Recent studies have shown that creatine supplementation, in addition to traditional psychiatric antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs and SNRIs) can help alleviate depressive symptoms. Oral creatine supplementation may modify brain high-energy phosphate metabolism in depressed subjects.1 Creatine can be used as adjunctive treatment, or supplemental to psychiatric care.
Generally, psychiatric care and its supplemental treatments are utilized in combination with traditional mental health treatment methods like cognitive-behavioral and dialectical-behavior therapy. If you or a loved one are struggling with depression and looking for comprehensive and holistic mental health care, don’t hesitate to call a member of our care team today. AMFM Mental Health Treatment has over a decade of experience providing compassionate and thorough depression treatment.
Creatine phosphate, or creatine monohydrate is a substance found naturally in the body, and helps muscles produce energy, acting much like amino acids, like glycine and arginine.2 Historically, it’s been used as a dietary supplement for athletes, used in weight lifting to improve strength and performance, but recent studies have shown that oral creatine monohydrate can have a positive effect on a variety of disorders and complications.
A number of clinical applications of creatine supplementation have been studied involving neurodegenerative diseases, gastrointestinal function, diabetes, fibromyalgia, aging, brain and heart ischemia, adolescent depression, and pregnancy. These studies show that creatine can not only improve exercise performance, but can play a role in preventing and/or reducing the severity of injury, enhancing rehabilitation from injuries, and helping athletes tolerate heavy training loads.3 Creatine stands out as a supplement frequently used for athletics and muscle performance, but it also is a neuroprotective compound with potential to treat or mitigate a broad range of central nervous systems diseases.4
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Clinical Depression is a mood disorder that is known for causing persistent sadness, a loss of interest in pleasurable activities, and a range of other emotional and physical symptoms. Symptoms of depression can affect your daily routine, relationships, and overall quality of life.
Depression can affect individuals of varying ages and other demographics. While depression is more commonly diagnosed among women, men may experience more stigma regarding mental health difficulties, which prevents them from seeking help. Causes of depression can vary, including generics, experiences you’ve had in life, and a chemical imbalance within your brain. In addition to creatine supplementation and antidepressants, depression therapy can help you in overcoming depression.
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Depression can affect individuals differently, which often requires individualized treatment. In addition to creatine supplementation to psychiatric treatment, there are a variety of depression treatment options that can be used to address the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of this condition. Some of the most common psychotherapy modalities used in depression counseling sessions include:
Couples and family therapy may be used when a loved one’s depressive symptoms are affecting others. This can increase everyone’s understanding of depression and talk about how to support each other. Couples and family therapy sessions can improve communication patterns, focus on problem-solving, address unresolved conflicts, and increase the sense of understanding among one another.
Group therapy sessions can be used to help provide structured times to help you understand that you are not alone in your struggles, that your peers are also walking through these challenges, while also providing guidance, suggestions and communications from psychologists with specialized backgrounds. These groups can span a variety of backgrounds, including but not limited to art therapy, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is most commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” and is designed to help process emotions. Qualified professionals offer psychological therapy to move forward with healthy ways of engaging in interpersonal relationships and alleviating physical and emotional distress.
Most health insurance companies provide some form of coverage for depression treatment. This often includes both inpatient and outpatient care, depending on your symptoms. Coverage generally applies to therapy, counseling, and medication management services. Your plan may have limitations, exclusions, or required authorizations.
We encourage you to verify your coverage with AMFM Mental Health Treatment to understand the full scope of your insurance plan’s in-network benefits. This is especially true if you’re looking for specific treatments, like postpartum depression treatments or persistent depressive disorder treatment options.
Insurance can be complicated but we are here to help. AMFM has over a decade of experience in the mental health field and is in-network with many large insurance providers.
By using our form, we can quickly determine if you are in-network at one of our facilities. Insurance benefits vary greatly depending on the policy you have, so we obtain a detailed quote of your coverage.
It usually takes between sixty to ninety minutes depending on the time of day.
Our team will check insurance coverage and determine the benefits available to you for mental health services.
We also have private pay options available.
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A Mission For Michael Mental Health Treatment was founded to bring mental health resources and recovery to those who need it, meeting you with empathy at every step of the way. From admissions to aftercare, our teams are trained to provide the highest level of care, combining compassion with evidence-based personalized treatment plans. Our goal is to encourage and enable long-term behavioral growth and mental well-being in our mental health treatment facilities, to set our clients up for success for the rest of their lives.
You don’t have to embark on this journey alone. Call us to speak confidentially with a member of our care team today.
A Mission For Michael (AMFM) provides treatment for adults experiencing various conditions. Depression support is a phone call away – call 866-478-4383 to learn about our current treatment options.
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Roitman S, Green T, Osher Y, Karni N, Levine J. Creatine monohydrate in resistant depression: a preliminary study. Bipolar Disord. 2007 Nov;9(7):754-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2007.00532.x. PMID: 17988366.
Mawer, R. (2023, November 2). Creatine 101: What is it and what does it do?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-creatine#basics
Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049.
Francis L. Pazini, Mauricio P. Cunha, Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues, The possible beneficial effects of creatine for the management of depression, Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biol. Psychiatry, Volume 89, 2019, Pages 193-206, ISSN 0278-5846, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.029.
Kious BM, Kondo DG, Renshaw PF. Creatine for the Treatment of Depression. Biomolecules. 2019 Aug 23;9(9):406. doi: 10.3390/biom9090406. PMID: 31450809; PMCID: PMC6769464.
Lyoo IK, Yoon S, Kim TS, Hwang J, Kim JE, Won W, Bae S, Renshaw PF. A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral creatine monohydrate augmentation for enhanced response to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in women with major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;169(9):937-945. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12010009. PMID: 22864465; PMCID: PMC4624319.
Bakian, A. V., Huber, R. S., Scholl, L., Renshaw, P. F., & Kondo, D. (2020, February 3). Dietary creatine intake and depression risk among U.S. adults. Translational Psychiatry. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0741-x#:~:text=dietary%20creatine%20consumption.-,Depression%20prevalence%20was%2010.23/100%20persons%20(95%25%20CI:,consumption%20(p%20%3C%200.0001).
Attia, P. (2025, April 5). New dietary guidelines aim to optimize public health, not personal health. Peter Attia. https://peterattiamd.com/creatine-and-depression/#:~:text=Small%2C%20unblinded%20studies%20have%20likewise%20shown%20promising,SSRIs%20and%20SNRIs%20were%20paired%20with%20creatine.&text=Animal%20research%20further%20underscores%20this%20synergy%2C%20revealing,effect%20of%20enhancing%20neurotransmitter%20production%20and%20function.
Kondo DG, Sung YH, Hellem TL, Fiedler KK, Shi X, Jeong EK, Renshaw PF. Open-label adjunctive creatine for female adolescents with SSRI-resistant major depressive disorder: a 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. J Affect Disord. 2011 Dec;135(1-3):354-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.07.010. Epub 2011 Aug 9. PMID: 21831448; PMCID: PMC4641570.
“What is EMDR?” EMDR Institute, https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/. Accessed 20 February 2025.
Creatine is being studied as an adjunct to standard depression treatment, and some research suggests it may help reduce depressive symptoms when paired with antidepressant care. We see it as one potential supportive tool—alongside evidence-based therapy, psychiatric care, and a full treatment plan tailored to you.
No. When creatine is discussed for depression, it’s typically as an add-on to psychiatric treatment, not a replacement. Our approach focuses on the full picture of depression—therapy, medication support when appropriate, and structured programming that helps you build lasting coping skills.
If you have anxiety alongside depression, it’s best to talk with a medical provider before adding creatine—especially if you’re taking psychiatric medications or have other health conditions. Creatine is generally discussed as a supportive add-on, but your care should be personalized, and we can help you weigh potential benefits, monitor mood and anxiety symptoms, and make sure any supplement fits safely into your overall treatment plan.
We provide multiple levels of care, including residential (inpatient) depression treatment with 24/7 clinical support and outpatient options like PHP and IOP. Treatment may include CBT, DBT, EMDR, group therapy, and family or couples therapy, based on your needs.
Depression can look very different from person to person, so we start with a thorough assessment to understand symptoms, functioning, and safety. From there, we’ll recommend the level of support that best matches what you’re dealing with and what will help you stabilize and move forward.
