Starting intensive depression treatment in December involves a comprehensive evaluation process that typically takes 60-90 minutes and covers your symptom history, previous treatments, current functioning, and specific goals for managing depression during the challenging holiday season, with many patients able to begin treatment within days of their initial assessment (Ohio State Medical Center, 2024). Understanding what happens during this evaluation helps reduce anxiety about taking this important step toward better mental health.
The decision to seek intensive depression treatment during December often reflects recognition that your current coping strategies aren’t sufficient for managing both your underlying depression and the additional stressors of the holiday season. This timing actually provides certain advantages, as beginning treatment now allows for symptom stabilization before New Year goal-setting and provides professional support during emotionally challenging weeks ahead.
Understanding the Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
Your comprehensive psychiatric evaluation begins with detailed exploration of your current symptoms and how they’ve changed recently. One of our expertly trained providers will ask about your mood patterns, sleep quality, appetite changes, energy levels, concentration difficulties, and any thoughts of self-harm or suicide. While these questions might feel intrusive, they’re essential for understanding the severity of your depression and developing an appropriate treatment plan to discuss treatment options with you.
The evaluation process examines your personal history with depression, including when symptoms first appeared, what circumstances might have triggered previous episodes, and how depression has affected your work, relationships, and daily functioning over time. This longitudinal perspective helps identify patterns and risk factors that inform treatment planning, particularly regarding how seasonal stressors might interact with your depression.
Previous treatment experiences provide crucial information for planning your care. Our treatment team will want to know which medications you’ve tried, how you responded to them, what side effects you experienced, and how long you remained on each treatment. This medication history helps avoid repeating unsuccessful approaches and identifies which treatment options might be most promising for your situation.
At Revitalize Clinics, we pride ourselves on set, setting and sustainability using our vast treatment know how to our care provision. Using the information gathered during your psychiatric evaluation, we will provide you with individualized holistic insight into how different treatments will likely affect your brain and body. This medical and psychiatric expertise proves particularly valuable when evaluating patients for intensive treatments like IV ketamine infusion therapy, which require careful assessment of medical contraindications and monitoring protocols.
Holiday-Specific Depression Assessment
The evaluation explores how your depression specifically manifests during holiday periods. Many people experience worsening symptoms due to seasonal light changes, social stressors, financial pressures, or family dynamics that become more intense during December. Understanding these patterns helps tailor your treatment plan to address both your underlying depression and seasonal vulnerability factors.
Family mental health history forms another important component of your evaluation. Depression often runs in families, and understanding your genetic risk factors helps inform treatment selection and monitoring protocols. Your clinician will ask about relatives who’ve experienced depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or substance use problems, as well as any family history of response to specific treatments.
Medical history and current health status affect treatment options, particularly for intensive interventions like ketamine therapy. Your clinician will review any heart conditions, blood pressure problems, substance use history, or other medical issues that might influence treatment selection or require special monitoring. This comprehensive approach ensures that mental health treatment integrates safely with your overall medical care.
Personalized Treatment Planning
The comprehensive nature of mental health evaluation at our practice means that treatment recommendations are based on thorough understanding of your individual circumstances rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. Our range of services, including traditional psychotherapy, medication management, IV ketamine infusion therapy, and SPRAVATO® treatment, allows for personalized treatment planning based on your specific needs and preferences.
Research on seasonal depression treatment implementation reveals that patients often worry unnecessarily about the timing of beginning intensive treatment during December (BMC Psychiatry, 2018). However, many individuals find that having professional support during traditionally difficult periods enhances their capacity to engage meaningfully with holiday activities rather than simply enduring them.
Financial and Practical Considerations
Financial concerns about beginning intensive treatment during expensive holiday seasons represent valid practical considerations that deserve honest discussion during your evaluation. Our practice accepts most major insurance plans, and we work with patients to understand their coverage for different treatment options. Many insurance plans now provide coverage for innovative treatments like SPRAVATO®, and we help patients explore all available options for making treatment affordable.
The fear that beginning intensive depression treatment might somehow interfere with holiday celebrations often proves unfounded in practice. Most patients find that effective treatment enhances their capacity for genuine enjoyment and meaningful connection with loved ones rather than diminishing their holiday experience. Professional support can help you participate more authentically in seasonal activities instead of simply going through the motions.
Scheduling intensive treatment during December requires flexibility and clear communication about your availability and commitments. Our practice offers both in-person and virtual consultations, and treatment schedules can be adapted to accommodate travel plans, family obligations, and work demands. The key is maintaining therapeutic momentum while respecting your seasonal responsibilities.
Developing Your Treatment Plan
Your evaluation will conclude with development of a specific treatment plan tailored to your needs, circumstances, and goals. This might include recommendations for medication, therapy, intensive treatments like ketamine infusion therapy, or combinations of approaches. The plan will also address practical considerations like appointment scheduling, monitoring protocols, and strategies for managing potential side effects.
The unique medical perspective at Revitalize Clinics ensures that treatment recommendations consider how different interventions affect the whole person rather than just targeting isolated symptoms. This comprehensive approach proves particularly valuable for individuals who haven’t responded well to previous treatments or who need intensive interventions to achieve meaningful symptom relief.
Preparing for Your Evaluation
You can prepare for your evaluation this week by gathering information about your treatment history, including names and dosages of previous medications, dates of therapy episodes, and your responses to different approaches. Having this information readily available helps your clinician develop a more complete picture of your depression and avoid repeating unsuccessful strategies.
Compile a list of your current medications, supplements, and any recreational substances you use, including alcohol. This information affects treatment selection and helps identify potential interactions with psychiatric medications. Honest disclosure about substance use helps ensure your safety and treatment effectiveness rather than creating judgment or legal consequences.
Write down specific goals you have for treatment and what you hope to achieve by addressing your depression. These might include improved sleep, better energy for work, enhanced relationships, or simply feeling less overwhelmed by daily responsibilities. Having clear goals helps guide treatment selection and provides markers for measuring progress over time.
Starting intensive depression treatment in December represents a commitment to prioritizing your mental health during a season that often demands emotional energy you might not have readily available. This decision reflects strength and self-awareness rather than weakness or dependence on external help.
Professional support during challenging periods can provide the structure, skills, and sometimes medication adjustments that enable you to engage more meaningfully with what matters most to you during the holiday season. Treatment isn’t about becoming a different person, but rather about removing barriers that prevent you from being your authentic self.
Remember that treatment outcomes vary significantly among individuals based on factors including depression severity, treatment history, biological factors, and external support systems. While we cannot guarantee specific results, many patients experience meaningful improvement when they receive appropriate professional care tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.
If you’re ready to take the step of beginning intensive depression treatment this December, comprehensive evaluation can provide the clarity and treatment recommendations you need to move forward effectively. At Revitalize Ketamine Clinic in Flagstaff, we specialize in thorough assessments and personalized treatment planning for individuals whose depression requires intensive or innovative treatment approaches.
References
BMC Psychiatry. (2018). Implementing prevention of seasonal affective disorder from patients’ and physicians’ perspectives – a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 395. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-018-1951-0
Ohio State University Medical Center. (2024). Psychiatric evaluation: What to expect during your initial mental and behavioral health evaluation. https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/mental-behavioral/initial-evaluation
Yale School of Medicine. (2024). Winter depression research clinic insights and treatment approaches. https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/research/clinics-and-programs/winter-depression/
Don’t let another holiday season pass while struggling with untreated depression. Schedule your comprehensive evaluation at Revitalize Ketamine Clinic in Flagstaff by calling (928) 226-1352 today. Our team is ready to help you explore intensive treatment options and develop a personalized plan for achieving meaningful symptom relief.