Learn, depression
Depression is more than a sad week. It can drain mood, interest, energy and sleep for weeks. You have real choices about care, including talking therapy, medicine or both. Weave offers that care with a psychiatrist in Mumbai and online across India.
Reviewed by Dr. Niharika Reddy, Consultant Psychiatrist, and Dr. Wilfred D'souza, Consultant Psychiatrist, on 7 November 2026.
Thoughts of suicide, or of harming yourself, need help today. Get emergency help now if:
Thoughts like these can be part of depression. There is no shame in asking for help.
Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department. See crisis lines.
Depression is low mood, or a loss of interest and joy, that stays and brings other changes with it. Clinicians look for changes most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. Everyday low mood usually lifts sooner.
Common signs include:
Most people notice some of these, not all. It is the pattern, and how long it lasts, that matters.
A clinician asks how things have changed, for how long, and how daily life is affected. A score on a form does not settle it on its own.
They ask about past depression, physical health, sleep, stress, loss and past treatment. They also ask about any times of very high mood or energy. That matters because depression can be part of bipolar disorder.
At Weave, sessions are 20 or 30 minutes, and you choose the length when you book. Ongoing care means sessions and reviews with one clinician and one plan.
Care starts with a consultation with a Consultant Psychiatrist, in person in Mumbai or online across India. The first consultation covers what has changed, for how long, what else is going on in your health and life, and what you want to be different.
You choose the length. A 20 minute session is INR 2,200 and a 30 minute session is INR 3,000. The fee is the same online and in person. Every fee is listed on the fees page.
Therapy and medicine are choices you make with the clinician, not steps you are put through. Some people start with talking therapy, some with medicine, some with both. Waiting with a planned review is also a choice.
Ongoing care means reviews with the same clinician and one plan, adjusted as things change. If low mood comes with times of very high energy or mood, the mood and bipolar assessment looks at that pattern.
In person, Weave consults at Runwal Forests Clinic, Kanjurmarg West, 1:30 to 3 PM every day including Sunday. The psychiatrist in Mumbai page has the address and directions. To arrange a first consultation, use the contact page.
You will see one of Weave's two Consultant Psychiatrists. Dr. Niharika Reddy, Consultant Psychiatrist, co-founder and clinical lead, and Dr. Wilfred D'souza, Consultant Psychiatrist, both see people for low mood, in Mumbai and online.
Consultations are in English, Hindi, Kannada or Konkani. Say which language you prefer when you arrange the appointment.
You can ask for a particular clinician. A man who would rather talk to a man can ask for Dr. Wilfred D'souza.
You can choose talking therapy, medicine, both together, or waiting with a planned review. Which one fits depends on how severe things are, what helped before and what you prefer. You also have the right to say no to a treatment.
For less severe depression, guided self-help or a talking therapy is usually tried first. Medicine is not usually the first step here, unless that is your informed choice.
For more severe depression, choices include talking therapy, medicine, or both together. One talking therapy, CBT, looks at patterns in how you think and act. Another, behavioural activation, helps you slowly restart activities that matter to you. Problem-solving therapy is a third choice.
If depression is less severe, you can choose not to start treatment yet. Guidance then suggests a planned check, usually within 2 to 4 weeks. You can change your mind at any time.
Waiting is not the right choice if you have thoughts of suicide, or of harming yourself. The same goes if things are getting worse fast. Then ask for help sooner.
Tell your prescriber what worries you, before you start and at any point after. Ask about side effects you want to avoid, such as weight gain, sleepiness or sexual effects. Ask how long the medicine may take to help.
Ask when your first review will be. It is usually within 2 weeks. For people aged 18 to 25, it is usually after 1 week.
Early on, some people feel more restless or anxious, or have new thoughts of suicide, or of harming themselves. Contact your prescriber if this happens. Family can help by watching for these changes too.
Yes, but plan it with your prescriber, because stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms. The dose is usually lowered in steps over time.
If a medicine helps, guidance suggests staying on it for at least six months after you feel well. This lowers the chance of depression coming back. The stopping plan is agreed with you.
Withdrawal symptoms do not happen to everyone. They can be mild. They can sometimes be severe, mostly after stopping suddenly. They are not the same as depression coming back.
You decide what "better" looks like for you. It might be getting up with less effort, enjoying a meal, going back to study slowly, or feeling close to one person.
Being told to think positive or be grateful is not a treatment plan. Recovery does not mean feeling good all the time. Work can be one goal, but it is not a measure of your worth.
Family can help with practical tasks. They can listen without pushing for a quick change.
Yes. Pregnancy, the months after birth and childhood each need their own discussion. In pregnancy or after birth, talk through the risks of each treatment. Also talk through the risks of no treatment, and of stopping or changing one.
If you take a medicine and find you are pregnant, speak to your prescriber soon. Do not stop on your own. Children and teenagers need care that fits their age and family. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian is part of consent.
You can ask for the reasons, and for other options, in plain words. You can ask for time to think. You can also ask for a second opinion from another psychiatrist. Your rights in care page explains more.
If you are worried about someone you love, ask them directly about suicide. Research has looked at this: asking does not put the idea in anyone's head, and it can bring relief. The numbers below are for you too.
You can reach Weave through the contact page. If low mood brought you here, the mood and bipolar assessment page explains what that appointment covers. Fees are on the services page.
Before you book, check the clinician, format, fee and whether the service fits your needs.