Main menu: Mental disorders and related conditions

How to screen all your patients for Adult ADHD

Why don’t we screen every patient for adult ADHD?

Tips on history-taking in evaluating adults for possible ADHD

Neuropsychological testing for diagnosing ADHD?

What is the role of neuropsychological testing in patients with ADHD?

What neuropsychological deficits may be present in patients with ADHD?

ADHD-Treatment-General

ADHD-Treatment-Methylphenidate preparations

ADHD-Treatment-Amphetamine preparations

ADHD-Treatment-Atomoxetine

ADHD-Treatment-Alpha-2 agonists

ADHD-Treatment-Other medications

ADHD-Treatment-Psychotherapy

Important interactions when using two medications for ADHD

Vitamin C if on a stimulant?

Seizure risk if atomoxetine and bupropion are used together?

Be careful if a person is on both a stimulant and an antipsychotic

What could happen when changing from an antipsychotic to a stimulant?

Can a dopamine agonist (pramipexole, ropinirole) and a stimulant be combined?

Ketogenic diet and amphetamines

Comorbid Bipolar Disorder and ADHD

How common is ADHD in persons with bipolar disorder?

How to treat ADHD in persons with bipolar disorder

Stimulants for ADHD with a history of a substance use disorder?

How should ADHD be treated in persons with stimulant (including cocaine) use disorder

BEST Books on Adult ADHD: for Clinicians

BEST Books on Adult ADHD: For Patients and/or Families

Book Review: ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life

Book review: Mindfulness Prescription for ADHD

Alarmy: An alarm that makes you PROVE that you are really awake!

ADHD as a difference in cognition, not a disorder. Talk from TEDx (YouTube video)

Four C’s for dealing with ADHD (YouTube video)

Things that can masquerade as ADHD (YouTube video)

Childhood ADHD: Persistence into adulthood

Autism spectrum disorder

Understanding the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder

Tips on diagnosing autism spectrum disorder

How to not miss the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in adults (Interview with Edward Brodkin, MD)

Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)

How to screen adults for autism spectrum disorder

How to score and interpret the Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)

Atypical sensory processing is common and clinically important

Practice guidelines for autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder in adults: Interview with Edward Brodkin, MD

Practice guidelines for autism spectrum disorder

What interventions work for atypical sensory processing symptoms?

Does N-acetylcysteine (NAC) work for autism spectrum disorder?

Autism spectrum disorder: Resources for clinicians, patients, and families

BEST books on Adult Asperger’s Syndrome: For clinicians

Autism spectrum disorder: Inpatient hospitals and residential treatment 

Resources on autism spectrum disorder for patients and families

An inspiring TEDx talk by a person with Asperger’s syndrome

TED talk: For persons with Asperger’s syndrome

Bipolar disorder or substance use? Tips on resolving the diagnostic confusion

How to elicit what our patients really think about their diagnosis

How to get better outcomes in bipolar disorder (Video interview with Gary Sachs, MD)

How to elicit what our patients really think about their diagnosis

YOU ask the Expert: Bipolar disorders (Joseph Goldberg, MD)

Complementary/ herbal products can sometimes cause mania

BEST Books on Bipolar Disorder: For Patients and/or Families

An Unquiet Mind

Practice guidelines for bipolar disorders

Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

How to EFFECTIVELY screen patients for possible bipolar disorder

Tips on differentiating unipolar from bipolar depression

Identifying bipolar disorder: Part one

Identifying bipolar disorder, Part two: The Bipolarity Index

Identifying bipolar disorder, Part three: MoodCheck

What are the differences between hypomania and mania, and why do we care?

Was it really hypomania?

What is antidepressant-induced mania or hypomania?

What are the risk factors for antidepressant-induced mania or hypomania? 

5-HTTLPR and antidepressant-induced mania

Why we must identify and characterize psychotic features in manic episodes

The Mood Disorders Questionnaire is being used inappropriately

Don’t use screening questionnaires for bipolar disorder

“Specifiers” for mood disorders

What is bipolar disorder with rapid cycling?

How common is bipolar disorder with rapid cycling?

What are the risk factors for bipolar disorder with rapid cycling?

Bipolar disorder with rapid cycling: Management

Understanding “mixed features” in episodes of mood disorders

Tips on correctly diagnosing mixed features

A practical guide to the management of bipolar disorders with mixed features

A patient with bipolar disorder with mixed features who can’t tolerate medications due to over-sedation

Management of manic episodes

Divalproex (valproate) loading dose

Combination therapy (mood stabilizer plus antipsychotic) for acute mania?

How should antidepressant-induced mania or hypomania be managed?

Management of bipolar depression

When NOT to use antidepressants in bipolar depression

Which antidepressants have a greater or lesser risk in bipolar depression?

Should we try to avoid serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in bipolar disorder?

Difficult-to-treat bipolar depression

Bipolar depression: Factors affecting treatment selection and outcomes

Pearls in treating bipolar depression: Interview with Joseph Goldberg, MD

Management of bipolar disorder with rapid cycling

Bipolar disorder with rapid cycling: Management

Maintenance (preventive) treatment

How to do relapse prevention in bipolar disorder

These relapse prevention strategies can improve outcomes in bipolar disorders 

A key strategy for preventing relapse and aborting manic episodes

How to know who will respond better to lithium

A practical guide to the management of bipolar disorders with mixed features

A strategy for patients who decline every medication option

What medications should we prescribe for bipolar II disorder?

Can lamotrigine monotherapy be used for maintenance treatment in bipolar I disorder? 

Does gabapentin (Neurontin®) work for bipolar disorder?

Does oxcarbazepine work for bipolar disorder?

Minimizing caffeine may be helpful in bipolar disorder

Comorbidity in bipolar disorders: Introduction

Bipolar disorder with comorbid ADHD

Comorbid Bipolar Disorder and ADHD

How common is ADHD in persons with bipolar disorder?

How to treat ADHD in persons with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder with comorbid substance use disorders

How common is the comorbidity of bipolar disorders and substance use disorders?

Tips on treating patients with BOTH a bipolar disorder AND a substance use disorder

Tips on treating alcohol use disorder in persons with a bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder with comorbid anxiety disorders

Bipolar disorders with comorbid anxiety disorders

How to treat comorbid anxiety disorders in bipolar disorders with medications

The Manic-Panic Connection: Comorbid Bipolar Disorder and Panic Disorder

Bipolar disorder with comorbid panic disorder: Treatment

Bipolar disorder with comorbid OCD

Comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in bipolar disorders

How should obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) comorbid with bipolar disorder be treated?

How to carry out the Lorazepam Challenge Test in catatonia

Is brain imaging useful in catatonia?

Lorazepam for catatonia: How much? How long?

Which antipsychotics should be preferred for catatonia?

How to use ECT for catatonia

Getting authorization  from a court  for a patient’s medical guardian to be able to consent for ECT

A Deeper Understanding of the DSM-5 Criteria for Major Depressive Disorder

Grief versus Major Depression

Tips on differentiating unipolar from bipolar depression

“Specifiers” for mood disorders

How to diagnose atypical features in depressive and bipolar disorders

What to assess for if atypical features are present in a depressive episode

Understanding “mixed features” in episodes of mood disorders

Anxious distress (in depressive episodes)

Cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder

Excessive daytime sleepiness after remission of major depression

Can beta-blockers cause depression or is this a myth?

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Can oral contraceptives cause or worsen depression?

How to diagnose premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

When treating major depression, follow these three steps

All three phases of treatment are very important in major depressive disorder

Tips on the continuation phase of treatment for major depressive disorder 

Which persons with major depressive disorder need maintenance (preventive) treatment?

Does improving sleep improve depression too?

How to manage atypical features in depressive and bipolar disorders

Should we consider a benzodiazepine for persons with major depressive disorder?

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Management (Part 1)

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Management (Part 2)

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): Management (Part 3)

Tips on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (Interview with Vivien Burt, MD)

We do have some options for the common problem of residual fatigue and somnolence

What percentage of patients with MDD responds to TMS?

Who is more likely to respond to TMS?

Interview: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Omega-3 fatty acids for depressive disorders?

S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for depressive disorders: An overview

Do stimulant medications work for major depressive disorder?

Bright light therapy: Instructions to patients

Bright light therapy: Devices

Practice guidelines for depressive disorders

BEST Books on Depressive disorders: for patients and families

Terrific TED talk about Depression, Treatment, and Hope

Why it is important for all of us to screen for eating disorders

How to screen for eating disorders

How to evaluate persons who have or may have an eating disorder

Binge-Eating Disorder Screener-7 (BEDS-7)

Binge-Eating Disorder

New medication approved by FDA for Binge-Eating Disorder

Yale Food Addiction Scale

Instruction sheet for the Yale Food Addiction Scale

Best books about eating disorders (for patients and their families)

Best books about eating disorders (for clinicians)

Practice guidelines for Eating Disorders

Are we missing iron deficiency without anemia?

Let’s ask about heavy menstrual bleeding

Laboratory testing to identify iron deficiency

How to order and interpret iron studies

Celiac disease and absorption of psychotropic medications

Also see: Hypertension

Cardiovascular risk screening form

Cardiovascular risk calculators

When to do an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

An overview of antihypertensive medications

Using psychiatric medications in patients with cardiac disease

Antidepressants in cardiac disease

Is bupropion a good choice in persons with heart disease?

Is vortioxetine safe in patients with heart disease?

Is vilazodone safe in patients with heart disease?

Do modafinil/ armodafinil need cardiovascular monitoring?

Cardiovascular adverse effects of stimulants in children and adolescents

QTc prolongation due to psychiatric medications

How to look up whether a drug can cause QTc prolongation or torsades

Three SSRIs that may cause QT prolongation

Doesn’t escitalopram cause QTc prolongation?

Can mirtazapine increase the risk of QT prolongation?

Antipsychotics and QTc prolongation

Antibiotics, antipsychotics, and QTc prolongation

Lithium’s effects on the electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

What to do about the risk of arrhythmias with lamotrigine

Do modafinil/ armodafinil need cardiovascular monitoring?

What to do about the risk of QT prolongation with methadone

Ondansetron (Zofran®), QT prolongation, and psychotropic medications

Does buprenorphine cause QT prolongation and torsades de pointes?

Myocarditis

Clozapine-induced myocarditis or cardiomyopathy

Drug interactions with cardiovascular medications

Very important drug interactions between warfarin and psychotropic medications

Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and antidepressants

Other articles

A primer on Brugada syndrome for non-specialists

Quiz: Cardiovascular adverse effects

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Management of myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/ CFS)

A simple guide to the COVID-19 vaccines

A primer on tests for identifying 2019 Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection

Important recommendations regarding sex and coronavirus

What mental health clinicians can do about the coronavirus

Warning about using psychotropic medications along with treatments for COVID-19

Could psychotropic medications affect the immune response to coronavirus?

Helping persons with OCD deal with the coronavirus pandemic 

The relationship between COVID-19 and mental disorders (and what we should do about it)

Mental disorders and the immune system

SGLT2 inhibitors: A new class of medications for type 2 diabetes 

Who’s job is it to check for drug interactions?

How to evaluate older adults for the risk of and risk factors for falling

What can we do to reduce the risk of falls in elderly patients?

What can we do about medications and the risk of falls in elderly patients?

Dizziness/ Orthostatic hypotension

Psychotropic medications and glaucoma

Are psychiatric medications safe AFTER laser iridotomy for narrow-angle glaucoma?

Why is migraine important for mental health clinicians?

The prodromal phase of migraine

The migraine aura

Migraine headache and associated symptoms

The postdromal phase of migraine

How to diagnose migraine and its subtypes

Tips on diagnosing migraine

Primary headache associated with sexual activity (including orgasmic headache)

Atypical sensory processing is common in persons with migraine

How to correctly measure blood pressure

Should we use automated blood pressure instruments?

High blood pressure has been redefined in 2017

Lithium and antihypertensives: Be careful!

Do psychostimulant medications cause clinically-significant increases in blood pressure?

How exactly should blood pressure be monitored in persons on stimulants

How to manage stimulant-induced hypertension

Key facts about increased blood pressure on venlafaxine

Beta-blockers can worsen or improve erectile dysfunction

Clinical features and diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Overview of the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

What should persons with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) eat?

Which foods and beverages can cause excessive abdominal gas or bloating?

Can lactose in medication pills cause intolerance?

Loperamide (Immodium®) abuse: Change in packaging

Hepatic (liver) function tests

How to order and interpret hepatic (liver) function tests

How to use antidepressants in persons with liver disease

False-positive elevation of plasma ammonia

Liver injury due to psychiatric medications

A resource for looking up hepatotoxicity with a medication, herb, or supplement 

Antidepressants can injure the liver, some more than others

What can we do about liver injury due to a second-generation antipsychotic?

Disulfiram and liver toxicity

When and how often should hepatic function tests be done in patients on disulfiram?

Liver Toxicity Knowledge Base (LTKB)

Using psychiatric medications in liver disease

How to use antidepressants in persons with liver disease

Why we sometimes specifically order a “Complete Blood Count with Differential”

A primer on the Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)

Benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN)

Is it true that mirtazapine (Remeron®) can cause agranulocytosis?

How to use lithium to treat neutropenia

What body mass index (BMI) is and why it matters

Why it is important to treat obesity

What is the relationship between obesity and mental disorders?

What terminology should we use for being overweight or obese?

Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) and weight gain

Overweight and obesity: Management

Should we prescribe medications for weight loss?

An overview of medications for the treatment of obesity

A generic alternative to naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave®)?

Bupropion plus naltrexone (Contrave): Basic information

Metformin for weight gain or obesity unrelated to antipsychotic medications?

A simple primer on what GLP-1 agonists are

Semaglutide injection (Wegovy™) for weight loss in obesity and overweight

Semaglutide injection (Wegovy™): Side effects

Semaglutide injection (Wegovy™): Serious side effects, warnings, and contraindications

Semaglutide injection (Wegovy™): Basic information

Orlistat (Xenical®): Basic Information

Phentermine and topiramate extended-release (Qsymia®): Basic Information

What to do about psychotropic medications after bariatric surgery

Why and how to monitor and evaluate for suicide risk after bariatric surgery

Why, who, and how to monitor for increased alcohol use after bariatric surgery

Clinical tips on managing Parkinson’s disease psychosis

Parkinson’s disease psychosis: Introduction

Punding in Parkinson’s disease: An overview

Let’s not miss depression in persons with Parkinson’s disease!

How to treat depression in persons with Parkinson’s disease

Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®): Basic information

Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®): Efficacy for Parkinson’s disease psychosis

Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®): Potential adverse effects

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Mental Health

Why mental health clinicians need to learn about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): Clinical features

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): Diagnostic evaluation

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): Management

Does valproate increase the risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)?

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

What to do about cognitive impairments (“brain fog”) in postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS)

Evaluation of renal function

Renal (kidney) function tests

What serum creatinine is and why it is important

What is estimated GFR (eGFR)?

How to interpret the BUN/creatinine ratio when you get labs back

What factors may affect the serum creatinine level?

Can creatine supplements lead to “false” elevation in serum creatinine?

How to Collect a 24-Hour Urine Sample

What are the stages of chronic kidney disease?

Psychotropic medications that are not metabolized (mostly excreted unchanged)

Renal disease–Antidepressants

Antidepressants in renal (kidney) disease

Bupropion in renal disease

Is mirtazapine safe to use after a renal transplant?

Renal disease–Lithium

Which preparation of lithium carbonate is less likely to harm the kidneys?

Lithium-induced polyuria and diabetes insipidus

Lithium-induced polyuria and diabetes insipidus: Evaluation

Lithium-induced polyuria and diabetes insipidus: Treatment

Lithium-induced renal impairment: Clinical recommendations

Case: Rising serum creatinine in a patient on lithium

Case: Elevated serum creatinine that remained stable for many years

Renal disease–Other medications

Warning! Topiramate can cause kidney stones

Important warning regarding gabapentin and pregabalin in renal failure

In a nutshell: Febrile seizures 

Tips on thyroid function testing

More on interpreting thyroid function tests

What is ” central” (secondary or tertiary) hypothyroidism?

What do you make of these thyroid function test results?

Antithyroid antibodies

How should lithium-induced hypothyroidism be evaluated?

A primer on subclinical hypothyroidism

Practice guidelines for delirium

Practice guidelines for dementias

Neurocognitive disorders in DSM-5

What is Mild Neurocognitive Disorder

“Mixed pathologies” in Alzheimer’s disease

Sundowning in patients with dementia is important!

Does new-onset psychosis late in life predict the onset of dementia?

In older adults, avoid medications with anticholinergic activity

Evaluation of neurocognitive disorders

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA)

Montreal Cognitive Assessment: Spanish version (MoCA-S)

Items on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

How to administer the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

How to score the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

What cut-off score should we use for the MoCA?

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA): Psychometric properties

Alternate versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

Mini-Cog© clinical screening test for cognitive impairment

Clock Drawing Test: A complete guide for clinicians

First, which cognitive domains are impaired and to what extent?

Tips for interviewing patients with dementia

Cognitive domains that we need to evaluate: Complex attention

Cognitive domains: Executive function

Cognitive domains: Language

Understanding abnormalities of language: Aphasias

Advanced tips on evaluating verbal fluency clinically

Cognitive domains: Learning and memory

Do you assess semantic advantage in your patients?

How to test for B vitamins in patients with cognitive impairment

Six arguments against the Mini-Mental State Exam

Neuroimaging in persons with dementia

What to do about cognitive complaints in brief outpatient visits

How exactly to evaluate anticholinergic burden

What is Lewy body dementia?

An introduction to Neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies 

DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies explained 

Neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies: Clinical features

Neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies: Diagnosis

Differentiating neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies from delirium

Neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies: Treatment

Key Points from the APA Practice Guideline on the Use of Antipsychotics to Treat Agitation or Psychosis in Patients with Dementia

Citalopram for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease

Valproate for neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia?

Melatonin agonists for sundowning in major neurocognitive disorder (dementia)?

Carbamazepine for neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons with dementia?

Gabapentin for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia?

Diagnosis

Diagnostic criteria for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Why it is important to identify and treat body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Are we misdiagnosing body dysmorphic disorder as something else?

Are we missing body dysmorphic disorder?

Treatment

Tips on engaging patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in treatment

Body dysmorphic disorder: Pharmacological treatment

How to use serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat body dysmorphic disorder

What to do if serotonin reuptake inhibitors don’t work for body dysmorphic disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder: Cognitive-behavior therapy

Resources for clinicians and patients

BEST books about body dysmorphic disorder

OCD--General articles

OCD--Management

A primer on PANDAS for mental health clinicians

Excoriation (skin picking) disorder

How to treat excoriation (skin picking) disorder: Pharmacological treatment

How to treat excoriation (skin picking) disorder: Psychological treatment

General articles

General approach to treating women during pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy registries

Pregnancy and psychotropic medications: Online resources

Does this medication increase the risk of bad outcomes in pregnancy?

Specific treatments (articles that don’t have a link have not been completed yet)

Potential risks of second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics in pregnancy

Tips on using lithium during pregnancy

Is the use of lamotrigine during pregnancy safe?

Lamotrigine dosing during pregnancy

Antidepressants and risk of congenital malformations

How should insomnia be treated during pregnancy?

Bright light therapy for depressive disorders during pregnancy?

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depressive disorders during pregnancy?

How to manage agitation in a pregnant woman

Serious dangers to avoid if it is essential to physically restrain a pregnant woman

General articles

General approach to treating women during pregnancy and lactation

Tips on psychotropic medications during breastfeeding

Lactation and psychotropic medications: Resources

Specific treatments (articles that don’t have a link have not been completed yet)

Medications for bipolar disorder in the postpartum period while breastfeeding

Is sertraline safe in lactation?

Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders: An overview

What is Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder?

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder: Management

Clinical tips on excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnolence)

Medications for excessive daytime sleepiness (due to sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or shift work disorder)

Excessive daytime sleepiness after remission of major depression

Insomnia disorder—Evaluation

Sleep log: Ten important questions about the person’s sleep

Insomnia? Ask about medications

MAO inhibitor-induced insomnia

Insomnia disorder—Hypnotics

FDA-approved medications for the treatment of insomnia (hypnotics)

Non-addictive sleep medications

Best hypnotics in elderly patients?

Hypnotics to avoid in the elderly (older adults)

Which hypnotics to use or avoid in persons with sleep apnea

Doxepin (Silenor®): Basic Information

Suvorexant (Belsomra®): Basic Information

Is quetiapine (Seroquel®) a reasonable option for treating insomnia?

Practical tips on using hypnotics: Benzodiazepines

Temazepam (Restoril®): Basic Information

Practical tips on using hypnotics: the Z drugs

Hypnotic if waking up in the middle of the night?

Eszopiclone (Lunesta®): Basic Information

Zolpidem (Ambien® and Ambien CR®): Basic Information

Zaleplon (Sonata®): Basic Information

Pros and cons of ramelteon (Rozerem) as a hypnotic

Ramelteon (Rozerem®): Basic Information

Does melatonin work for insomnia?

What are the potential side effects of melatonin?

Can melatonin increase blood sugar?

Low-dose preparations of melatonin

Which brand and preparation of melatonin to recommend

Insomnia disorder—Sleep hygiene and Cognitive-behavior therapy

Sleep hygiene worksheets

When should we recommend sleep restriction therapy?

How exactly to do sleep restriction therapy

How to “sell” sleep restriction therapy to persons with insomnia

Insomnia disorder—Tools

Sleep masks for better sleep

Which blue-light-blocking glasses to recommend

Blue-light-blocking glasses for persons with bipolar disorder?

Blue-light-blocking glasses for delayed sleep phase disorder?

What is nightmare disorder and why is it important?

PTSD-associated nightmares: Menu of treatment options

Does prazosin work for PTSD? If so, for which symptoms?

What is REM sleep behavior disorder and why is it so important?

REM sleep behavior disorder: Screening and diagnosis

Management of REM sleep behavior disorder

Are we missing iron deficiency without anemia?

The FIRST thing you should do if your patient has Restless Legs Syndrome

Clinical features of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Restless legs syndrome (RLS): DSM-5 diagnostic criteria explained

How to order and interpret iron studies

How to screen for sleep apnea

STOP-Bang Questionnaire (my summary and link to the questionnaire)

How to know if our patients snore—even if they live alone

Epworth Sleepiness Scale (my brief summary and link to the scale itself)

How to measure neck circumference

In a sleep study result, what is the Respiratory Disturbance (Distress) Index (RDI)?

Apnea-Hypopnea Index

Clinical tips on excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnolence)

Which hypnotics to use or avoid in persons with sleep apnea

Practice guidelines for substance-related and addictive disorders

How to learn addiction psychiatry

SAMHSA National Helpline (Treatment Referral Routing Service)

How common is the comorbidity of bipolar disorders and substance use disorders?

Bipolar disorder or substance use? Tips on resolving the diagnostic confusion

Tips on treating patients with BOTH a bipolar disorder AND a substance use disorder

Tips on dealing with “slips” in recovery

Never crave alone

What happened to polysubstance dependence?

Which urine drug screen (UDS) should we order?

Which urine drug screen do most workplaces require?

For how long are substances detected in a urine drug screen (UDS)?

False-positive urine drug screen: Principles and a table for reference

Opioids in the urine drug screen

Will zolpidem be detected on a standard urine drug screen? 

“Fingerprint” metabolites that uniquely identify substances in a urine drug screen

Basic facts

Screening

Alcohol withdrawal

Treatment

Caffeine and mental health

How much caffeine is too much?

Key things clinicians should know about caffeine withdrawal 

Minimizing caffeine may be helpful in bipolar disorder

Caffeine can significantly change serum clozapine levels

Interactions that can significantly affect caffeine metabolism

Should those with migraine not consume caffeine?

Caffeine content of coffee and tea

Should we recommend decaffeinated coffee?

Caffeine content of soft drinks 

Caffeine content of “energy” drinks

General

Cannabis use disorder

Cannabis withdrawal

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Non-addictive sleep medications

Will zolpidem be detected on a standard urine drug screen? 

Kratom: A primer for clinicians

Opioid use disorder

Opioid use disorder is a VERY serious condition

Clinical pearls on prescribing buprenorphine (Suboxone®)

Clinical pearls about prescribing buprenorphine: Part Two

Buprenorphine (Subutex®, Suboxone®)

Buprenorphine extended-release injection (Sublocade®) 

Opioids in the urine drug screen

Tips for our opioid-dependent patients

Naltrexone (Revia®, Vivitrol®): Basic information

Tips on using naltrexone extended-release injectable (Vivitrol®)

Naltrexone extended-release injection (Vivitrol®): The how to

News: July 7, 2016. Buprenorphine prescribing limit raised significantly

Why we MUST know about fentanyl and fentanyl analogs

Special tests are needed to identify fentanyl in the urine

Special issues in using naloxone for overdoses involving fentanyl

An overview of fentanyl opioid use disorder (addiction)

Special points in the management of fentanyl opioid use disorder (addiction)

Fentanyl analogs and why they are so important

Loperamide abuse: Tips for mental health clinicians

NeuroStim System-2 (NSS-2) BRIDGE

Eight tips for reducing the risk of  abuse/diversion of stimulants

Does lisdexamfetamine really have lower abuse potential?

What is khat and why is it important in mental health?

Are you evaluating and treating tobacco use disorder in your patients?

High-yield tips for evaluating patients who use tobacco

A simple questionnaire to help guide tobacco cessation treatment

A practical guide to the management of tobacco use disorder

Are varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion safe for smoking cessation in persons with mental disorders?

Varenicline (Chantix®): Basic Information

A practical guide to using varenicline (Chantix®) for tobacco (smoking) cessation

A practical guide to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

How exactly should nicotine patches be used?

How exactly should nicotine gum be used?

How exactly should nicotine lozenges be used?

How exactly should nicotine oral inhalers be used?

How exactly should nicotine nasal spray be used?

Do electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) work for smoking cessation?

What “authorities” say about e-cigarettes for tobacco use disorder 

What are electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)?

Smoking and psychotropic medications

Can oral contraceptives cause or worsen depression?

Which contraceptive after oral-contraceptive-related depression?

Oral contraceptives and lamotrigine

Does lamotrigine decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives?

Are you about to prescribe a medication that could lead to an unwanted pregnancy?

What to do about contraception in women on carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine

Can oral contraceptives affect clozapine levels?

Long-acting contraceptives

List of brand names of oral contraceptives (External link)

Psychotropic medications and intrauterine devices (IUDs)

How to diagnose premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Management (Part 1)

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Management (Part 2)

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): Management (Part 3)

Tips on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (Interview with Vivien Burt, MD)

Tips on managing perimenopausal symptoms

Adjunctive estrogen for perimenopausal depression?