Able Psychiatry
Articles
Writing from the practice on psychiatry, treatment and the inner life. 28 articles in 7 topics, newest first within each.
Recent articles
- Familiarity vs. Love: Why Comfort Isn't the Same as True IntimacyAugust 6, 2026
- ADHD Nature or Nurture: What the Debate Gets WrongAugust 6, 2026
- Morality Equilibrium: Why Moral Balance Is the Foundation of Right and WrongAugust 6, 2026
- Psychiatrist vs. Therapist: Who Should I See First?July 9, 2026
- Depression, Hypermobility, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: How Collagen Disorders Impact Mental Health April 10, 2026
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Seeing a psychiatrist
- July 9, 2026Psychiatrist vs. Therapist: Who Should I See First?Trying to decide between a therapist and a psychiatrist? Learn how each one works, when to see which, and why the right answer depends on where you're stuck.
- February 13, 2026Characteristics of a Good Psychiatrist & When to SwitchStruggling to find the right psychiatrist? These 7 questions reveal whether your current care is helping or just maintaining. Here's how to evaluate.
- January 9, 2026How Do Psychiatrists Diagnose Conditions?How psychiatrists diagnose with a root-cause approach, looking past labels to the real drivers of OCD, depression and ADHD.
- November 10, 2025How to Choose the Right Psychiatrist in ChicagoLooking for a psychiatrist in Chicago? Learn how to choose the right one based on credentials, specialties, treatment options, and your personal needs.
- September 26, 2025How Chicago Residents are Improving Mental Health & WellnessDiscover the top mental health treatments Chicagoans are searching for, from therapy and TMS to wellness retreats and nature therapy spots.
- July 15, 2025What Is Compassionate Psychiatry?Compassionate psychiatry is personalized, respectful and built on trust. How Able Psychiatry's collaborative care starts with listening to each patient.
Depression and treatment
- April 10, 2026Depression, Hypermobility, and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: How Collagen Disorders Impact Mental Health Explore the link between structural protein disorders and chronic psychological and psychiatric issues. Learn about underdiagnosed conditions, their impact on mental health , and the importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment options.
- February 25, 2026A Deep Understanding of How SSRIs Work in the BrainSSRIs do more than raise serotonin: they may desensitize neurons and shift feedback loops, which is why they can behave unexpectedly. What to know.
- December 5, 2025Therapy-Resistant Depression: Next Steps for Real ReliefStill depressed after months of therapy? Why therapy alone may not be enough, and what psychiatry, TMS or collaborative care can add.
- August 19, 2025TMS vs. Other Treatments: ECT, Neurofeedback, and KetamineHow TMS compares with ECT, neurofeedback and ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, and how to choose the right option. From Able Psychiatry.
ADHD
- August 6, 2026ADHD Nature or Nurture: What the Debate Gets WrongIs ADHD nature or nurture — or both? Explore the ADHD diagnosis debate, how environment shapes attention, and what a diagnosis can (and can't) tell you about why you're struggling.
- June 2, 2022ADHD and Biology: Key Considerations for DiagnosisPart III of a series questioning whether ADHD is the right name. An essay by Dr. Abdullah Sallaj of Able Psychiatry.
- June 1, 2022ADHD Diagnosis Debate: How Environment Impacts SymptomsNature vs. nurture in ADHD: hyperawareness, aversion to disagreeable tasks, and how chronic conflict with authority can shape symptoms.
- May 30, 2022ADHD isn't the name we're looking for. Part 1Why 'attention deficit' may be the wrong frame: attention is complex, and ADHD deserves a fuller view than efficiency versus deficiency.
Relationships
- August 6, 2026Familiarity vs. Love: Why Comfort Isn't the Same as True IntimacyWhen we confuse familiarity with love, we settle for comfort over connection. How early patterns shape relationships, and how to tell intimacy from habit.
- March 7, 2025Familiarity isn't loveCompulsive behaviors often arise to manage anxiety when the familiar falls away. Why noticing the pattern is a step forward, not a sign of weakness.
- August 31, 2022Generations Interact: The Balance of Seriousness and PlaySeriousness follows hunger; play follows satisfaction. How the balance of the two shapes behavior and communication between generations.
Morality
- August 6, 2026Morality Equilibrium: Why Moral Balance Is the Foundation of Right and WrongWhat is moral equilibrium, and why does it matter? Explore where moral balance comes from, why it's subjective, and how it shapes ethical behavior.
- July 17, 2023Morality is best understood as 'equilibrium'Our sense of fairness starts in infancy: distress, response and the restoration of balance. Why morality is best understood as equilibrium.
- July 16, 2023The Infant Origins of Morality: Finding Balance Between Self and OthersMorality begins with self-interest. How an infant's cries, and the care that answers them, form our first sense of justice and balance with others.
Growth and the inner life
- March 2, 2026How to Identify & Overcome Learned HelplessnessLearned helplessness is a body memory, not a confidence problem. How it forms, and practical steps to build lasting independence.
- January 9, 2026Why Life Feels Unfair: The Psychology Behind Effort vs. EntitlementWhy do some expect everything while others work endlessly? Inheritance vs. earning thinking, and how the divide shapes relationships and self-worth.
- July 22, 2024Ego Developement Comes from "Partial Orphaning"The ego grows from unmet needs: why communication and problem-solving develop when caregivers can't read our every need. An essay by Dr. Abdullah Sallaj.
- September 19, 2023What might keep us stuck?How childhood patterns of sickness and health, and the care each one drew, can keep us stuck as adults. An essay by Dr. Abdullah Sallaj.
- November 21, 2022Mastering Outer Success Through Inner World AwarenessWhy understanding your own childhood and inner world matters as much as anything school taught about the outside world. An essay by Dr. Abdullah Sallaj.
- November 12, 2022Personality Development Through Archetypes and FantasyHow archetypes and fantasy imagery offer a lens on how past experiences shaped your personality. An essay by Dr. Abdullah Sallaj of Able Psychiatry.
- October 8, 2022Prides can be our anti-depressants and anti-developmentsWhen love is fraught, pride and fantasy become safe places for the mind to rest, soothing us while holding back growth. An essay by Dr. Abdullah Sallaj.
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