Psychiatrist for teen with depression & anxiety & supposedly ADD
Hello. My teenage son has been seeing a psychiatrist for depression, anxiety and supposedly ADD. We have a feeling he does not have ADD but can’t focus and has no motivation because of his depression. His current psychiatrist has prescribed TONS of pills that are not really solving any of the issues and cause lots of side effects. I have called lots of other psychiatrists but none are taking new patients. Anyone you know, that you recommend, that is taking new patients? Any places I can find other doctors to call? Please don’t suggest Pacific Coast Psychiatric Assoc. They are just a money making machine. I would prefer doctors with their own practice.
Thanks.
Mar 4, 2022
Parent Replies
Have you tried osher center at ucsf? They have an integrative medicine approach and dr. Sanford newmark does both hollistic and medication management. Theres a waiting list but the practice is really good and you can get a fomal diagnosis if your son really has add. My sone was recently diagnosed wiyh ADD (inanttentive) and we have found his approach amazing and its usually coupled with other comorbidities.
My husband was late diagnosed add and he started going to mindful health solutions in wC and really likes Dr. HUYN.
Hi, I'm sorry, I don't have recommendations for psychiatrists for treatment. However, I want to strongly encourage you not to discount the diagnosis of ADHD, and the possible impact of ADHD on your son's mental health. My biggest parenting regret is that I refused to accept any indication, suggestion or diagnosis of ADHD for my daughter from the time she was 8 until she was 15. I said the exact same thing: she doesn't have ADHD; she is depressed and anxious, has experienced trauma, so of course she can't concentrate! My daughter continued to struggle until we finally got a comprehensive neuropsych assessment by a professional who educated me about what ADHD actually is, how ADHD impacts all aspects of one's life, and the powerful co-morbidity of ADHD with depression and anxiety. I SOOOO wish I had learned about ADHD years and years ago; it is SO MUCH MORE than "can't focus". The mysterious (!!), confusing cluster of seemingly unrelated traits, issues, challenges and talents that my daughter experienced her whole life began to make sense in the context of ADHD. If you haven't already, I strongly recommend seeking out resources such as ADDitude (https://www.additudemag.com/) to ensure that you have a deeper, reality-based understanding of the broad impact of ADHD on your child's life. My daughter, now almost 21, still struggles, but she is doing MUCH MUCH MUCH better in terms of mental health, now that we both understand and have accepted that her beautiful, vibrant "ADHD brain" needs a different approach for dealing with the challenges of daily life. Good luck finding the support you need for your son, and for you and your family.