Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome is a cluster of physical and psychological symptoms that can occur when stopping or reducing antidepressants, especially abruptly.

Akathisia is a sense of restlessness that may cause a patient to appear fidgety, have difficulty sitting still, and rock from one leg to the other while standing.

This cheat sheet quickly reminds you of common strategies for managing side effects from psychiatric medications. For more detailed information, refer to our comprehensive fact sheets on each side effect.

Anxiolytic and hypnotic medications are used to treat anxiety and insomnia. While antidepressants are often first-line for anxiety disorders, benzodiazepines and other medications are commonly used for short-term symptom relief.

Sexual side effects are common with psychiatric medications.

These formulations used to be known as “depot” antipsychotics, but the newer term “long-acting injectables” helps to remove some of the stigma associated with their use.

Which antipsychotic should you choose? There are dozens of options and approved indications. 

If you’re interested in natural treatments (also known as complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM), you will likely recommend various strategies.

Cobenfy is a novel antipsychotic that acts through the muscarinic acetylcholine system rather than the traditional dopamine pathways.

Tried and true, risperidone’s moderate side effect profile has led to its wide use, and many clinicians consider it their antipsychotic of choice for first-episode psychotic disorders.