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Get Same and Next-Day In-Person & Online Mental Health Care You Need, Covered by Your Insurance
Getting out of bed takes everything you have. Things you used to enjoy feel flat. You’re tired but can’t sleep, or you sleep all day and still feel worn out. Maybe nobody has noticed, because you still show up to work. Depression often looks like that from the outside. Many people improve with the right treatment.
Our psychiatrists at Raha Behavioral Health provide depression treatment in Houston, Texas. You can get medication management and therapy in one place. Your first visit is an evaluation, usually about an hour. We talk about your symptoms, your history, and anything else that might be involved, like anxiety, sleep or a medical problem. Visit our Westheimer Road office or meet online. Same-day and next-day appointments are often available.
Depression, which doctors call major depressive disorder, is a serious medical condition. It affects how you think, how you feel and how you get through a normal day. It’s much more than being sad. Everyone feels down sometimes. Depression is when the low mood, the emptiness or the loss of interest stays for weeks or months and starts to take over your life.
It isn’t a character flaw, and you can’t fix it with willpower. Research suggests depression involves changes in how certain brain circuits work, how the body handles stress and hormones, and often a family history. Hard events like a loss, a long stretch of stress or a big life change can trigger it. It’s more complicated than a single “chemical imbalance.”
It also doesn’t look the same in everyone. Some people feel sad. Others feel numb, irritable or just tired. Men often say they feel angry or worn out before they ever use the word “depressed.” Some people keep working, smiling and showing up, and nobody around them has any idea. Not sure whether what you feel is depression or anxiety? Read Depression vs Anxiety: What’s the Difference and Can You Have Both?.
Depression responds well to treatment. Medication, therapy or both help many people feel better, and starting earlier tends to help. It also tends to bring other problems along, like poor sleep, anxiety, ADHD or heavy drinking. Part of good depression treatment in Houston is working out which is which.
Doctors usually look for five or more symptoms in the same two weeks. One of them has to be low mood or losing interest in things. Real life is messier than that. Many people have these symptoms for months or years before they ask for help.
Work is often where it shows first. Missed deadlines, zoning out in meetings, emails you can’t bring yourself to answer. We wrote about this in How Depression Can Affect Work Performance and Daily Responsibilities.
If you’re thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room. Don’t wait for an appointment.
Everyone has bad weeks. These things help separate depression from a rough patch.
Grief and depression can also happen together. A loss doesn’t rule depression out.
Depression isn’t one single condition. It comes in several forms, and each one has its own criteria and its own treatment approach. Getting the type right changes the plan. These are the types we diagnose and treat at Raha.
Good depression treatment means someone keeps track of the whole thing: your sleep, how the medication is working, and what’s going on in your life. Here’s how that works at Raha.
Your first visit usually takes about an hour. We ask what’s been happening, when it started, and how your sleep, appetite and energy are. We also ask what you’ve tried before.
We’ll ask about your health, other medications, family history, and alcohol or drug use. And we’ll ask whether you’ve ever had days of unusually high energy. That question helps us rule out bipolar disorder, which changes which medications make sense.
If medication makes sense, your psychiatrist explains the options and the side effects to expect. Most antidepressants take a few weeks to work fully. Early on, it can feel like waiting.
Don’t stop a medication on your own, even if it feels slow or you start to feel better. Call us first. More on our medication management page.
Therapy can go along with medication or work on its own. Options include:
See our pages on cognitive behavioral therapy, adult psychotherapy and coping skills development.
At the start, visits are usually closer together. Your psychiatrist checks how you’re responding and watches for side effects.
If something isn’t working after a fair trial, we change it. Adjusting treatment is normal.
Feeling better isn’t the finish line. Depression can come back, especially after more than one episode.
We talk about early warning signs, like sleep slipping or pulling away from people. We plan what to do if they show up, and how long to stay on treatment.
You’re going to tell someone how bad things have been. It helps to feel comfortable with them. Patients come to Raha Behavioral Health from across Houston and nearby areas.
Our board-certified psychiatrists treat depression along with anxiety, sleep problems, ADHD, trauma and medical causes. Meet them on our providers page.
You don’t have to manage two offices when you’re already worn out.
Your visit is a real conversation, not a quick check about a prescription.
Same-day and next-day openings are often available. That matters when waiting feels impossible.
Visit the office or meet by video. Some days a video call is all you can manage.
We’re in network with many major insurance plans. See the insurance page.
Getting care shouldn’t depend on where you live, how far you have to drive, your work schedule, or how you feel that day. When you’re depressed, even leaving the house can feel like too much. That’s why we offer both options. Pick the one that fits the week you’re having, and ask us if you’d like to switch between them.
Visit us at 9801 Westheimer Rd, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77042, in a private, welcoming office. In-person visits are a good choice for your first evaluation, and for anyone who prefers to talk face to face.
You’ll meet your psychiatrist in person, go through your history together, and ask questions as they come up.
Open Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM.
Meet your psychiatrist by video from any private place, on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. Telehealth can be just as thorough as an in-person visit.
For many people with depression it’s also easier to keep up with, especially on heavy days or when work, kids or travel get in the way.
Most antidepressants aren’t controlled substances. Your psychiatrist will explain what applies to your medication.
Knowing the usual pace makes it easier not to quit too early.
The first couple of weeks. Evaluation, a plan, and a first prescription if medication fits. Side effects, if there are any, often show up before the benefits do.
Weeks two to six. Sleep, appetite or energy often change before mood does. Many people feel “a bit less heavy” before they feel better. Your psychiatrist checks in and adjusts the dose if needed.
Around six to eight weeks. This is a common point to decide whether a medication is working. If there’s little change, we talk about a different dose, a different medication, or adding something.
Months three to six and beyond. Once you feel better, treatment usually continues for months to keep the depression from coming right back. Therapy skills carry a lot of weight here. Stopping too early is a common reason depression returns.
Everyone moves at their own speed. Some people improve faster, some slower. Curious how this looks for anxiety? Read How Long Does Anxiety Treatment Actually Take to Start Working?.
Depression rarely shows up alone, and the extra piece changes the treatment.
Anxiety. The two overlap so often that many people have both. Read Depression vs Anxiety or see our anxiety treatment.
ADHD. Untreated ADHD can leave people discouraged and burned out, and it can look like depression. Sometimes it’s both. See ADHD testing in Houston and Why ADHD Reactions to Criticism Can Feel So Much Bigger Than the Moment.
Sleep problems. Insomnia can cause depression, and depression can cause insomnia. See our insomnia treatment page and Insomnia: 11 Powerful Symptoms You Should Never Ignore.
Bipolar disorder. Depressive episodes are part of it. Bipolar Disorder and Sleep: How Sleep Changes Can Affect Mood explains the link.
Trauma. Past trauma can sit underneath depression. See trauma and PTSD treatment.
Alcohol. Drinking to cope is common, and it makes depression worse. See alcoholism treatment.
Women’s health. Depression is diagnosed about twice as often in women. Hormone changes around pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause can play a part. Read Depression in Women: Signs, Causes & Treatment and Mood Disorders in Women.
Get Same and Next-Day In-Person & Online Mental Health Care You Need, Covered by Your Insurance
Raha Behavioral Health is in network with major insurance providers. Coverage for depression treatment varies by plan, so check before you book. The plans are on our insurance page, or call (832) 968-7328 and ask.
At Raha Behavioral Health, 9801 Westheimer Rd, Suite 300, in West Houston. You can book in person or online, and same-day and next-day appointments are often available.
Call (832) 968-7328 or use our contact page.
Medication management with a psychiatrist, therapy, or both. Therapy options include CBT, interpersonal therapy, behavioral activation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
The mix depends on how severe things are and what you've already tried. Someone with mild symptoms who is still functioning often starts with therapy. Someone barely getting through the day may start medication and therapy together.
Not always. Mild to moderate depression sometimes improves with therapy alone, and some people prefer to start there. Moderate to severe depression is often treated with medication, with or without therapy.
Your psychiatrist goes over the pros and cons, and you decide. More on medication management.
Through a clinical evaluation. No blood test or scan diagnoses it. Your psychiatrist asks about your symptoms, how long they've lasted and how they affect your life. Then they rule out medical causes and other conditions like bipolar disorder.
A questionnaire such as the PHQ-9 may be used to track how severe things are.
Yes. Fatigue, headaches, back pain, stomach trouble, slowed movement and appetite changes are all common. Many people see a primary care doctor first for these.
Anxiety does something similar. See Why Anxiety Often Shows Up as Physical Symptoms First, Not Worry.
Early treatment means frequent visits, and a nearby office makes those easier to keep. You can also switch between in-person and video when you're having a bad week.
If you're thinking about ending your life or hurting yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Don't wait for an appointment.
If you're struggling but not in immediate danger, call us at (832) 968-7328 and say it's urgent.
Many people notice small changes in sleep, energy or appetite in the first couple of weeks. Fuller improvement in mood often takes about 4 to 8 weeks. It varies from person to person.
Therapy usually builds over weeks to months.
Tell us what you took, for how long, and what happened. A medication stopped at a low dose or after three weeks hasn't really been tested.
Depression that doesn't improve after two good trials is called treatment-resistant. There are still steps to try: switching, combining medications, adding therapy, or checking the diagnosis again.
They overlap. Burnout is tied to work and often eases when the stress changes. Depression usually spreads into the rest of life, including hobbies and relationships, and may not lift on vacation.
A psychiatrist can help sort it out. See How Depression Can Affect Work Performance and Daily Responsibilities.
Yes, and it's common. Read Depression vs Anxiety: What's the Difference and Can You Have Both?.
It can, especially after more than one episode. Staying on treatment as long as recommended, using what you learn in therapy, and catching early signs all lower the odds.
Women are diagnosed about twice as often as men. Hormone changes around pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause can play a part, along with stress and caregiving load.
Yes. We offer telehealth visits. Your psychiatrist can help you decide whether online care suits your situation.
Your insurance card, a list of medications and supplements, and a list of what's been bothering you. Records from past treatment help if you have them.
Want to read more before you book?
Depression often comes with other challenges. These are the other psychiatric and therapy services at Raha Behavioral Health in Houston, TX.
We’re at 9801 Westheimer Rd, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77042, on the Westheimer corridor in West Houston. We see patients from West Houston and nearby areas like the Galleria, Memorial, Bellaire, Alief, the Energy Corridor, Katy and Sugar Land. Can’t make the drive? Book online.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM
Phone: (832) 968-7328
Email: frontdesk@rahabh.com
Not sure where to start? Call or message us through our contact page and we’ll set up your visit.