Behavioral activation came about in the 1990’s as a challenge to the CBT model of depression. The basic strategy behind this therapy blends well with brief medication visits, and we explain how to use it in this professional guide. Check out the patient companion to this edition in the Pocket...

Richard Weisler tells the tale of science and serendipity that lead to his discovery of lamotrigine for bipolar depression 30 years ago. He shares a few dosing tips, and touches on how he works with patients and their families. Plus, the word of the day: Gramophone Syndrome.Published On: 1/25/21Duration: 23...

The Queen’s Gambit is Netflix’s critically acclaimed series about a chess prodigy who gets “a little help from her friends.” In this episode we find out what they got right, and wrong, about psychiatric meds and cognitive enhancement.Published On: 1/11/2020Duration: 29 minutesTranscript:Dr. Aiken: Cognitive problems are one of the most common complaints...

Brett Stevens has lived through the worst of bipolar and come out standing. Here’s what he did to get his life back. This is the first edition of The Pocket Psychiatrist, a monthly series you can share with your patients through a separate podcast stream.Published On: 1/4/2021Duration: 15 minutes, 24...

A look at the top 10 practice-changing highlights from our 2020 journal. Tardive dyskinesia, inflammation, lumateperone, top first-line medications, trazodone in depression, Silexan for anxiety, excellent lithium responders, hormones and mood, and ramelteon’s generic debut.Published On: 12/28/2020Duration: 26 minutes, 30 secondsArticles Referenced: "How to Treat Tardive Dyskinesia," The Carlat Psychiatry Report,...

Retractions are on the rise in medical research, and we get to the bottom of it with Ivan Oransky, cofounder of RetractionWatch.com.Published On: 12/21/2020Duration: 25 minutes, 12 secondsRough Transcript:Can you personalize antidepressant selection, use antipsychotics in dementia, or treat adolescent OCD with brain surgery? Yes, you can…. Oh wait – maybe...

Most of the research on melatonin has involved older adults, and there it seems to work pretty well, just a little less effective than most prescription sleep meds. So how well does melatonin work in middle aged adults? This new study is the first to test that out. [Study Link]Published...

Donna Sudak shares her tips for weaving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into the 30-minute psychotherapy session with medication. The article on rating scales she references - Free, Brief, and Validated - is available here.Published On: 12/14/2020Duration: 19 minutes, 49 secondsArticle Referenced: "Brief Therapy During the Medication Visit," The Carlat Psychiatry Report, November/December...

Not only do we get more urges to eat at night, but we tend to overeat and lean more towards junk food. So how does that play out in bipolar disorder? This new study by Francisco Romo-Nava and colleagues at the University of Cincinnati and the Mayo Clinic sought to find...

There are many reasons why people drink, and one of them is alcohol withdrawal. The withdrawal state causes anxiety, negative mood, and cravings, and these kinds of symptoms lead patients to turn to alcohol once more. Some treatments for alcohol use disorders – like gabapentin – work better in patients...