It has become more and more painful for us to prescribe SSRIs and SNRIs over the last few years. The reason? Sexual dysfunction.

Yes, side effects can be your (and your patients’) friend. Here are several common clinical scenarios, culled from conversations with astute clinicians and from reflections on my own practice.

There’s nothing like a close friend suffering psychiatric difficulties to motivate a psychiatrist to do some serious reading. Recently, your humble editor encountered this situation.

You may not know it, but this year marks a milestone in the world of SSRI teratology research. Ten years ago, JAMA published the first controlled study of Prozac exposure in pregnancy (1). The results? Neither Prozac nor tricyclics caused more birth defects than controls, but both antidepressants caused more neonatal complications.

It’s not all about meds. This is especially true in treating postpartum depression, because so many women are understandably reluctant to expose their breast-feeding infants to antidepressants. This article reviews interpersonal therapy (IPT) as an effective modality for post-partum depression.

There are now no fewer than 14 FDA-approved psychostimulants… and counting. This does not include the many generics, the new non-stimulant Straterra or the off-label ADHD meds Wellbutrin (bupropion) and desipramine.

The Eli Lilly reps are almost delirious about their new ADHD “miracle drug”, Straterra (atomoxetine). This is not surprising.

They have been flooding into your office: grown-ups who believe that they have ADHD.

Panic disorder is a much harder nut to crack than we give it credit for. We tend to get complacent about treating it, because so many patient appear to do well on the standard starting regimen of an SSRI with or without a benzodiazepine.

When it comes to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and most psychiatrists, a little knowledge is a troubling thing. We know that CBT is effective, but we don’t know how to practice it. We know that a lot of patients ask us about it, but we don’t know enough to confidently describe to them what it entails.