Anxiety, antidepressants, adult ADHD.

The questions between appointments. Answered with sources and a safety check-⁠in.

Asha does not diagnose or prescribe. She explains the evidence, cites it, and tells you when to get care today.

A new medication that feels worse first, a panic attack that felt like a heart attack, an evaluation that is hard to ask for. Asha answers with the evidence and checks in when something sounds serious. The crisis line sits on every answer that needs it.

Ask Asha: Panic attack or heart problem Which signs are urgent

Five questions, no accountBuilt by two physiciansCited on every answer

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Panic attack or heart problem

Panic, anxiety and the body: telling them from the heart, and what helps in the moment.

A panic attack can feel exactly like a heart attack, so chest pain is treated as the heart until a clinician says otherwise. Anxiety also lives in the body, as a tight chest or a heart that will not slow down. Asha explains the evidence on therapy and medication, and what helps while an attack is happening.

Chest tightness, panic or heartLast night my heart raced, my chest felt tight and I could not catch my breath. How do a panic attack and a heart attack differ, and when should I call 911?Ask this Stopping a panic attack at nightMy panic attacks come at night and I cannot sleep for fear of the next one. What does the evidence say helps during an attack, and what helps the sleep?Ask this Anxiety therapy or medicationI have been told I have generalized anxiety disorder. What does the evidence say about therapy versus medication? How do SSRIs, buspirone and beta blockers differ, and how long does each take to work?Ask this Health anxiety and physical symptomsI keep checking my body for signs of illness and every ache feels like something serious. How does anxiety cause physical symptoms, what is health anxiety, and what treatments have evidence?Ask this

SSRI first weeks, explained

The first weeks on an antidepressant: what is expected, what is a warning sign, and when it starts to work.

Feeling worse before feeling better is common in the first weeks on an SSRI, and it has a plan. Some early changes are expected and fade; a few are warning signs that need a same-day call, and they are listed below. Asha also explains the evidence on switching and on stopping safely, including how withdrawal differs from relapse.

Worse in the first weeksI started an SSRI ten days ago and feel more anxious and jittery. Is this expected, how long does it last, and when should I call my prescriber?Ask this The first two weeks on an SSRII started escitalopram (Lexapro) two weeks ago. Which side effects are common early and usually fade, how long until it helps, and what about alcohol while I take it?Ask this Not working after six weeksMy antidepressant has not helped after six weeks. What does the evidence say about waiting longer, switching, or adding a second medication, and how does bupropion (Wellbutrin) differ from an SSRI?Ask this Coming off safely, withdrawal or relapseHow do I safely come off an antidepressant, and what does discontinuation feel like compared with relapse?Ask this

Adult ADHD, explained

Adult ADHD: how it is evaluated, how it differs from anxiety and depression, and what treatment involves.

Adult ADHD is evaluated through a structured history, and the assessment has a shape you can prepare for. It overlaps with anxiety and depression, and the picture can look different in women. Asha explains the evidence on stimulant and non-stimulant medication, and what to do when a prescription is out of stock.

Getting tested for ADHD as an adultI think I might have adult ADHD. How do I get tested as an adult, what does the assessment involve, and what should I bring to the appointment?Ask this ADHD, anxiety or depressionI am a woman in my thirties and I cannot tell whether this is ADHD, anxiety or depression. How do their symptoms overlap and differ in adults, and why is ADHD often missed in women?Ask this Stimulant or non-stimulant medicationIf I am diagnosed with ADHD, how do stimulant and non-stimulant medications compare in the evidence, and what side effects should adults expect?Ask this When my medication is out of stockMy ADHD medication is out of stock again. What are the alternatives during a shortage, and how do I talk to my prescriber about switching safely?Ask this

Open Asha and ask your own

Do not wait for the next visit

Call 911 or 988 now, or go to the emergency department, if

chest pain does not settle, or comes with breathlessness, sweating, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw: call 911, do not assume panic
there are thoughts of suicide, or of harming someone else: call or text 988 now
new or worse thoughts of self-harm in the first weeks of an antidepressant or after a dose change, especially under 25: call 988
a new medication brings high fever, agitation and stiff or twitching muscles: go to the emergency department

If it might be the heart, treat it as the heart and call 911; if tonight might not be safe, call or text 988.

988 call or text, mental-health crisis 911 call, danger to life

For the people around them

For the partner watching the first weeks

The first weeks on a new antidepressant are often watched by someone else. Asha explains what is expected, what is a warning sign, and what to do at two in the morning.

Watching the first weeksMy partner started an antidepressant two weeks ago and seems more agitated and restless. Which changes are expected, which are warning signs, and what do I do if I am worried tonight?Ask this Helping through a panic attackHow do I support someone through a panic attack without making it worse, and when should I call 911 instead?Ask this

A thin teal key standing upright in a pool of translucent ivory liquid, its ring above the surface and its four pins to the right.

Know what is normal. Know what is urgent.

Tell Asha what is happening, in your own words. She answers from the evidence, shows where it comes from, and says plainly when the next step is a clinician today.

Ask Asha now

How Asha answers

The evidence, its sources, and the line she will not cross.

Cited

Every answer shows its sources.

Asha reads psychiatry clinical guidelines, seminal trials, assessment scales, open psychotherapy manuals and PubMed-indexed abstracts, and cites what she uses.

Plain

She says when it is serious.

Asha does not diagnose or prescribe. She explains the evidence, cites it, and tells you when to get care today. When a symptom cannot wait, she says so first, and she gives the number to call.

Private

Five questions, no account.

Ask without signing up. Your conversations are private and are never sold. For clinicians: Asha names the guideline, trial or rating scale behind an answer where the literature holds one.

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About Asha. Asha is built by DNAi Systems, founded by two physicians. Answers are grounded in a curated medical knowledge base and checked against safety rules before they reach you. Five questions, no account. Then the first month free with a card. Your conversations are private and are never sold. Privacy, safety, pricing.

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If you are in crisis, call or text 988. In immediate danger, call 911.