Dr. David Gary Beltzman, MD

Went to see him as a new patient for situational, fluctuating depression. Put me in an antidepressant and mood stabilizer. When I asked to discontinue the mood stabilizer because of side effects, he refused to consider it, or offer alternatives. Although he is a very knowledgeable psychiatrist and really knows alot about medications, I had to fire him.

Asked me if I thought he was a creep. He is a bully. He kept saying mean things about my character. I would not recommend him to anyone. Yes, he knows his medicine, but making me feel like an unworthy person is not what a doctor should be doing.

I had Mr. Belzman as a doctor for nearly 10 unfortunate years. His knowledge of medicine and the latest research on bipolar disorder was the only reason I was with him. I could, at least in the beginning, trust that he knew what he was doing and was helping. I could therefore ignore his rude arrogant behavior to a degree. I however can't count the number of times I walked out after he "shut down" and no longer wished to listen to what I said. Words had to be specially crafted to make a session worth while. More or less suggestions that we try something else. Detail resulted in accusations that I was withholding more information when I often was not. Things reached a head after a complete mental break down which I was partially-hospitalized under his care. The mental breakdown resulted in a rapid switch from a supremely depressed form of bipolar too a manic form. My inability even to this day (nearly a year after the break down) to understand this switch in my life lead to heavy… accusations that I withheld and ignored him. Even while I was rapid cycling and unable to fully comprehend what was occurring he spent our time together criticizing me. This criticism while not uncommon before was far worse when your already in a mental lock. Finally, even after the extreme anxiety over finding a new doctor I realized he could and would no longer help me. This left me on the exact medicines I was on prior to my break down with the addition of a "here take this it worked 7 years ago maybe it will work now medicine" which clearly has not worked. Unfortunately I had been begging for a change for months and he refused choosing yet again to criticize me. In the end I can always say that he is a brilliant man who knows the medicines and latest research. He attends many of the nations most important mood disorder conferences. He however is a bully who listens only when he wants to. Each appointment you can expect a different type of "Doctor Belzman"