Medical disclaimer

Please read this before you rely on anything Shrinkopedia tells you.

Shrinkopedia is for education, not medical advice

Shrinkopedia explains symptoms, conditions, treatments, and the terms psychiatry uses. It's written to help you understand mental health. It is general education, and it is not medical advice for you specifically.

The content is reviewed by a psychiatrist for clinical accuracy, but it's written for everyone, which means it can't account for your history, your circumstances, or anything else a clinician would need to know to actually advise you.

Reading this site does not create a clinician-patient relationship

Reading Shrinkopedia, including pages reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, does not make him, or anyone else connected to the site, your doctor. No clinician-patient relationship is formed by visiting the site, reading an entry, or contacting us.

Shrinkopedia can't diagnose you

An encyclopedia entry can't tell you what you have. Recognizing yourself in a description of a symptom or a condition is genuinely useful, and it can help you put words to what you're experiencing. But it is not a diagnosis. Only a qualified clinician who can evaluate you directly can do that.

It isn't a substitute for care

Shrinkopedia is not a substitute for assessment, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed clinician. If you're concerned about your mental health, please talk to a professional. Reading about a topic here is a good way to walk into that conversation better informed. It is not a replacement for the conversation.

Treatment and medication decisions belong with a prescriber

When Shrinkopedia describes treatments or medications, it's explaining them in general terms. Decisions about whether to start, change, or stop a treatment, and especially decisions about medication, belong with a prescriber who knows your situation. Do not start or stop a medication based on something you read here. Some medications can be unsafe to stop suddenly. Talk to your prescriber first.

Always consult a professional about your own situation

If you have a question about your own mental or physical health, ask a licensed clinician. Nothing on Shrinkopedia should be used in place of that. If something here worries you or resonates with you, treat that as a reason to reach out for care, not a reason to skip it.

In an emergency

If you or someone else is in a medical emergency, call 911.

If you're in crisis, or you're thinking about harming yourself or ending your life, you don't have to wait. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It's free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. You can reach a person who will talk with you right now.

If you're outside the US, contact your local emergency number or a local crisis line.

You deserve real help, and there are people whose job is to give it. Please reach out.