Bipolar 1 vs 2
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways Bipolar I and bipolar II are separated by one fact: whether a full manic episode has ever happened. One manic episode makes it bipolar I, for life. Bipolar II is not a lite version. Its burden is long stretches of depression, and it is often mistaken for ordinary depression. Research puts its suicide […]
Bipolar vs Depression
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways Depression and bipolar disorder can look the same while a person is depressed. The difference is whether they have ever had a “high” period of mania or hypomania. Because the low episodes are identical, a single visit with someone who is currently depressed often cannot separate the two. The history does. Clues that […]
Bipolar Spectrum
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. The Bipolar Spectrum: When It’s Not Bipolar I or II Key takeaways The bipolar spectrum describes bipolar-type mood problems as a continuum, running from bipolar I and II through cyclothymia down to patterns that meet no full diagnosis. Cyclothymia is a formal DSM-5-TR diagnosis: at least two years of ups and downs that never reach […]
Psychiatric Medications and Weight Gain: The Definitive Guide (2026)
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Why do antidepressants cause weight gain? It’s one of the most common worries we hear when someone starts treatment, and the answer is more reassuring than most people expect. Key takeaways Most can, few always do. Many antidepressants cause some weight gain, but the amount varies a lot by drug and by person, and plenty […]
Medication Management Frequency: How Often Should Your Visits Be?
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways How often you should see a psychiatrist follows the phase of treatment: visits are close together at the start and spread out as you stabilize. A common pattern runs weekly to monthly when you start or change a medication, every one to three months while stabilizing, then every three to six months once […]
Seroquel for Sleep: Why It’s Prescribed, the Risks, and What Else Works
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways Seroquel (quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic used off-label for sleep. It is not FDA-approved for insomnia. It reliably makes people drowsy because, at low doses, it mainly blocks histamine and blood-pressure receptors. Pooled trials show a moderate benefit, about 48 extra minutes of sleep a night versus placebo, and it works best when […]
Clonidine for Sleep: How It Works and Who It Helps
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways Clonidine is a blood-pressure medicine that psychiatry prescribes off-label at bedtime because it quiets the brain’s arousal system. It is not FDA-approved for sleep. It reliably causes drowsiness. It works best for hyperarousal-type sleeplessness, and its strongest evidence is in teens and children with ADHD. Dosing for sleep is usually low, often around […]
Lexapro vs Zoloft: How to Choose
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways Same class, different drugs. Lexapro (escitalopram) and Zoloft (sertraline) are both SSRIs, but they are different molecules with different FDA approvals and a different feel. Approvals are the main difference. Lexapro is approved for depression and generalized anxiety. Zoloft is approved for depression plus OCD, panic disorder, PTSD, social anxiety, and PMDD. Neither […]
ADHD Masking: What It Costs to Look Fine
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways ADHD masking is the effort, conscious or not, to hide or compensate for ADHD symptoms so you come across as neurotypical. It is not the same as coping. Coping helps you function; masking hides how hard you are working to look that way. Masking is common. Most people with ADHD do it in […]
Which Magnesium Is Best for Sleep and Anxiety? A Complete Guide to Forms, Doses, and the Evidence
By Riley Guinan, PA-C, MSPAS · Medically reviewed by Sade Savage, PA-C, DMSc, CAQ-Psych. Key takeaways Best pick for most people: which magnesium is best for sleep and anxiety comes down to magnesium glycinate for most people. It’s well absorbed and gentle on the stomach. If your goal is focus and memory: magnesium L-threonate is the form sold for the brain. It costs more and means more capsules. Skip […]