Resources on Women’s Mental Health and Psychiatry
These articles are intended to help prospective and current patients better understand common questions related to women’s mental health, reproductive psychiatry, perimenopause, PMDD, anxiety, ADHD, psychiatric medication decisions, and whole-person psychiatric care.
The information provided here is educational only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reading these articles or submitting an inquiry form does not establish a physician-patient relationship.
Perimenopause, Menopause, Mood, and Sleep
Perimenopause and menopause can affect mood, anxiety, sleep, concentration, and emotional resilience. These resources explain how psychiatric symptoms may overlap with hormonal transitions, medical factors, sleep disruption, and life stress.
Why Perimenopause Can Affect Mood, Sleep, and Anxiety
Perimenopause can bring changes in mood, anxiety, sleep, irritability, and concentration. This article explains why these symptoms may emerge during midlife and when psychiatric evaluation may be helpful.
Sleep Changes During Perimenopause: Why Poor Sleep Can Worsen Mood
Sleep disruption can affect anxiety, mood, concentration, and emotional resilience. This article explains why sleep changes during perimenopause deserve careful attention.
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Brain Fog, ADHD, or Perimenopause?
Concentration problems in midlife can have more than one explanation. This article explores how brain fog, ADHD, anxiety, poor sleep, depression, and perimenopause can overlap.
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Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Medication Decisions
Pregnancy, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and preconception planning often raise complex questions about psychiatric medication, untreated symptoms, relapse prevention, and maternal well-being. These resources are intended to support thoughtful, individualized discussions with a physician.
Psychiatric Medication During Pregnancy: How Risk-Benefit Decisions Are Made
Medication decisions during pregnancy are rarely one-size-fits-all. This article explains how psychiatric history, symptom severity, prior medication response, pregnancy stage, and patient values may shape a risk-benefit discussion.
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Postpartum Anxiety vs. Normal New Parent Worry
Worry is common after childbirth, but some postpartum anxiety deserves clinical attention. This article explains how postpartum anxiety can show up and when psychiatric care may help.
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Should I Stop My Antidepressant Before Pregnancy? Questions to Discuss With a Psychiatrist
Many patients wonder whether to continue, taper, or change antidepressant treatment before pregnancy. This article outlines questions to discuss before making medication changes. space
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Intrusive Thoughts After Childbirth: When to Seek Help
Unwanted intrusive thoughts after childbirth can be frightening and isolating. This article explains why careful evaluation matters and when urgent help is needed.
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PMDD and Menstrual Cycle-Related Mood Symptoms
Severe cyclical mood, anxiety, irritability, or depressive symptoms may deserve careful psychiatric evaluation, especially when symptoms predictably disrupt work, relationships, parenting, or daily functioning.
PMDD vs. PMS: When Monthly Mood Changes Deserve Psychiatric Care
PMDD is more than ordinary premenstrual discomfort. This article explains how severe cyclical mood symptoms can affect daily life and what a psychiatric evaluation may consider.
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PMDD and Menstrual Cycle-Related Mood Symptoms
Anxiety, ADHD, and High-Functioning Women
Many women continue to work, care for others, and meet responsibilities while privately struggling with anxiety, concentration problems, emotional exhaustion, or the feeling that they are no longer themselves. These resources are written for patients who may appear highly functional while still needing thoughtful psychiatric care.
ADHD, Anxiety, or Both? Why the Difference Matters
Attention problems, racing thoughts, procrastination, and overwhelm can arise from ADHD, anxiety, sleep disruption, depression, hormonal transitions, or more than one factor. This article explains why diagnostic clarity matters.
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High-Functioning Anxiety: When Managing Fine Does Not Mean Feeling Fine
High-functioning anxiety can be easy to minimize because life may still look successful from the outside. This article explains how anxiety can affect sleep, relationships, work, and emotional well-being even when someone appears to be managing.
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Why Successful Women Delay Seeking Psychiatric Care
Many capable, accomplished women delay care because they are still functioning, caring for others, or telling themselves they should be able to manage alone. This article explains why seeking evaluation does not require waiting for a crisis.
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Whole-Person Psychiatric Care
Whole-person psychiatric care considers symptoms in the context of medical history, hormones, sleep, stress, relationships, lifestyle factors, reproductive transitions, and personal goals while remaining grounded in evidence-based medicine.
What Holistic Psychiatry Means in an Evidence-Based Medical Practice
Holistic psychiatric care should not mean vague wellness advice or avoidance of evidence-based medicine. This article explains how whole-person care can include medication, psychotherapy-informed strategies, sleep, lifestyle factors, medical context, and collaboration with other clinicians.
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Considering Psychiatric Care?
Dr. Laura McLafferty provides in-person psychiatric evaluation and treatment in Center City Philadelphia for adults seeking thoughtful, evidence-based care for women’s mental health, reproductive transitions, anxiety, mood symptoms, PMDD, perimenopause, postpartum concerns, medication questions, and complex medical-psychiatric issues.
If the practice appears to be a good fit, the first step is to complete a brief appointment inquiry form.
Educational and emergency disclaimer
The articles on this page are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Medical and psychiatric treatment recommendations can only be made after an individualized clinical evaluation.
This website and its inquiry form are not for emergencies. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency department.