I hate paying my dues

People tell me it's normal to suffer when you are a new associate.  Well, when does it end?  I know I'm being a baby and I need to just smile and do my job, but it just feels impossible.  I understand handling the consumer collection cases because I'm new and no one else wants to do it and it teaches me valuable skills, etc.  But another area of my practice is just oppressive and keeps me from doing anything else well.  I have to instantly respond to phone calls, emails, and sign pleadings all day every day as they are brought to my office.  This is not very compatible with doing anything else, or at least doing anything else well.  Every time I try to work on one of my many other time consuming projects, I get another email that must be answered immediately.  The partners know how I feel and they care, but there's nothing they can or will do at this point.  I think that will definitely change in the future, but somehow I have to make it to the future.  The fun parts of my job keep me going, but every day I feel the weight of this one practice area crushing me.  I keep thinking it's going to get better, but it isn't.  It gets worse and I get more and more frustrated, and I get more and more other cases that I can't give the attention they deserve and then I feel guilty and I just don't know what to do.