Conditions & care
These guides cover the conditions a psychiatric practice sees most: what the diagnosis involves, which treatments are FDA-approved and which are off-label, what the evidence actually shows, and what a course of care looks like.
Each guide distinguishes approved use from off-label practice, cites where the evidence is strong or thin, and links to clinics that treat the condition.
Persistent low mood, loss of interest, and loss of energy that interfere with daily life. Depression is one of the most common conditions psychiatrists treat, and first-line care works for most people who receive it.
Read the guideMoodWhen two or more antidepressant trials at an adequate dose and duration have not brought relief, care shifts to a focused re-review and interventional options. This is a turning point in treatment — not a dead end.
Read the guideAnxiety & traumaAnxiety disorders — generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety — respond well to treatment. First-line care combines SSRI or SNRI medication with cognitive behavioral therapy, and often lasts.
Read the guideAnxiety & traumaAfter trauma, some people develop intrusive memories, avoidance, and constant vigilance that do not fade on their own. Trauma-focused therapy and specific medications have the strongest evidence for PTSD.
Read the guideAnxiety & traumaObsessions are unwanted intrusive thoughts; compulsions are rituals done to neutralize them. OCD responds to a specific combination: exposure-based therapy and high-dose SSRI medication.
Read the guideMoodA mood condition with episodes of mania or hypomania — unusually elevated or irritable mood and energy — that typically alternate with depression. Getting the diagnosis right matters, because treatment for bipolar disorder differs fundamentally from treatment for depression alone.
Read the guideNeurodevelopmentA neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control, and activity level. It begins in childhood and persists into adulthood for many people, and both medication and skills-based treatment have strong evidence.
Read the guidePsychosisA treatable psychotic disorder involving hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. With modern medication — increasingly long-acting injectables — and coordinated care, many people achieve stable, productive lives.
Read the guideMoodDepression that begins during pregnancy or in the weeks to months after delivery — more intense and longer-lasting than the baby blues. Effective treatment exists, including the first medications developed specifically for postpartum depression.
Read the guideSubstance useA treatable condition in which alcohol or drugs continue to cause harm despite real consequences. Effective medications exist for alcohol and opioid use disorder, and integrated psychiatric care treats the anxiety, depression, and trauma that often drive use.
Read the guideMost conditions follow the same arc: a careful evaluation, a first-line plan of medication, therapy, or both, and interventional options reserved for when first-line care falls short.
A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation reviews symptoms, history, medicines, and the medical conditions that can mimic psychiatric illness — thyroid problems, sleep disorders, substance use. It ends with a shared plan, not a prescription pad.
Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and antipsychotics each treat specific conditions with specific evidence. Good prescribers titrate slowly, track symptoms with measurement tools, and adjust based on response — not habit.
Therapies like CBT, exposure-based work, and trauma-focused treatment are active treatments with trial evidence, not just someone to talk to. For several conditions, therapy matches or beats medication.
TMS, SPRAVATO®, ECT, and ketamine-based care come into play when first-line treatment has not worked. Approval status, evidence strength, and coverage differ sharply between them — each guide explains where those lines sit.
Prescription psychiatric medication — antidepressants, mood stabilizers, stimulants, antipsychotics — should only be started with a prescriber who knows your history. SPRAVATO® (esketamine) is dispensed only through a restricted REMS program and carries boxed warnings for sedation, dissociation, respiratory depression, abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Stimulant medications are controlled substances with special prescription rules. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Sources: FDA prescribing information; practice guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association and the VA/DoD; peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This page is educational and is not medical advice — only a prescriber who knows your history can say which treatment is right for you.