We often worry about sleep meds in the medically ill, and there’s plenty of cause to: falls, respiratory suppression, and confusion. On the other hand, sleep disruption is a major risk factor for delirium, and there’s growing evidence that some sleep meds – ramelteon, melatonin, but not the benzos or...

Air pollution, including particulate matter from forest fires, is a leading cause of health problems globally. It is also linked to psychiatric problems in children and adolescents. We take a closer look at the evidence and clinical implications in this episode. Published On: 9/17/2020 Duration: 14 minutes, 51 seconds Related Article: "Air...

If you haven’t seen a patient with Morgellons yet, it’s a good guess that you soon will. Patients with this syndrome experience crawling, biting, and stinging sensations in the skin.

Do antipsychotics treat all psychoses? And how do you talk to patients when they don’t work? Psychiatrist Michael Posternak shares his top tips. Plus: What the “Beads Task” tells us about the psychological underpinnings of delusional disorder.Published On: 9/13/2020Duration: 15 minutes, 47 secondsPartial Transcript:Kellie: The one thing in delusional disorder...

In the early 1990’s, half of US patients with bipolar disorder took lithium. Now it’s closer to 15%, and the use of antipsychotics has more than doubled to fill the gap. A new survey reveals what patients think about these newcomers. [Link]Published On: 9/9/2020Duration: 2 minutes, 49 secondsTranscript:In the early...

Nausea, tremor, cognition, and renal function. We bring you our top tips for managing these side effects, including when to use instant release vs. controlled release and how to optimize the serum level for patient safety.Published On: 9/7/2020Duration: 20 minutes, 30 secondsTranscript:Lithium. The word conjures up thoughts of toxicity, dangerous...

It’s risky business – giving sleep meds to the elderly and the medically ill – and today we have some reassuring data. [Link]Published On: 9/5/2020Duration: 2 minutes, 22 secondsTranscript: It’s risky business – giving sleep meds to the elderly and the medically ill – and today we have some reassuring data.This...

Dr. Kenneth Kendler's latest compares biological siblings where one was adopted and the other raised by the birth parents. The study found that children adopted into a stable adoptive home had a reduced rate of depression by 23%. [Link]Published On: 9/2/2020Duration: 2 minutes, 4 secondsTranscript:Over the past 40 years Dr. Ken Kendler...

Nassir Ghaemi reads excerpts from his work on the therapeutic relationship in bipolar disorder. We talk about how to empathize with manic patients through the technique of “manic siding,” and catalogue over a dozen types of bipolar depression, including one that Dr. Ghaemi calls “existential despair.” [Link]Published On: 8/31/2020Duration: 20...

Is self-knowledge a good thing, or is it just fuel for self-absorption and depressive rumination? We look through four psychotherapies to learn what makes the difference between meaningful insight and navel gazing.Published On: 8/24/2020Duration: 19 minutes, 38 secondsTranscript:Dr. Aiken: Welcome to The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast, keeping psychiatry honest since 2003.