Latest articles
When Mood Improves But Anxiety Stays
Depression and anxiety can respond differently to the same antidepressant. Here is why the gap happens, what the evidence suggests as next steps, and what to raise with your prescriber.
Read articleThe Strange Calmness of Early Antidepressant Response
Some patients notice a quieting of background anxiety or rumination within the first one to two weeks. It is real, often unexpected, and typically a positive sign — here is what to do with it.
Read articleFeeling Disconnected on an Antidepressant: Is It Normal?
A mild sense of being disconnected or distant from yourself in the first weeks is a recognised pattern — usually transient and not distressing for most. Here is what the evidence says.
Read articleConcentration Issues in Early Antidepressant Treatment
Difficulty concentrating is common in the first weeks on an antidepressant. For most patients it returns to baseline by week three to four — and often improves beyond baseline as treatment takes effect.
Read articleMemory and Antidepressants: What the Evidence Shows
Mild short-term effects are documented for some medications, but the underlying condition often affects memory more than the treatment. Here is what is established and what remains an open question.
Read articleCognitive Changes on Antidepressants: A Practical Guide
Slower thinking, mild forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating — common but under-discussed early in treatment. Most patients return to baseline by week three or four as the therapeutic effect develops.
Read articleIrritability as an Early Antidepressant Side Effect
Increased irritability in the first weeks is documented in NICE NG222 as a recognised early effect for SSRIs. Here is why it happens, when it settles, and what to flag to your prescriber.
Read articleTearfulness in the First Weeks on an Antidepressant
Increased tearfulness early in treatment is a recognised pattern for some patients — not the same as depression worsening. Here is what to expect and when to flag it.
Read articleApathy on Antidepressants: A Distinct Side Effect
A loss of motivation and drive — distinct from emotional blunting and from depression returning. Recognised in clinical guidelines, treatable, and worth raising with your prescriber.
Read articleEarly Improvement on an Antidepressant: Is It Too Good to Be True?
Most patients do not feel meaningful mood change in the first one to two weeks. But a subset do — and the evidence is more reassuring than many realise: early response that is sustained is a strong predictor of continued response.
Read articleThe Plateau: When Antidepressant Improvement Stalls
Some patients see strong early improvement followed by a plateau below their goal. Dose optimisation, medication change, augmentation, and added therapy are all documented options for partial responders.
Read articleLong-Term Antidepressant Use: What the Evidence Shows
Long-term use beyond the first year is increasingly common. Here's what the evidence shows is established, what remains uncertain, and what to discuss at your next review.
Read articleSix Months on an Antidepressant: What to Discuss at Your Review
Six months is a milestone in long-term antidepressant treatment. Here's what the review typically covers, what guidelines recommend, and how to make the conversation count.
Read articleThree Months In on an Antidepressant: What Comes Next
The three-month mark is a meaningful milestone. Here's what is typical at this stage, what your prescriber will likely discuss, and what comes next in treatment.
Read articleWeek 6 on an Antidepressant: The Decision Point
Week six is the standard clinical decision point. Here's what to expect if you're responding, what happens if you're not, and what your prescriber will likely discuss at the review.
Read articleWeek 3 on an Antidepressant: When the Body Settles
Week three is when most early physical side effects ease for the majority of patients — even though the mood benefit has not yet arrived. Here's what to expect, what to notice, and what to flag to your prescriber.
Read articleWeek 2 on an Antidepressant: The Hardest Week, and Why
Week two is the highest-risk week for stopping treatment without prescriber knowledge. Here's why it's the hardest week, what the evidence shows, and how to get through it.
Read articleAntidepressant Brain Zaps: What They Are and Why They Happen
Brain zaps — electric-shock or buzzing sensations in the head — are a recognised effect of some antidepressants, most commonly during dose changes or discontinuation. Here's what they are and why they happen.
Read articleVivid Dreams on Antidepressants: Why They Happen
Vivid or unsettling dreams are a commonly reported early effect of many antidepressants. Here's why they happen, when they tend to ease, and what to flag to your prescriber.
Read articleAntidepressant Fatigue in the First Weeks: Why You Feel Tired
Feeling tired in the first weeks of starting an antidepressant is common. Here's why it happens, what tends to improve over time, and what to flag to your prescriber.
Read articleAntidepressant Weight Changes: What the Evidence Shows
Weight changes on antidepressants vary by medication, individual, and time. Here's what the evidence shows, why it happens, and what to flag to your prescriber.
Read articleSexual Side Effects on Antidepressants: An Honest Conversation
Sexual side effects affect a substantial share of people on SSRIs and SNRIs, and are commonly under-discussed. Here's what the evidence shows, why it happens, and how to talk to your prescriber.
Read articleAntidepressant Jaw Clenching and Teeth Grinding: A Recognised Effect
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding (bruxism) is a recognised side effect of SSRIs and SNRIs. Here's why it happens, how to spot it, and what to do about it.
Read articleAntidepressant Sweating and Night Sweats: Why It Happens
Sweating — including night sweats — is a recognised side effect of antidepressants. Here's why it happens, what patterns are typical, and when to talk to your prescriber.
Read articleAntidepressant Dizziness: What Is Normal in the First Weeks
Dizziness and light-headedness are well-documented early effects of antidepressants. Here's why they happen, when they ease, and what the evidence says actually helps.
Read articleAntidepressant Headaches in the First Weeks: What to Expect
Headaches are among the most consistently reported early effects of starting an antidepressant. Here's why they happen, when they ease, and what the evidence says actually helps.
Read articleAntidepressant Nausea: Why It Happens, When It Eases
Nausea typically peaks in the first one to two weeks and eases for most people by week three. Here's why it happens and what the evidence says actually helps.
Read articleHow Long Do Antidepressants Take to Work?
Most antidepressants produce meaningful mood change within four to six weeks. Here's what NICE, RANZCP, and Cochrane reviews say about timing, and why the first weeks feel so slow.
Read articleHow to Prepare for Your Antidepressant Follow-Up Appointment
Follow-up appointments are typically 15 to 20 minutes. The quality of that conversation depends almost entirely on what you bring to it — here's what to write down, what to bring, and what to ask.
Read articleCommon Antidepressant Side Effects, in Plain Language
Which side effects are common, which tend to ease by week three, and which warrant a sooner conversation — from TGA, FDA, NICE, RANZCP, and Royal College of Psychiatrists resources.
Read articleHow to Tell If Your Antidepressant Is Working
The early signs are subtle and almost never look like "I feel amazing." Major guidelines describe the first meaningful response as appearing between weeks four and six — and knowing what to look for changes how you read the experience.
Read articleWhy Anxiety Can Get Worse When Starting an Antidepressant
NICE, RANZCP, and major prescribing resources all document this early bump. Here's why it happens, what it tends to feel like, how long it lasts, and what helps you get through it.
Read articleThe First 90 Days on an Antidepressant: Why This Window Matters Most
Cochrane reviews and population studies consistently identify the first 90 days as the highest-risk window for discontinuation. Here's why it's structurally hard, what's typical at each stage, and what the evidence says helps.
Read articleEmotional Blunting on an Antidepressant: What the Research Says
A muted, distant quality to feeling affects a third to half of people on long-term antidepressants. Here's what the evidence says about why it happens, whether it eases, and what options exist.
Read articleAntidepressant Insomnia: When Does It Get Better?
Disturbed sleep is common in the first weeks on an antidepressant and improves for most people by week three or four. Here's what clinical guidance says about timing, and what actually helps.
Read articleThe First Month on an Antidepressant: A Week-by-Week Timeline
Clinical guidance describes the same arc every time: side effects first, the trough in week two, the body settling in week three, and the first mood shift in week four. Here's what that looks like.
Read articleWhat Actually Happens in the First Week on an Antidepressant
A research-informed guide to the first seven days — what clinical guidance says is typical, what the evidence shows about adherence, and what to flag to your prescriber.
Read articleTracking your first 90 days?
Causiq is a daily wellness companion designed for the first 90 days on an antidepressant. Join the waitlist for early access.
Join early access →