I'm stuck in a lease so miserable I want to die.

I really don't know what to do. My apartment complex is so bad it's regularly featured on the news for harboring sex offenders and criminals. The cops show up here multiple times a week; their flashing lights wake me up. Domestic disputes are so common no one even bothers phoning those into the police.

Every week an ambulance shows up blasting its sirens because some vagabond passed out in his own vomit. Every other week fire trucks blast in because some layabout forgot to turn his toaster off. I fear for my life at this place. It's not unfeasible to think I'm going to burn to death or get shot here.

What are my options? I can't afford to break the lease (I'm so upset I wrote "please" instead of "lease" at first because I need help). My credit is already horrible. In order to break the lease at 6 months I have to pay an additional 2 months rent, which I just can't afford. They say if I pay the 2 months additional rent my lease will be considered "complete," while if I don't pay those 2 months my least will be broken.

My friends won't visit me because they think I live in the "ghetto." The place looked rather lavish during the lease signing, but I didn't know what I was getting into. The girl that I love thinks I live in a hell hole. Imagine that: A hole in hell -- not hell itself, but a crevice below hell. It's truly awful here. I'm too afraid to even check my mail because of all the cretins.

I don't really know what I'm asking for -- probably help to find some loophole in getting out of my lease. I fear for my life here, and I need to escape. Please help.