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The Insights

Notes from the clinic and the field

Plainspoken writing on psychiatry and mental health, the reasoning behind common treatment decisions, and the parts of care that rarely fit inside a short visit.

Rectangular light therapy box glowing on a navy desk with a thin gold morning stripe and thin gold rim.
Mental Health · 3 min read

Does Light Therapy Work If It Isn't Winter?

Light therapy helps seasonal depression and nonseasonal depression. How the evidence looks, how I dose a box, and when to go slower.

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Used tea bag releasing fine gold flecks into a glass of tea on a navy surface.
Mental Health · 4 min read

Do Tea Bags Dump Microplastics Into Your Cup?

Some tea bags shed microplastics in hot water. What the reviews actually show, why the counts jump, and the one switch that cuts that source.

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A gold wire from a messy tangled knot to a straight line, for a post on non-stimulant ADHD medication.
Mental Health · 5 min read

Do Non-Stimulant ADHD Medications Actually Work?

Non-stimulant ADHD meds work. They are slower and steadier than Adderall. What they cover, who they help, and what changed in 2026.

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A slow steam train on navy with a gold silhouette lagging behind, illustrating sluggishness.
Mental Health · 4 min read

Does Vyvanse Help the Foggy Kind of ADHD?

Some adults with ADHD feel foggy, not restless. A small Vyvanse trial and newer CDS research, in clinic language.

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A gold chessboard with pieces on only one side, for a post on adult friendship.
Mental Health · 4 min read

Does Making Friends Actually Get Harder as an Adult?

Adults didn't lose the skill. School and work used to supply the reps. Here's what the research says, and what I tell patients.

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Two gold metronomes, one frantic and one steady, for a post on antidepressants for anxiety.
Mental Health · 5 min read

Do Antidepressants Actually Work for Anxiety?

SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line treatment for most anxiety disorders. How long they take, why the first weeks are hardest, and the side effects worth knowing.

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A twelve-month calendar with the same mark on every month, for a post on prolonged grief.
Mental Health · 4 min read

Prolonged Grief Disorder: When Grief Doesn't Get Better

Prolonged grief disorder is grief that doesn't ease with time. Learn the symptoms, how it differs from depression, and which treatments actually work.

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