Mood Disorders

Depression

Depression is not simply low mood. Clinical depression involves persistent changes in mood, energy, sleep, appetite, concentration, motivation, and outlook that interfere with a person's ability to function and enjoy their life. It ranges from mild and situational to severe and persistent, and different presentations often call for meaningfully different treatment approaches.

Dr. Mike Mah treats adults with the full range of depressive conditions: major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), seasonal patterns of depression, depression with anxious features, and depression that co-occurs with ADHD, PTSD, OCD, or substance use. Depression that has not responded to previous treatment attempts (treatment-resistant depression) is a specific presentation that calls for careful review of prior medications, doses, durations, and response, and often requires a different treatment plan than a first episode.

First-line treatment for depression typically involves some combination of psychotherapy and medication. SSRI and SNRI antidepressants remain the most common medication starting point for most adults, but not all antidepressants are equivalent, and the choice of which medication, at what dose, and for how long is a clinical judgment call. Bupropion, mirtazapine, and other agents have specific indications where they are the better fit. For patients who have not responded to first-line care, options include augmentation strategies and careful reassessment of the diagnosis.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a distinct condition and one of the most medication-sensitive diagnoses in psychiatry. It is not the same as depression, and treating bipolar depression as if it were unipolar depression can cause real harm. Antidepressants prescribed without a mood stabilizer can trigger manic episodes or rapid cycling in patients with bipolar disorder, which is one of the reasons a careful diagnostic evaluation matters so much for anyone presenting with depressive symptoms.

Dr. Mike Mah treats adults with bipolar disorder, including bipolar I and bipolar II, across manic, hypomanic, and depressive phases of the illness. That includes bipolar depression specifically, the phase in which patients spend the most time and the one most often mistaken for unipolar depression. Care centers on mood stabilizer management, with psychotherapy where appropriate. Bipolar treatment is long-horizon work. It requires steady follow-up, honest conversations about tradeoffs between symptom control and side effects, and adjustments over time as the picture evolves.

How treatment works at this practice

Every patient starts with a 75-minute initial consultation. That visit is where Dr. Mike Mah gathers a full history, reviews prior treatments and current medications, and puts together an initial assessment with treatment recommendations. For mood disorders specifically, the evaluation covers the full picture: prior episodes, medication trials, family history, current stressors, and any patterns that point toward one diagnosis over another.

Ongoing care usually involves a combination of medication management and, where appropriate, psychotherapy or coordination with a therapist. Follow-up cadence depends on the plan and how quickly things are changing, from more frequent visits during medication adjustments to quarterly or twice-yearly maintenance for stable patients.

Medication decisions are treated as clinical judgment calls rather than defaults. Dr. Mike Mah is thoughtful about starting medications, careful about interactions and side effects, and equally thoughtful about safely reducing or discontinuing medications when the plan should change. That last part matters. Many patients have been on long-term antidepressants without a careful review in years, and a periodic reassessment is part of good care. Deprescribing is not about stopping medication for its own sake. It is about matching what a patient is taking to what they actually need, at the dose that actually helps.

Fees and getting started

The initial 75-minute consultation is $750. Follow-up medication visits are 25 minutes at $400. Dr. Mike Mah does not accept insurance directly, but for patients with out-of-network mental health benefits, the office provides a superbill that can be submitted to insurance for potential partial reimbursement.

Patients who prefer to use insurance can be seen at Century City Psychiatry, Dr. Mike Mah's insurance-based group practice, where a hand-selected team of clinicians delivers care under his direct clinical supervision.

See all services and fees