Trying one antidepressant after another and still waking up under the same weight is exhausting. If antidepressants haven’t helped you, you’re not alone. About 1 in 3 people treated for depression don’t get enough relief from standard antidepressants [1]. Fortunately, there’s a different kind of option. Spravato (esketamine) is an FDA-approved nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression, available only at certified treatment centers, and our Clarksville clinic at 775 Weatherly Drive, Suite F is one of them. That means this level of care no longer requires a drive to Nashville.
If you or someone who you love struggles with depression even after two or more medication attempts, schedule a free, 15-minute inquiry call with us today to learn more.
When antidepressants haven’t been enough
Treatment-resistant depression has a specific clinical meaning: depression that hasn’t responded to at least 2 different antidepressants taken at an adequate dose for an adequate length of time. In simpler terms, you did everything right, and the medications still didn’t do their job. That’s not a failure on your part, it’s a signal that your depression needs a treatment that works through a different pathway. You can read more about how we evaluate it on our treatment-resistant depression page.
What Spravato is, and why it works differently
Spravato (esketamine) is an FDA-approved nasal spray that works on glutamate, a different brain pathway than the serotonin systems most antidepressants target. That’s why it can begin working in days rather than weeks. It was approved in 2019 for treatment-resistant depression and for depressive symptoms with acute suicidal thoughts or behavior. In January 2025, it became the first FDA-approved standalone option for treatment-resistant depression [2]. In simpler terms: it’s not another version of the medications that haven’t worked. It’s a different mechanism entirely.
Most antidepressants target serotonin. Spravato works on glutamate, the brain’s most abundant chemical messenger, helping restore connections that long-running depression wears down [2].
That different mechanism is why some people feel a shift in days rather than weeks. Spravato was approved in 2019 as an add-on to an oral antidepressant, and in January 2025 the FDA approved it as the first standalone medication for treatment-resistant depression [3]. Whether you continue your current antidepressant is a decision you and your prescriber make together, not a requirement.
What a Spravato visit looks like at our Clarksville clinic
Spravato is never a take-home medication. Every dose happens here, and every visit follows the same rhythm:
- Check-in and vitals. We check your blood pressure before your dose and again about 40 minutes after [4].
- You administer the spray yourself, under our team’s supervision, in a private room built for resting.
- A required 2-hour observation window follows every dose. Bring a book, headphones, or nothing at all [4].
- A ride home. Temporary drowsiness and dissociation are common, so you can’t drive until the next day, after a restful night’s sleep [2].
The schedule is front-loaded on purpose: twice a week for the first 4 weeks, then weekly, then every 1 to 2 weeks for maintenance, tuned to your response [2].
The results, measured
Since 2023, Athena Care has successfully treated hundreds of patients with Spravato, with excellent results[i]:
- 91% of Athena Care patients had a clinically meaningful improvement in depressive symptoms and 80% had a clinically substantial improvement[ii]
- 64% of Athena Care patients had at least a 50% reduction in symptoms (“responders”)
- 41% of Athena Care patients achieved remission (symptom-free)[iii]
- On average, patient depression scores improved by 57%.
Meet our Chief Medical Officer
Athena Care’s Chief Medical Officer is the psychiatrist Dr. Amanda Sparks-Bushnell, M.D. She oversees Athena Care’s Spravato program.
Dr. Amanda Sparks-Bushnell is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist who maintains a heartfelt commitment to transformative leadership and patient well-being. Her career is marked by a passion for enhancing medical services, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the utmost care for those she serves.
Serving Fort Campbell, veterans, and military families
Clarksville is a military town, and tens of thousands of veterans call Montgomery County home. Unfortunately, depression rates run several times higher in military communities than among civilians. If you or someone you love is still struggling with depression after trying antidepressants two or more times, then Spravato may be the solution you’ve been waiting for.
Cost and insurance in Clarksville
Most major insurance plans cover Spravato for eligible patients. This means that, with commercial insurance, most people pay $10 per visit for the medication, plus any co-pay costs for an office visit. [6]. Athena Care doesn’t offer self-pay options for Spravato.
Why Athena Care in Clarksville
Our clinic is at 775 Weatherly Drive, Suite F, Clarksville, TN 37043, open Monday through Friday, 7am to 6pm, with care available in English and Español. Spravato works best inside a complete plan, and everything lives under one roof here: medication management, therapy, and the same statewide Spravato program our team has run at REMS-certified sites since 2019.
Early morning, lunchtime and after-school availability
Athena Care’s Clarksville clinic offers early morning, lunchtime and after-school time slots for Spravato patients. Contact our care team to learn more about current availability. Call or text us at 1-855-390-4357 to get started.
If you’re ready, reach out to a Care Coordinator at 1-855-390-4357, or visit the Clarksville clinic page to learn more.
Frequently asked questions about Spravato in Clarksville
How long is each Spravato appointment?
Plan for about 2.5 hours, most of it the required 2-hour monitoring window. Many patients book a morning slot and are back to their day by lunch.
Do I have to stop my current antidepressant?
No. Spravato is often taken alongside an oral antidepressant, and since January 2025 it’s also approved on its own. Your prescriber designs the plan with you.
Why do I need a driver?
Spravato can cause temporary drowsiness and dissociation, so the FDA requires no driving until the next day, after restful sleep.
How fast does Spravato work?
Some people notice a change within the first few days to 2 weeks. The induction phase runs 4 weeks, and we measure your progress at every visit.
What are the side effects?
The most common are dissociation, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and a brief rise in blood pressure. They cluster around the session itself and typically resolve the same day, inside the supervised window.
How soon can I start?
From initial inquiry to beginning treatment, it usually takes 2-5 weeks. Call 1-855-390-4357 and we’ll map your timeline.
One more thing, because it matters: if you’re in crisis right now, don’t wait for an appointment. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. For everything else, our Care Coordinators are here Monday through Friday, 7am to 6pm.
Contact us today
Visit Us
Address
775 Weatherly Drive
Suite F
Clarksville, TN 37043
Phone: (855) 390-4357
Fax: (615) 320-1177
Hours
M-F 7:00am – 6:00pm
Languages
English, Español
[1] AJMC, TRANSFORM-2 Results on Esketamine Published, Along With Caveats (May 2019): https://www.ajmc.com/view/transform2-results-on-esketamine-published-along-with-caveats
[2] Johnson & Johnson, SPRAVATO (Esketamine) Approved in the U.S. as the First and Only Monotherapy for Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression (Jan. 2025): https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/spravato-esketamine-approved-in-the-u-s-as-the-first-and-only-monotherapy-for-adults-with-treatment-resistant-depression
[3] U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), SPRAVATO (Esketamine) Nasal Spray Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and REMS requirements (revised Apr. 2025): https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/211243s019lbl.pdf
[4] Popova, V., et al., Efficacy and Safety of Flexibly Dosed Esketamine Nasal Spray Combined With a Newly Initiated Oral Antidepressant in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind Active-Controlled Study (TRANSFORM-2), American Journal of Psychiatry (2019): https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19020172
[5] Oliveira-Maia, A.J., et al., ICEBERG Study: An Indirect Adjusted Comparison Estimating the Long-Term Benefit of Esketamine Nasal Spray When Compared With Routine Treatment of Treatment Resistant Depression in General Psychiatry, Frontiers in Psychiatry, via PubMed Central (2023): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10669153/
[6] Johnson & Johnson, SPRAVATO withMe Affordability & Treatment Support, Spravato.com (2026): https://www.spravato.com/patient-support-program
[i] Athena Care results are based on the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores for patients completing at least 12 Spravato treatments. Improvement, response, and remission were determined using a 3-score rolling average. Thus, the “improved” score was based on a minimum of 3 scores (corresponding to a minimum of 3 weeks).
[ii]Research indicates that 6- and 12-point reductions in MADRS scores correspond, respectively, to a clinically meaningful improvement (1-point) and a clinically substantial (2-point) change on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale, which is a global measure of symptom severity (i.e., not specific to depression). Turkoz I, Alphs L, Singh J, Jamieson C, Daly E, Shawi M, Sheehan JJ, Trivedi MH, Rush AJ. Clinically meaningful changes on depressive symptom measures and patient-reported outcomes in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
[iii] Remission was defined as a MADRS score less than 12, which matches the definition utilized in the Spravato clinical trials.