Diagnosing Depression: Kaila and Dr. Sir break down where ordinary sadness ends and clinical depression begins. They walk through the markers (sleep, appetite, motivation, hopelessness, etc.) and the distorted "fun-house mirror" thinking depression creates. They cover what depression actually looks like in the room. They review the many types of depression (seasonal, postpartum, psychotic, older-adult), how to assess safety risk, and the medical and psychiatric conditions that can mimic it: from thyroid issues to bipolar disorder. Part one of a two-part series; depression treatment comes next episode.

0:00 open: the fun-house mirror of depressive thoughts
1:33 Framing the episode: depressed mood vs. depressive disorder
2:56 Where sadness ends and clinical depression begins
6:34 Assessing symptoms: sleep, appetite, motivation, hopelessness
14:41 Observable signs: affect, body language, and masking depression
18:26 Types of depression: atypical, seasonal, postpartum, psychotic, and more
24:51 Assessing suicide risk and safety planning
28:33 Medical causes that mimic depression
33:42 Substance use and self-medication
39:12 Psychiatric rule-outs: bipolar, PMDD, trauma, and neurodivergence

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The contents of this show are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to replace professional medical or clinical advice. This content does not establish a patient-provider relationship. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or treatment. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call emergency services or go to your nearest hospital immediately.

Kaila and Dr. Sir talk with Dr. Lorraine, founder of Choice Point Counseling, about the fine line between OCD and generalized anxiety, hidden "mental compulsions," and why response prevention matters more than exposure alone. Dr. Lorraine shares her own history with panic disorder, walks through treating harm OCD and health anxiety, and explains how ACT and values-based work help clients tolerate discomfort instead of avoiding it. They dig into medication stigma, family accommodation, and why humor belongs in the therapy room.

0:00 Open: the anatomy of an emotion
1:24 Welcome back + introducing Dr. Lorraine
2:05 Her path into psychology
6:34 Career pivot: from trauma and eating disorders to OCD
10:52 OCD vs. generalized anxiety: how to tell them apart
14:39 Mental compulsions and "Pure O"
18:57 Exposure therapy, ACT, and living by your values
30:52 Response prevention and treating harm OCD
36:53 Medication dosing and psychoeducation
43:36 Family accommodation, her practice, and closing thoughts

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The contents of this show are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to replace professional medical or clinical advice. This content does not establish a patient-provider relationship. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or treatment. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call emergency services or go to your nearest hospital immediately.

Understanding OCD in Kids and Teens: A Conversation with Dr. Justin Mohatt

"OCD is really good at finding the weak link."

In this episode, Kaila and Dr. Sir talk with Harvard-trained child psychiatrist Dr. Justin Mohatt, a national voice on psychopharmacology in children and behavioral health design architecture for children's hospitals.

We open on the broader crisis of youth social disconnection before diving in. We explore how OCD differs from OCPD and casual "I'm so OCD" talk. Dr. Mohatt explains how symptoms shift between kids and adults and why family accommodation can quietly escalate a two-hour bedtime ritual into a household crisis. Dr. Mohatt walks through why reassurance backfires, what gold-standard treatment (ERP plus medication) actually looks like for OCD, why OCD often needs higher SSRI doses than depression, and when to consider augmenting with an atypical antipsychotic for challenging OCD cases. We close on comorbidity, suicide risk, and why careful, specialized assessment matters so much.

Dr. Mohatt's website: https://www.empirebehavioralhealth.com/justinmohatt

0:00 Cold open: how parental accommodation fuels OCD
1:51 Welcome back + introducing Dr. Justin Mohatt
2:55 Icebreaker: the youth social disconnection crisis
9:14 Bridging into OCD: why this is "a therapy generation"
10:57 Dr. Mohatt's path from sports medicine to child psychiatry
16:04 What pulled him into specializing in OCD
22:34 OCD myths: OCD vs. OCPD, and "I'm so OCD"
25:23 How OCD presents differently in kids vs. adults
33:07 Family systems, accommodation, and how OCD finds the "weak link"
39:12 Why reassurance backfires — and what to do instead
47:29 The gold-standard treatment landscape: therapy and medication
51:08 Medication dosing: why OCD needs higher doses and more time
57:52 Building a true multidisciplinary care team
1:00:24 When to add atypical antipsychotics
1:05:44 OCD, depression, and the real suicide risk
1:10:22 Closing thoughts and where to find Dr. Mohatt

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Clinic

The contents of this show are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to replace professional medical or clinical advice. This content does not establish a patient-provider relationship. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or treatment. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call emergency services or go to your nearest hospital immediately.