Dr. Richard Lawrence Maiberger, MD

When I was referred to this tool, I had no idea he would make my life so much more miserable. I came to Connecticut from another state with many medical conditions for which I had received roughly the same prescriptions for years. Intractable migraines. Anxiety. Depression. And I was recently diagnosed with a GI disorder. To make matters worse, my young son brings home an illness from school once a month. I was referred to Dr. Maiberger and hoped he would provide continuity of care that was provided by my Virginia psychiatrist for 13 years. Not only was he frightened by my Xanax prescription and insisted I taper down, he insisted that I come off the drug completely! I had to have my primary physician do what he refused to do so that I wouldn't suffer the loss of my anxiety medications. But he didn't like that either, so he offered to "give her a call." MAIBERGER: "Maybe I should give her a call?" ME: "Why?" MAIBERGER: "I'm going to share with her my concerns about… the medications you're on." Since she wrote some of these prescriptions, she shouldn't have any concerns with them. Should this psychiatrist be intimidating my other doctors into scaling back my meds? MAIBERGER: "I think all your medications should come from one source." ME: "They DO! My neurologist prescribes all my migraine meds." He was quite concerned with my migraine medications, which involve use of some narcotics. But guess what? That's not his concern. He's not my neurologist. And as much as he would like, he doesn't work for the DEA. My entire session ... no talk therapy ... no strategy for how to improve or maximize my psychiatric medications ... he spent two 45 minute sessions lecturing me on medications that should not concern him. I get it -- he's anti-medication. But he needs to brand himself as such so no one who is currently prescribed -- or would benefit from -- medications ever sees this man. Not to worry, though. This aging eunuch is phasing himself into retirement (he's older than dirt), so he's only around a couple day a week. MAIBERGER: [examining medication list provided by Big Brother State of Connecticut, noticing he gave her a 4oz bottle of extended release cough syrup for her severe bronchitis]: "Who's Dr. Malik?" As for my Virginia psychiatrist, well, she continues to send me caring letters of concern. My husband and I plan on returning to Virginia. The regulatory culture of these Northern nanny states is oppressive. They're always trying to save you from yourself, not realizing that your regimen has worked for you for years. Stop treating me like a drug seeker. I am very pragmatic about my medications. MAIBERGER: "We need to get these medications under control." ME: "No, we need to get the underlying conditions under control, and until someone comes up with some idea as to how to cure me, I need these meds." If you want to know what Maiberger is all about, think about what it means to be helpful and then subtract from 1 -- because he's the opposite of that. He tried to do quite a hit job on my self-image and tried to kick the crutches out from under me. Note to mental health professional: don't knock the coping mechanisms, because sometimes that's all someone has.