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(719) 319-4999 Verify InsuranceIf getting through the day has started to feel heavy, you are not alone. It is not a personal failing. Major depressive disorder is treatable, and it reaches the people who love you as well as you. Drift Behavioral Health provides major depressive disorder treatment in Colorado Springs for adults, at our clinic or online. We begin with an evaluation, take time to listen, and welcome family members to join. Your plan grows out of that first conversation.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mood condition marked by episodes of low mood or lost interest. Each major depressive episode lasts at least two weeks. During an episode, you feel this way most of the day, nearly every day. Sleep, appetite, energy, and concentration often change along with your mood.
Some people have a single episode. Others have several over the years, with stretches of steady mood between them. Recurrence is common, so treatment looks past the current episode. A clinician diagnoses MDD when another condition better explains your symptoms.
MDD is one of several depressive conditions. Persistent, seasonal, and postpartum depression follow different patterns, and our overview of other depressive disorders explains each one. Bipolar disorder, once called manic depressive disorder, includes manic or hypomanic episodes that MDD does not. Distinguishing between them matters because their medications differ.
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Medicaid and Medicare are not accepted. Self-pay options are available.
Clinicians rate each episode by how many symptoms you have and how much they interfere with your life. In a mild episode, you still function, but everything takes extra effort. In a moderate episode, work, school, or home life visibly slips. In a severe episode, basic tasks such as eating, bathing, or getting out of bed become difficult.
Some episodes carry added features. Anxious distress, with constant tension and worry, is common. Others involve physical slowing or a loss of pleasure in nearly everything. Your clinician names these features during your evaluation because they shape treatment.
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A depressive episode alters how your mind and body respond to everyday stressors. Coworkers and family members usually notice the shift before you realize it. You might attribute it to yourself, your workload, or lack of sleep. Knowing the cycle helps you seek help earlier.
Hour-long tasks now fill your afternoon. You read the same paragraph over and over. You lose your train of thought in meetings. You avoid making decisions, even minor ones. Deadlines slip through your fingers. Your inbox intimidates you. Many stay "present" while running on empty. Ask your clinician about shortening your hours or taking time off.
Depression distances you from the people closest to you. You miss family dinner, or half-attend while absentmindedly eating. Your partner may take your lack of words personally. You snap at loved ones over petty things, like a dish in the sink. Sharing with one person what an episode feels like closes that gap a bit.
Major depressive disorder treatment in Colorado Springs at Drift starts with a medical review and builds outward from it. Early sessions focus on easing the current episode. Later sessions focus on warning signs so a future episode doesn't catch you off guard. We adjust the plan as your mood changes, and you help decide each change.
Your first step is a psychiatric evaluation with one of our nurse practitioners. The provider reviews your health history and symptoms, then completes a mental status exam. Bipolar disorder is screened for before any antidepressant is suggested. If medication is an option, you hear the benefits and risks before you choose.
Individual sessions are the center of major depressive disorder therapy. They give you private time to work on what the episode has made harder. You and your therapist set goals tied to daily tasks, such as getting to work on time or answering messages. Progress toward those goals shows which symptoms ease first. Between sessions, you try one small task and report back on how it went. Your therapist also helps you notice early signs of a dip.
Group therapy puts you in a small room with other adults, led by a clinician. Depression convinces many people they are the only ones struggling, and hearing others describe a flat morning breaks that belief. You try new skills with peers and get feedback in the moment. Members also share what has helped on bad days, from a short walk to calling a friend. Participation is paced, so you can listen first and speak when you are ready.
Family therapy brings a parent, partner, sibling, or trusted caregiver into the work. Sessions run 50 to 60 minutes, in person at our Colorado Springs facility or by Zoom. The focus is communication, healthy boundaries, and what to do if a crisis develops. Family sessions are included in the adult mental health PHP and IOP tracks.
Severity is the main factor in choosing a starting point. It also considers how safe you feel at home and how much support you have. No starting point is permanent, and most adults move between levels as an episode eases.
Partial hospitalization program (PHP): Best for severe episodes, when eating, sleeping, or getting through the day has broken down. Sessions run about five hours a day, five to six days a week, and you go home each evening. Group therapy fills much of the day.
Intensive outpatient program (IOP): Fits mild to moderate episodes, when you can still manage most days. Sessions run three to four hours, three to five days a week, in morning, afternoon, or evening blocks. Many adults keep working or studying alongside it.
Virtual care: Delivers PHP or IOP through secure video, with psychiatric visits included. Home access helps when low energy makes the drive feel impossible. Your care team stays the same whether you attend in person or online.
After your evaluation, your care team recommends a starting level. We review the level as your needs change. Stepping down to a lighter schedule means your symptoms are easing and your support continues. Adults can also move between virtual and in-person care. When weighing major depressive disorder treatment in Colorado Springs, begin at the level that suits your episode now.
If you are thinking about suicide or harming yourself, call or text 988 or call 911. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline answers around the clock. Drift's programs are not emergency services, so reach crisis support first. Keep the number saved in your phone while you are in care.
