Freckenhorst baptismal font, late 12th centuryCollegiate Church of St. Boniface, Warendorf, Münster, Germany · Read article ↗PRACTICAL · EVIDENCE-AWARE · INDEPENDENT
Resources for clearer decisions.
Useful starting points for patients, families, clinicians, and trainees—selected to clarify choices, sharpen questions, and make psychiatric information more usable.
01
The directory
Clinical guides and reading.
- 01Interventional psychiatry & TMSClinical information about transcranial magnetic stimulation, candidacy, consultation, and treatment at NeuroSynchrony Health in Greenwich.NeuroSynchrony Health ↗
- 02Supplements & the whole medication pictureAn attributed, practical guide to supplements people commonly ask about, including what they have been studied for, specific cautions, and current product links.Explore the guide ↓
- 03Clinical scalesComplete selected psychiatric self-report scales privately in your browser, then copy or save a report to bring to an appointment.Open scales →
- 04Preparing for a TMS consultationWhat records, treatment history, questions, symptoms, and goals can make an interventional psychiatry consultation more useful.Guide in development
- 05Difficult-to-treat depressionA framework for reconsidering diagnosis, prior treatments, sleep, medical contributors, psychotherapy, medication, and neuromodulation without blaming the patient.Guide in development
- 06For patients & familiesPlain-language guides for understanding treatment choices, uncertainty, expected benefit, burden, and the questions worth bringing to an appointment.Collection in development
- 07For clinicians & traineesSelected teaching materials, clinical reasoning tools, and reading for psychiatric nurse practitioners and other mental health clinicians.Visit Teaching →
- 08Essays, research & recommended readingLonger reflections on psychiatric evidence, clinical craft, technology, neuromodulation, and the human relationship in care.Visit Writing →
02
Frequently asked
People ask about supplements all the time.
I ask about supplements, too. Supplements, prescription medications, and recreational drugs all enter the same mix; safe care depends on knowing the whole picture.
Rather than reinvent work already done well, I refer readers to Chris Aiken, MD—an outstanding psychiatrist and Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report—whose curated guide offers a practical starting point.
Explore Dr. Aiken’s supplement guideExternal resources are provided for education and do not replace individualized medical care. Linking does not imply endorsement of every claim, product, or purchase option on an external site.
An attributed working list
What it has been studied for. What deserves caution.
These brief summaries synthesize Dr. Aiken’s guide in original language and are intentionally framed as research uses—not treatment recommendations. Product links reflect his selections unless a replacement is explicitly identified. Links were checked September 20, 2026; prices and availability are not displayed because they change.
- 01Acetyl-L-carnitine
Studied as an adjunct for depressive symptoms, energy, and cognitive concerns, including alcohol-related memory problems.
!May cause gastrointestinal upset or activation; use extra caution with a seizure history.
- 02B vitamins
Certain B vitamins have been studied as adjuncts in depression and for negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
!Long-term high-dose B6 can injure peripheral nerves, while folate can obscure an untreated B12 deficiency.
No specific B-complex product is recommended; the prior shortcut on the source page currently redirects to an L-methylfolate product.
- 03Cannabidiol (CBD)
Discussed mainly as a possible aid when stopping cannabis rather than as a general-purpose psychiatric supplement.
!Can interact with medications, cause sedation, and produce a positive cannabis drug screen; avoid synthetic cannabinoids and vaping products.
- 04L-carnosine
Studied as an adjunct across several small trials involving mood, attention, cognition, OCD, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease.
!Evidence is preliminary and condition-specific; it should not replace established treatment.
- 05L-carnitine
A form distinct from acetyl-L-carnitine and L-carnosine that has been studied in autism.
!Product quality and psychiatric evidence are limited; discuss use with the treating clinician.
Dr. Aiken does not identify a tested product for this entry.
- 06Chamomile
Studied for anxiety and insomnia, generally as a standardized oral extract rather than ordinary tea alone.
!May add to sedation and can trigger allergy in people sensitive to ragweed-family plants.
- 07Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus)
Studied for psychological and physical symptoms associated with PMS and PMDD.
!Avoid in pregnancy unless specifically directed; it may affect hormonal or dopamine-related treatments.
- 08Chromium
Studied in selected cases of depressive symptoms and binge eating, with mixed results, and commonly used in metabolic care.
!May lower glucose and has rare kidney or liver risks; coordinate with diabetes treatment.
- 09Citicoline
Studied for cognition and mood after stimulant misuse and investigated in several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions.
!Evidence varies substantially by condition; headache, restlessness, or insomnia can occur.
- 10CocoaVia
A cocoa-flavanol product studied for age-related cognitive concerns.
!Cocoa compounds may worsen reflux, headache, palpitations, or sleep in sensitive people.
- 11Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Studied as an adjunct for depressive symptoms, energy, well-being, and cognition.
!May affect warfarin, blood pressure, or glucose control.
- 12Creatine
Studied as an adjunct for depression, with some of the most encouraging psychiatric data in women.
!Discuss first if there is kidney disease, pregnancy, or a need to interpret creatinine laboratory results.
- 13Folinic acid
Studied in autism and used clinically as leucovorin when a clinician determines that this formulation is appropriate.
!Dosing can be prescription-level and condition-specific; medical supervision is important, particularly with seizure disorders or antifolate therapy.
- 14Ginkgo (Tebonin)
Studied for tardive dyskinesia and selected age-related cognitive disorders.
!Can increase bleeding risk and may lower seizure threshold; check interactions before surgery or with anticoagulants.
- 15Ginseng
Studied for energy, cognition, and sexual function.
!May cause insomnia or activation and can affect blood pressure, glucose, and anticoagulant treatment.
- 16Inositol
Studied across bipolar depression, panic, bulimia, insomnia, fatigue, and several nonpsychiatric conditions.
!High doses commonly cause gastrointestinal effects and may be activating in bipolar illness.
- 17Lavender (Silexan)
A standardized oral lavender-oil preparation studied for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep.
!The evidence concerns a specific oral preparation—not undiluted essential oils; gastrointestinal effects and sedation can occur.
- 18Lemon balm
Studied for sleep and depressive symptoms, although the clinical literature remains limited.
!May add to sedation and may not be appropriate with some thyroid conditions or thyroid medications.
- 19Lithium orotate
A low-dose over-the-counter lithium salt discussed in relation to cognitive decline prevention—not as a substitute for prescription lithium.
!Lithium can cause toxicity and affect kidneys and thyroid; interactions and cumulative exposure matter even when sold over the counter.
- 20Melatonin
Best known for circadian sleep problems and also studied in selected neurologic and medication-related conditions.
!Timing and dose matter; it can cause morning sedation, vivid dreams, and medication interactions.
- 21L-methylfolate
A bioactive folate formulation studied as an adjunct in depression and investigated in autism.
!Can be activating and may contribute to hypomania or mania; B12 status and the broader diagnosis still matter.
- 22N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
Studied as an adjunct across mood disorders, addictions, autism-related irritability, schizophrenia, and kidney protection in lithium treatment.
!Can cause gastrointestinal symptoms and may interact with nitroglycerin or affect bleeding; use caution with asthma.
- 23L-lysine
Studied for anxiety and as an adjunct targeting cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.
!High supplemental doses can cause gastrointestinal effects; discuss use when kidney disease is present.
- 24Magnesium
Studied in sleep, bruxism, tic disorders, and selected medical consequences of alcohol use.
!Diarrhea is common; kidney impairment increases toxicity risk, and magnesium can reduce absorption of several medications.
- 25Omega-3 fish oil
Studied across mood disorders, ADHD, autism-related symptoms, inflammation, and metabolic health, with formulation-dependent results.
!High doses may increase bleeding risk; EPA/DHA content, oxidation, and product testing matter more than the words “fish oil” alone.
- 26Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)
Studied for pain, migraine, long COVID, depressive symptoms, and bipolar mania, with an emerging evidence base.
!Long-term psychiatric evidence and independent testing of specific products remain limited.
- 27Phosphatidylserine
Studied for ADHD, often in combination with omega-3 fatty acids.
!May cause gastrointestinal symptoms or insomnia; check the source ingredient when soy sensitivity is relevant.
- 28Prenatal vitamins
Used to support maternal nutrition and fetal development, with special attention to folate, iron, iodine, vitamin D, and choline.
!Formulation should be coordinated with obstetric care; excess preformed vitamin A or iron can be harmful.
- 29Probiotics
Selected strains and combinations have been studied for depression, anxiety, and metabolic health, usually alongside dietary change.
!Effects are strain-specific; severe illness or immune compromise can increase the rare risk of infection.
- 30Resveratrol
Studied in ADHD and for cardiometabolic and aging-related outcomes, with uncertain clinical significance across many claims.
!May increase bleeding and interact with medications; laboratory findings do not automatically translate into clinical benefit.
- 31Rhodiola rosea
Studied for stress-related fatigue, concentration, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance.
!Can be activating, worsen insomnia, and may be unsuitable in bipolar-spectrum illness without clinical guidance.
- 32Saffron
Studied across depression, ADHD, OCD, sleep, menopause-related symptoms, and sexual dysfunction.
!Can affect bleeding and blood pressure; high doses are unsafe in pregnancy.
- 33Sarcosine
Studied as an adjunct for depressive symptoms and for negative or cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
!Product testing is limited, and headache, activation, or symptom worsening should prompt reassessment.
Dr. Aiken notes that he is not aware of independent testing of these products.
- 34SAM-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine)
Studied for depression and several medical conditions, including some forms of pain and liver disease.
!Can trigger mania and may contribute to serotonin toxicity when combined with serotonergic medications.
- 35St. John’s wort
An herbal antidepressant with evidence in some forms of depression.
!Has extensive and sometimes dangerous drug interactions, can trigger mania, and can reduce the effectiveness of birth control and other essential medications.
- 36L-theanine
Studied for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and insomnia.
!May add to sedation or lower blood pressure; psychiatric evidence remains modest.
- 37Valerian
Studied for insomnia and anxiety, with less consistent evidence in OCD.
!Can cause sedation and should not be combined casually with alcohol or other sedatives; do not stop heavy chronic use abruptly without advice.
- 38Zinc
Studied as an adjunct in depression and investigated in sleep and eating disorders.
!Long-term high doses can cause copper deficiency and anemia; zinc also interferes with absorption of some antibiotics.
- 39Ashwagandha (Sensoril)
Studied for stress, anxiety, insomnia, and cognition in selected psychiatric populations.
!Rare liver injury has been reported; it may affect thyroid function and is generally avoided in pregnancy.
- 40Turmeric / curcumin
Studied for depressive symptoms, cognition, inflammatory pain, and long-COVID symptoms.
!Supplement-related liver injury has been reported; it may also increase bleeding or aggravate gallbladder disease.
- 41Vitamin B6 (P5P)
The active P5P form is discussed for selected medication-related problems such as tremor, restlessness, elevated prolactin, and tardive dyskinesia.
!Excess or prolonged vitamin B6 can cause sensory neuropathy; treatment of medication side effects should be clinician-guided.
- 42Nausea — ginger tablets
Ginger has evidence for several forms of nausea and is also being studied for pain and cognitive outcomes.
!May worsen reflux and can affect bleeding risk; pregnancy-related nausea and persistent vomiting deserve clinical assessment.
Product availability was checked directly. Amazon customer ratings were treated only as a secondary signal; brand identity, formulation, source attribution, and independent-quality considerations were given greater weight. None of these links are affiliate links for Tobias Halene.