With ARVI, people are on sick leave for a week, and for some reason depression is not considered a reason for taking time off. In general, if we, for our part, can help you with something, speak up. We can try to unload you a little and free you from the N project - you always called it routine. We know you love business trips - would you like to go to M for a conference? We can still try to transfer you to another country, if, of course, there is such a desire.
In response, I received gratitude that the company cares, the latest treatment news (I have already found a specialist and started taking antidepressants) and a couple of very modest wishes regarding the work schedule and tasks.
I am giving a link to the material on the study of the interaction of managers with employees with depression. The main conclusion is that we need to talk.
Top tip for sick employees:
Let the management know about a difficult period in life.
