Feeling low now and then is part of being human, but depression is more than a bad week. With the right care, it’s possible to feel more like yourself again.
Depression can creep in slowly or arrive after a loss, a big change or a stressful season. It might feel like sadness, but just as often it feels like emptiness, exhaustion or a heaviness that makes ordinary tasks hard to start.
You don’t have to push through it alone. At Calmora, therapists and psychiatrists work together, so your care can include talk therapy, medication management and, when needed, advanced treatments such as Spravato and TMS.
What is depression?
Depression is a common and treatable medical condition that affects how you feel, think and function. Symptoms can include persistent low mood, losing interest in things you used to enjoy, changes in sleep or appetite, low energy, trouble concentrating, and feelings of guilt or worthlessness.
It often brings a harsh inner voice that says nothing will change or that you’re a burden. Those thoughts are part of the illness, not the truth about you. Depression can also show up as irritability, physical aches, or simply feeling flat.
Many people improve with therapy such as CBT or behavioral activation, with medication, or with a combination of both. If earlier treatments haven’t helped enough, there are still other options worth exploring.
When to seek help for depression
Recognizing the signs and knowing when to ask for support
If you’ve felt down, empty or uninterested in life on most days for two weeks or more, or if low mood is affecting your work, relationships or ability to care for yourself, it’s a good time to reach out. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 or call 911 now—Calmora is not a crisis service.
For ongoing support, book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll help you find the right next step.
Types of depression
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) involves at least two weeks of low mood or loss of interest, along with symptoms such as changes in sleep and appetite, fatigue, poor concentration and feelings of worthlessness. It can happen once or return in episodes, and it often responds well to therapy, medication or both.
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Persistent Depressive Disorder, sometimes called dysthymia, is a long-lasting, lower-grade depression present for two years or more. Because it’s been there so long, many people assume it’s simply their personality. Treatment can lift that ongoing gray and help you rediscover what better days feel like.
Perinatal Depression
Perinatal depression occurs during pregnancy or after birth and is more than the “baby blues.” It can bring deep sadness, anxiety, guilt or trouble bonding with your baby, and it can affect any parent. Our psychiatrists, including Dr. Priya Raman, offer care that takes pregnancy and breastfeeding into account.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is depression that follows a seasonal pattern, most often starting in late fall or winter as daylight shortens. Common signs include low energy, oversleeping, carbohydrate cravings and pulling away from others. Light therapy, CBT and medication can all play a part in treatment.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) causes severe mood symptoms—such as depression, irritability, anxiety or mood swings—in the week or two before a period, easing soon after it begins. It’s far more disruptive than typical PMS, and therapy and medication can help make each cycle more manageable.
Treatment-Resistant Depression
Depression is often called treatment-resistant when symptoms haven’t improved enough after at least two antidepressants. Options include Spravato, an FDA-approved nasal spray given in a certified clinic with about two hours of monitoring, FDA-cleared TMS, and ketamine treatment, which is used off-label.
