ABSTRACT
This chapter presents ten pearls of wisdom for general practitioners (GPs) for better understanding of psychiatry related problems and for more efficient use of resources. These pearls have been acquired from years of experience and evidence-based study by specialists in the field. Increased sleep and appetite are more frequent in bipolar than unipolar depressive episodes, but other features are better pointers to 'bipolarity', including early onset of illness, frequently recurring episodes, psychotic features and 'activation' while taking antidepressants. Around 10" of depressive episodes are accompanied by 'mood-congruent' psychotic features. The chapter also presents advice on diagnoses often overlooked by GPs while handling patients with psychotic depression. Diagnoses of the following diseases/disorders are recommended: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, morbid jealousy, delusional misidentification syndromes, and folie a deux (shared psychosis). The chapter provides guidance on how to distinguish tricky differentials and finally a few tips on prescribing medications for these patients.
