What Happens in a Psychiatric Evaluation
In a psychiatric evaluation, a psychiatric provider conducts a structured clinical interview, reviews your medical and family history, and performs a mental status examination to understand your mental health needs and guide treatment. Most initial evaluations in outpatient settings last about 53 minutes, and the visit ends with a diagnosis discussion and a personalized treatment plan. Below,...Learn More
How Therapy and Medication Work Better Together
Combining therapy and medication works better because medication regulates physical brain chemistry while therapy builds long-term cognitive coping skills. Medication lowers the intensity of symptoms like panic, racing thoughts, and low mood so daily life feels manageable, and therapy uses that stability to change the thought and behavior patterns that keep symptoms coming back. Research...Learn More
New Treatments for Depression That Are Changing Psychiatry
New treatments like accelerated brain stimulation and rapid-acting neuroactive medications are changing psychiatry by providing faster relief for treatment-resistant depression. After decades in which most new antidepressants worked the same basic way, the field now has FDA-cleared brain stimulation, a nasal spray that can ease symptoms within hours, and research pointing to a future where...Learn More
Common Side Effects of Psychiatric Medication and How to Manage Them
Common side effects of psychiatric medication include nausea, dry mouth, weight changes, and drowsiness, and you can manage them through simple daily habits and guidance from your prescribing provider. Most side effects appear in the first days of treatment, and many fade within 1 to 2 weeks as your body adjusts. Below, we cover the most common side effects by medication type, why they show up...Learn More