Lithium Goes Mainstream

In the 1950s, a young Danish psychiatrist named Mogens Schou staked his career — and his family — on a mineral most of his colleagues dismissed as dangerous nonsense. This is the story of how lithium went from fringe curiosity to the gold standard for bipolar disorder, and the bitter scientific battle that nearly derailed it.

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Lithium: From 7UP to Table Salt

Before lithium became a cornerstone of psychiatry, it was in soda, spa water, and salt shakers. Trace lithium's journey from Victorian health fad to life-saving mood stabilizer, and discover why the uric acid theory that launched it may be making a comeback.

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TIMING: When Lithium Comes First

Sometimes we have a window of opportunity to make a difference. In this series, Dr. Aiken and Newsome discuss time-frames where lithium, clozapine, and metformin have the greatest benefits.

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How to Minimize Lithium's Side Effects

Nausea, tremor, cognition, and renal function. Top tips for managing these side effects, including when to use instant release vs. controlled release and how to optimize the serum level for patient safety.

How to Use Lithium in the Elderly

A new study suggests that lithium might work better in geriatric depression, but prescribing it safely in older patients takes skill. Learn how to manage lithium's risks in the elderly, as well as some newly discovered medical benefits it carries.

Throwback Thursday: Lithium's Medical Benefits

Lithium has hidden health benefits against stroke, cancer, dementia, and even the coronavirus.

Lithium and Cognition: The Largest Study to Date [60 Second Psych]

The largest longitudinal study of cognition in lithium to date — 262 patients with bipolar I, 64% on lithium. Key findings and what they mean for practice.

Lithium vs. Coronavirus

Half a dozen research papers suggest lithium's anti-viral properties may extend to the coronavirus — but the idea is far from tested, and patients with coronavirus are at higher risk for lithium toxicity. Plus: a safer way to prevent COVID-19.

Unexpected Results on Lithium and the Kidneys

Recorded from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders 2020 conference — all that is practical and newsworthy on lithium's renal effects.

Living Well with Lithium

A special edition for patients. Lithium is one of the most effective medications for bipolar and depression, but many of its marvels have remained obscure. Lithium has never benefited from a pharmaceutical ad — because it's a mineral, not a patented medicine — so Dr. Aiken and Newsome step in to fill that gap.

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New Book (2026)

Difficult to Treat Depression: A Carlat Guide (2026)

Dr. Aiken's latest guide to navigating treatment-resistant and difficult-to-treat depression — practical, evidence-based, and built for clinicians.

Reference Guide (2022)

Prescribing Psychotropics: From Drug Interactions to Pharmacogenetics (2022)

The practical psychopharmacology reference built for everyday clinical decisions — drug interactions, pharmacogenetics, and prescribing guidance in one volume.