News & Research
The Siggy Blog
Expert articles on medications, conditions, and the future of mental healthcare — from the team building it.
Sertraline Side Effects: What to Expect in the First Two Weeks
The first days on sertraline can feel strange — nausea, restlessness, a wired-but-tired feeling that nobody warned you about. Here's a week-by-week breakdown of what's normal, what's not, and when to call your prescriber.
Lexapro vs. Zoloft: How to Think About Choosing an SSRI
Two of the most prescribed antidepressants in the country, and your doctor probably picked one in under three minutes. Here's what actually differentiates them.
Why Can't I Find a Psychiatrist? The U.S. Provider Shortage, Explained
There's one psychiatrist for every 1,200 Americans with a mental health condition. Half of U.S. counties have zero. This isn't a temporary staffing problem — it's structural.
Do I Have ADHD or Anxiety? How to Tell the Difference
Trouble focusing, restlessness, a mind that won't shut up — ADHD and anxiety look almost identical from the inside. The difference matters because the treatments are opposite.
What Happens When You Stop Taking Your Antidepressant
About 60% of people on psychiatric medication stop within a year — and most do it without telling their prescriber. Brain zaps, rebound anxiety, and symptoms that feel like relapse but aren't.
Wellbutrin: The Antidepressant That Doesn't Work Like the Others
No sexual side effects. No weight gain. Possible energy boost. Bupropion is the antidepressant people ask for by name — but it's not right for everyone.
How Long Does It Take for an Antidepressant to Work?
The honest answer is 4–8 weeks for the full effect, 1–2 weeks to feel something, and the first few days might feel worse.
I Wake Up at 3am Every Night: What's Going On?
The 3am wake-up is one of the most common complaints in psychiatry, and it's almost never "just stress." It sits at the intersection of cortisol rhythm, depression, anxiety, and medication timing.
Online Psychiatry: What to Expect and What to Watch Out For
The best online psychiatry feels like having a great doctor who happens to be on a screen. The worst is a 10-minute prescription mill.
Panic Attacks vs. Anxiety Attacks: They're Not the Same Thing
One has a clinical definition. The other doesn't. But both feel like you're dying, and the treatment for each is different.
The Real Reason 80% of SSRIs Are Prescribed by Non-Psychiatrists
Your family doctor isn't trying to play psychiatrist. They're filling a gap left by a system that produces 1,500 new psychiatrists a year for 60 million people who need one.
CBT vs. Medication for Anxiety: What the Evidence Actually Says
The "therapy or meds" debate is a false binary — but when you have to choose a starting point, the research gives you useful signals.
ADHD in Women: Why It Gets Missed for Decades
The average woman with ADHD is diagnosed at 36 — nearly 25 years after her male peers. It's not that the symptoms aren't there.
What Is Emotional Blunting — and Is Your Medication Causing It?
You're not sad anymore, but you're not anything anymore. The volume knob on your feelings got turned to zero. Emotional blunting affects up to half of people on SSRIs.
Burnout Is Not Depression — But It Can Become Depression
Burnout is exhaustion from caring too much about something specific. Depression is exhaustion from everything. They overlap, they feed each other.
Gut Health and Mental Health: What the Science Actually Supports
90% of your serotonin is made in your gut. That fact gets repeated a lot — but what does it actually mean for treating depression and anxiety?
Imposter Syndrome Isn't a Syndrome — But It Still Needs Attention
It's not in the DSM. It's not a diagnosis. But the pattern of believing you'll be "found out" despite evidence of competence tracks with anxiety and depression.
How to Switch Antidepressants Without Losing Your Mind
Your prescriber said "we'll cross-taper" and gave you a schedule on a Post-it note. Here's what's actually happening in your brain during the switch.
What "Measurement-Based Care" Means — and Why Your Psychiatrist Probably Isn't Doing It
Imagine if your cardiologist never checked your blood pressure. That's how most psychiatry works — treatment decisions based on a 15-minute conversation, not tracked data.
Seasonal Depression Doesn't Only Happen in Winter
SAD gets the winter headlines, but about 10% of people with seasonal patterns get worse in spring and summer.
Mental Health in Your 30s: When "Fine" Stops Working
You built the career, the relationship, maybe the family. You should feel good. You don't. The 30s are when high-functioning coping strategies hit their limit.
Perimenopause and Mood: The Psych Symptoms No One Warned You About
Rage that comes from nowhere. Anxiety that appeared at 42. Sleep that fell apart overnight. Perimenopause mimics half the DSM.
Your SSRI and Your Sex Life: An Honest Conversation
It's the side effect nobody brings up at the 15-minute check-in. Up to 70% of people on SSRIs experience sexual dysfunction.
Is AI Psychiatry Safe? What Clinically Supervised Actually Means
The honest answer: AI alone is not safe for psychiatry. AI with a licensed clinician reviewing every decision is a different story entirely.
What to Expect at Your First Psychiatric Appointment
A good first appointment lasts 60–90 minutes, covers your full history, and ends with a plan. A bad one lasts 15 and ends with a script.
Propranolol for Anxiety: The Heart Medication That Stops Panic in Its Tracks
A tiny blood pressure pill that blocks the physical symptoms of anxiety — the racing heart, the shaking hands, the sweating — in about 30 minutes.
High-Functioning Anxiety: When Everyone Thinks You're Fine
You hit every deadline, smile at every meeting, and run a tight ship. Inside, you're white-knuckling through every day.
The Psychiatrist Shortage, in One Map
Half of U.S. counties have zero psychiatrists. Most of those counties are in the South and rural Midwest.
Trazodone for Sleep: The Off-Label Antidepressant That Became America's Sleeping Pill
Trazodone was built to treat depression. Almost nobody uses it for that anymore. At low doses it's become one of the most commonly prescribed sleep aids.
Magnesium for Anxiety: What the Research Says (and Doesn't Say)
The internet says magnesium glycinate will fix your anxiety. The clinical research is more nuanced.
Supporting Someone with Depression: A Practical Guide
You can't fix it, and "have you tried going for a walk?" isn't helping. Here's what actually supports someone with depression.
PMDD: When PMS Is Actually a Psychiatric Condition
Two weeks of every month feel like a different person lives inside you — rage, despair, brain fog, then it lifts.
What Happens to Your Brain When You Exercise
30 minutes of moderate exercise produces an antidepressant effect roughly equal to a low-dose SSRI — in some studies.
Brain Fog: When Your Mind Won't Work and Nobody Takes It Seriously
It's not laziness. It's not aging. Brain fog is a real symptom that shows up in depression, ADHD, anxiety, post-COVID, and medication side effects.
Alcohol and Antidepressants: The Conversation Your Doctor Rushed Through
"Don't drink on antidepressants" is what you were told. The reality is more complicated.
The Cost of Psychiatry in America: A Breakdown
A first appointment: $300–$500. A follow-up: $150–$300. The medication itself: often the cheapest part.
Gabapentin for Anxiety: The Quiet Alternative That's Gaining Ground
Originally an anti-seizure drug, gabapentin is being prescribed off-label for anxiety with increasing frequency.
Postpartum Depression Is Not Baby Blues — Here's the Difference
Baby blues hit 80% of new mothers and resolve in two weeks. Postpartum depression hits 1 in 7 and does not resolve on its own.
What AI Can See That Your Psychiatrist Can't: The Case for Daily Check-Ins
A psychiatrist sees you for 15 minutes once a quarter. AI sees you every day. The patterns that predict relapse aren't visible in snapshot appointments.
You Don't Need to Be in Crisis to See a Psychiatrist
Most people wait until things are unbearable. But psychiatry works best as maintenance — like a dentist for your mind.