Depression Treatment, Without the Wait
Depression is more than a bad stretch. It is a persistent change in how you feel, think, and function: low mood or numbness most of the day, loss of interest in things that used to matter, fatigue that sleep does not fix, and changes in appetite, concentration, or self-worth lasting 2 weeks or longer.
It is also the most common condition psychiatry treats, and one of the most treatable. Most people who get evidence-based treatment improve. The bottleneck is almost never the science. It is the waitlist.
In Your Day and in Your Body
Depression shows up in 2 registers at once, and clinical checklists rarely capture either one well.
If several of these have been true most days for 2 weeks or more, that is worth a clinical conversation, not more willpower.
It can look like
The daily version is working fine at your job and having nothing left after 5 pm, snapping at people you love without knowing why, scrolling at 1 am because sleep feels pointless, and calling yourself lazy when what you are is exhausted.
The physical version carries real weight: slowed movement, unexplained aches, and a heaviness that makes small tasks feel expensive.
Treatment
How Depression Is Treated
First-line treatment is an antidepressant, psychotherapy, or both, depending on severity and preference. SSRIs such as sertraline and escitalopram are the most common starting points. SNRIs, bupropion, and mirtazapine are established alternatives when the first medication is not the right fit, and augmentation options exist for partial response.
2 reasonable expectations: antidepressants take 4 to 8 weeks to fully work, and roughly half of people need an adjustment or switch before finding the right medication. Neither is failure. Both are why follow-up matters more than the first prescription.
What the first weeks look like
With Siggy
How Siggy Treats Depression
You complete a structured intake and meet with a licensed prescriber via video. If medication is appropriate, your clinician discusses the prescription, fulfillment options, and follow-up timing with you. Between visits, check-ins in the app can track symptoms and response. Therapy is recommended alongside medication when appropriate, and we will tell you if your situation needs more than we can provide.
Structured intake
Answer clinically structured questions with Siggy, on your own time. Free, private, and reviewed by a clinician.
Video visit
Meet a licensed prescriber via video. Diagnosis and plan are decided together.
Treatment decision
If medication is right, your clinician discusses prescription fulfillment and appropriate follow-up timing.
Served in the military? Learn about Siggy’s online psychiatric care for veterans.
FAQs.
- How do I know if it's depression or just a rough patch?
- Duration and function are the markers: symptoms most of the day, most days, for 2+ weeks, that interfere with work, relationships, or self-care. You do not need certainty to book. Screening is what the intake is for.
- Will I be on medication forever?
- Not necessarily. A typical first course runs 6 to 12 months after you feel better, then you and your prescriber decide together. Stopping is a planned taper, never abrupt.
- Do antidepressants change your personality?
- The goal is the opposite: removing the flattening effect of depression so you feel like yourself. If a medication makes you feel blunted, that is a reason to adjust it, and something to raise at follow-up.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) now. Siggy is not an emergency service.