Mental Health Resources & Insights

Good mental health information is hard to find. This library is different: every article is written or reviewed by our clinical team of board-certified psychiatrists and nurse practitioners affiliated with Columbia, NIH, and New York-Presbyterian. Use it to understand a diagnosis or compare treatments.

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key takeaways
  • Every article is written or reviewed by our clinical team of board-certified psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners affiliated with NIH, Columbia University, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
  • Browse by condition or by treatment to find what fits your situation, then go deeper on the page that matches.
  • The Sultan Lab is our active research arm, publishing peer-reviewed work that informs how we practice.
  • When an article raises more questions than it answers, a consultation is the next step. Book online or call 646-893-8935.

Latest Articles

New writing from our clinicians on the conditions and treatments we handle every day, plus research notes from the Sultan Lab. Articles go deep on specific questions and edge cases. If you're researching a condition, its condition page below is usually the better starting point; the articles here build on it.

Commuters climbing the stairs out of a subway entrance onto a leafy New York street
  • Integrative Care

How Do You Tell If You Need Therapy? Signs It May Be Time to Seek Support

How do you tell if you need therapy? Many people wait for a crisis before seeking help, but the signs are often quieter — persistent anxiety, emotional numbness, repeated relationship patterns, or distress lasting longer than three months. This article explores the subtle indicators that it may be time to seek support, explains common questions about therapy, and outlines what healthy treatment looks like. If you’ve been wondering whether your struggles are “serious enough,” this guide offers clarity, reassurance, and next steps toward evidence-based mental health care.
  • 5 min read
5 min read
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Commuters climbing the stairs out of a subway entrance onto a leafy New York street
  • Integrative Care

How Do You Tell If You Need Therapy? Signs It May Be Time to Seek Support

How do you tell if you need therapy? Many people wait for a crisis before seeking help, but the signs are often quieter — persistent anxiety, emotional numbness, repeated relationship patterns, or distress lasting longer than three months. This article explores the subtle indicators that it may be time to seek support, explains common questions about therapy, and outlines what healthy treatment looks like. If you’ve been wondering whether your struggles are “serious enough,” this guide offers clarity, reassurance, and next steps toward evidence-based mental health care.
  • 5 min read
Read more
Anxiety vs Stress: How to Tell the Difference and Find the Right Support
  • Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety vs Stress: How to Tell the Difference and Find the Right Support

Not sure if what you’re feeling is stress or anxiety? You’re not alone. While stress is usually tied to a specific situation and improves once it passes, anxiety tends to persist — often showing up as ongoing worry, tension, or fear even when there’s no clear trigger. This article breaks down the key differences between stress and anxiety, explains when stress can develop into an anxiety disorder, and explores how conditions like depression, ADHD, trauma, OCD, and bipolar disorder may overlap. It also outlines evidence-based treatments such as CBT, DBT, ACT, and EMDR, and offers guidance on when to seek professional support.
  • 7 min read
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Commuters climbing the stairs out of a subway entrance onto a leafy New York street
  • Anxiety & Depression

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mood Disorders: An Integrative Psychiatry Approach

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mood Disorders explores how cellular energy production impacts mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, and schizophrenia. Rather than viewing mood disorders solely through a neurotransmitter lens, this integrative psychiatry perspective highlights the role of inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic function in emotional regulation and cognitive performance. The article explains how mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to fatigue, mood instability, and treatment resistance, and outlines comprehensive care strategies including CBT, DBT, ACT, EMDR, medication management, nutritional support, and lifestyle interventions. It emphasizes a whole-person, evidence-based approach that addresses both psychological and biological factors to support long-term mental wellness.
  • 6 min read
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  • Getting Started

Can Improving Metabolic Health Reduce Psychiatric Symptoms?

Improving metabolic health may play a powerful role in reducing psychiatric symptoms. Emerging research in integrative psychiatry shows strong links between insulin resistance, inflammation, blood sugar instability, and mitochondrial dysfunction with conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, trauma/PTSD, eating disorders, and psychosis. When metabolism is impaired, brain function, mood regulation, and cognitive clarity can suffer. This article explores how strategies like strength training, balanced nutrition, improving metabolic flexibility, stabilizing blood sugar, and reducing inflammation may support emotional stability and enhance treatment outcomes. It also highlights how evidence-based therapies such as CBT, DBT, ACT, and EMDR can be integrated with metabolic interventions for a comprehensive, whole-person approach. By addressing both biological and psychological factors, integrative psychiatry offers a pathway toward more sustainable symptom relief and long-term mental wellness across the lifespan.
  • 6 min read
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Commuters climbing the stairs out of a subway entrance onto a leafy New York street
  • Anxiety & Depression

Fasting Insulin and Mental Health: The Metabolic Link to Mood and Brain Function

Fasting insulin plays a far greater role in mental health than many people realize. Emerging research shows that insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction can influence mood, cognition, and emotional regulation—contributing to conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, psychosis, eating disorders, and trauma-related symptoms. This article explores how fasting insulin affects brain chemistry, inflammation, and stress hormones, and why integrative psychiatry includes metabolic screening as part of comprehensive mental health care. By addressing both biological and psychological factors—through evidence-based therapies like CBT, DBT, ACT, and EMDR alongside medical evaluation—patients can receive more precise, whole-person treatment. Understanding the connection between fasting insulin and mental health empowers individuals to seek early, informed care and supports long-term mental wellness.
  • 5 min read
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Commuters climbing the stairs out of a subway entrance onto a leafy New York street
  • Integrative Care

Schizophrenia as a Metabolic Brain Disorder: An Integrative Psychiatry Perspective

Schizophrenia as a metabolic brain disorder reframes psychosis through a whole-person, neuroscience-informed lens. Rather than focusing solely on dopamine imbalance, this article explores how inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, glucose regulation, trauma, and systemic metabolic health may influence schizophrenia and related conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and eating disorders. It highlights how integrative psychiatry combines evidence-based therapies like CBT, DBT, ACT, and EMDR with medication management and lifestyle interventions to support long-term brain health. By reducing stigma and emphasizing biological underpinnings, this perspective encourages earlier intervention, comprehensive treatment, and improved outcomes through coordinated, national virtual care.
  • 6 min read
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Browse by Condition

Each condition page explains what the condition looks like in adults and teens, how we diagnose it, and the full range of treatments we use. If you’re trying to figure out whether what you’re experiencing fits a diagnosis, start there.

ADHD

adult and teen evaluation, medication, and CBT or coaching on one plan.

Anxiety

CBT, exposure work, and medication matched to your presentation.

Depression

Biological, psychological, and lifestyle treatment, including medication non-response.

OCD

first-line exposure and response prevention from clinicians trained in it.

Trauma & PTSD

Trauma-focused CBT, EMDR, and coordinated medication.

Bipolar Disorder

Accurate diagnosis and mood-stabilizing care over the long run.

More conditions we treat

Addiction & substance use

Treating the substance and the anxiety, depression, or ADHD underneath it together.

Eating disorders

Evidence-based therapy, medication when it helps, and coordinated medical care.

Autism

Adult evaluation and ongoing care for co-occurring conditions in a single plan.

Schizophrenia & psychosis

The right antipsychotic medication, supportive therapy, and family as part of the plan.

Insomnia & sleep disorders

First-line CBT-I paired with treatment of what's driving the sleeplessness.
start here

Browse by Treatment

Most patients arrive knowing something about what they want, whether a specific therapy, a question about medication, or curiosity about a newer option. Each treatment page walks through what it is, who it helps, and how we combine it with the rest of your care.

Psychopharmacology

psychiatric medication from the same clinician who handles your therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

structured, evidence-based therapy for anxiety, depression, and more.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills.

EMDR therapy

trauma processing and recovery.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

insight-oriented, depth-focused treatment.

Couples Therapy

evidence-based couples, marriage, and LGBTQ-affirming counseling.

More treatments we offer

Holistic & Integrative Therapy

Evidence-based psychiatric care combining medication, therapy, and lifestyle in one coordinated plan.

Anger Management

Individual, evidence-based treatment that addresses uncontrolled anger and the conditions driving it.

Stress Management

Clinical care for stress causing burnout, sleep loss, physical symptoms, or performance decline.

Mindfulness & Relaxation

Evidence-based skills that help you manage anxiety, depression, and rumination as part of coordinated care.

Research & Media

The Sultan Lab is our active research arm, led by Dr. Ryan Sultan at Columbia University. It publishes peer-reviewed work on ADHD in adulthood, measurement-based care, and integrative psychiatric assessment. You don't need to read the research to benefit from it, but if you want the evidence behind how we practice, it's here. Dr. Sultan is also a regular commentator on mental health in national media. See how the research shapes care in the Integrative Method and our story.

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Ready to Talk to a Clinician?

If an article raises more questions than it answers, that's usually the sign it's time to talk to someone. A consultation is the fastest way to find out whether what you're reading applies to you and what the right next step is. In person in Manhattan, or by telehealth anywhere in New York State.

Book a Consultation

Crisis Resources: We are not an emergency treatment clinic. If you or a loved one is in crisis, call 911, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or go to the nearest emergency room. Integrative Psych is an outpatient practice and is not equipped to provide crisis intervention.

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance.