Depression can settle over a full life like a veil. Let's look at it together.
You might keep smiling, leading, and caring for everyone while your days grow heavy. Dr. McDade meets you where you are, with no judgment, and builds a plan with you, by secure video in Texas.
Opens the booking page. A brief screening confirms fit before your first visit.
- Every visit with Dr. McDade
- Women-centered focus
- No referral needed
The answer
Depression, or major depressive disorder, is a common and serious medical condition that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily life, such as sleeping, eating, or working. For a diagnosis, the National Institute of Mental Health says, symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. It is very treatable, most often with therapy, medication, or both. Dr. McDade starts with an unhurried evaluation, explains what she finds, and builds a plan with you. You understand what you are treating and why.
If you need help now
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service or dial 711, then 988. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This practice does not provide emergency services.
Who will you see?
Dr. McDade, at every visit. Health & Harmony Psychiatry is a physician-only practice, so every follow-up is with the physician who already knows your story.
There is time to describe your symptoms fully, along with the context around them. Her practice has a strong women-centered focus. From 2020 to 2025, she worked exclusively with women patients across the lifespan.
The practice provides psychiatric evaluation, medication management, follow-up, and coordination with the patient's other clinicians. Full recovery is the goal, even if the best path is a referral.
Can depression hide behind a successful life?
It can. Maybe you lead a team, run a business, raise children, or do all three. Maybe you keep showing up, and few people see how heavy it has become.
Success can look very different from the outside.
In Dr. McDade's experience, you can do well at work, where there is built-in structure, and struggle once you are home and the structure disappears.
Depression lies to you. It tells you this is just who you are now. It is not. It is a treatable condition, and you can feel like yourself again.
Dr. Allison J. McDade, MDHow does Dr. McDade meet you where you are?
She listens first, with no judgment and no shame. Dr. McDade hears your story and reviews your history and your health, over 60 to 90 minutes. Understanding relies on context, and some stories need more time.
- 01
When it began, and your life now
You and Dr. McDade piece together a timeline of your symptoms and what sets them off. If a significant stressor is going on, she considers adjustment disorder before a diagnosis of depression.
- 02
Your history and your health
She reviews past diagnoses and treatment, your mood, physical health, current medications, sleep, recent labs, and any hormonal changes. She looks for anything else that could cause your symptoms or add to them. Conditions such as hormonal imbalances or vitamin deficiencies can mimic depression, the American Psychiatric Association notes.
- 03
The parts of life that are easy to miss
She asks about the parts of life that depend on self-direction, such as medical appointments, time with friends, and household tasks, because they are easy to overlook when someone looks high-functioning.
- 04
Collaborative
A plan built with you
She explains what she finds in plain words. Starting a medication is a collaborative conversation, with each option discussed in depth. When therapy is the better starting point, she refers to therapists she knows well.
Your plan is built with you.
What can depression feel like?
You might notice some of this.
What it can feel like
- Smiling through the day, then feeling empty once you are alone.
- The things you love start to feel flat.
- Tired all the time, or feeling slowed down.
- Sleeping too little, waking too early, or sleeping too much.
- Small decisions feel hard, and your focus keeps slipping.
- Quiet guilt, or a sense that you are letting everyone down.
- Pulling back from the people you love.
- Thoughts of death or suicide.
If you need help now
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service or dial 711, then 988. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This practice does not provide emergency services.
Depression can affect anyone, even those who seemingly have it all, the American Psychiatric Association notes. If some of this sounds familiar, a careful evaluation can sort out what is behind it.
You are far from alone. In 2021, about 1 in 10 U.S. women had a major depressive episode, a higher rate than among men, the National Institute of Mental Health reports.
Depression is common, and it can be treated.
Is it grief, or is it depression?
It can be either, or both. Grief after a death, a lost job, or the end of a relationship is a normal response, the American Psychiatric Association explains, and it is unique to each person.
-
Grief
- How it moves
- In waves, often mixed with good memories
- Self-worth
- Usually stays steady
- In short
- A response to who or what you lost
-
Depression
- How it moves
- Low mood or interest for most of two weeks
- Self-worth
- Feeling worthless is common
- In short
- A low that settles in
Adapted from the American Psychiatric Association.
When grief and depression come together, the grief is more severe and lasts longer. Sometimes nothing happened at all, and a veil still settled over your days.
Whatever brought it on, it deserves care.
Questions about depression care
Is high-functioning depression a diagnosis?
No. It describes depression that stays hidden behind a busy, capable life. The National Institute of Mental Health describes forms such as major depression and persistent depressive disorder, which has less severe symptoms that last much longer, usually for at least two years. What you feel still deserves a careful look, and the first evaluation can sort out what is behind it.
Can depression be treated with medication?
Yes, as part of a plan. Depression treatment typically involves psychotherapy, medication, or both, the National Institute of Mental Health notes. Dr. McDade provides diagnostic evaluation and medication management. Plans are individualized and may include referral to therapy or other specialists when appropriate.
Can pregnancy, a new baby, or menopause bring on depression?
They can. The National Institute of Mental Health explains that pregnancy, the postpartum period, the menstrual cycle, and menopause are associated with physical and hormonal changes that can bring on a depressive episode in some people. Dr. McDade treats psychiatric conditions in the context of the peripartum period, perimenopause, and PMDD, a more intense form of PMS.
Is it burnout or depression?
The first evaluation can sort out what is behind it. Burnout results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, and it refers to work specifically, the World Health Organization says. It is not classified as a medical condition. A diagnosis of depression requires a clear change in day-to-day life, such as at work, in relationships, or in the things you enjoy, the American Psychiatric Association notes.
What if I am not sure which concern fits?
You can start without a name for it. The first evaluation begins with when your symptoms began and how long they have lasted, and Dr. McDade explains what she finds.
How long is the first evaluation?
60 to 90 minutes with Dr. McDade. The length follows your age, your symptoms, and your history, and it leaves room to connect and consider.
Will I see the same doctor at every visit?
Yes. Health & Harmony Psychiatry is a physician-only practice, and every visit, from your first evaluation through every follow-up, is with Dr. McDade.
Do I need a referral to see Dr. McDade?
No. You can book a first visit without a referral, and a parent or guardian books for anyone under 18. Clinicians who want to refer a patient can use the refer a patient page.
How much does care cost?
Care is cash pay. A new evaluation with Dr. McDade is $465, and follow-up visits with Dr. McDade are $275. You receive a good faith estimate before your first visit.
Does Dr. McDade take insurance?
No. Care is cash pay, with rates set in advance and shared up front. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
What ages does Dr. McDade see, and where?
Patients ages 6 to 70. Health & Harmony Psychiatry provides care by secure video to patients physically located in Texas at the time of their appointment. Telepsychiatry may not be appropriate for everyone; a brief screening determines fit. Certain medications, including some controlled substances, may only be prescribed to patients residing in Texas.
Is this an emergency service?
No. Health & Harmony Psychiatry does not provide emergency care. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911.
Sources for the facts on this page.
- What Is Depression?, American Psychiatric Association, April 2024
- Depression, National Institute of Mental Health, 2024
- Major Depression, National Institute of Mental Health, July 2023
- Depression in Women: 4 Things to Know, National Institute of Mental Health, 2023
- Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon", World Health Organization, May 28, 2019
The information on this website is for general education and does not constitute medical advice or create a physician-patient relationship. For care, please schedule an appointment.
Care Through Connection
Every part of what you carry, met with care.
Book the first visit online, or call 832.387.6088 with questions. A parent or guardian books for anyone under 18, and a brief screening confirms fit before your first visit.
Health & Harmony Psychiatry does not provide emergency care. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911. Ages 6 to 70. Health & Harmony Psychiatry provides care by secure video to patients physically located in Texas at the time of their appointment.