Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar, MD

The Worst Psychiatrist in America No one likes this Pakistani doctor who abuses patients and pressures them into ECT treatments. He’s a threat to your health and his role in this place is to bilk your insurance company by pressuring ECT treatments. He has no empathy, no concern, and will use your own words against you in order to harm you. Why the Medical Board of California allows this guy to continue to practice medicine, despite having a multitude of complaints, is the problem. This guy has always abused patients and he’ll continue to do so until he’s stopped. Please DO NOT GO TO Sharp Mesa Vista because you’re likely to get this full time doctor who’s there because he’s pushes and pressures people into ECT visits. His role there is to sell this potentially harmful treatment option. If you see any positive reviews it’s probably the hospital staff who are paid to pump him up. This guy should not be able to be a doctor in America. He’s not only a shoddy doctor, but… also one of the biggest jerk around. Psychiatric abuses have been going on forever and this guy abuses people. In Pakistan torture is acceptable. This is America and he can get away with his crimes because he does them in a hospital that protects their own interests. They know he’s horrible but he brings in the money. Save yourself and Run. If you go to this hospital, do everything you can to NOT SEE THIS maniac.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

I am sorry that you had an unpleasant experience during the involuntary commitment in the hospital. Your complaints were reviewed by the hospital committee but was found to be unsubstantiated and case was closed.

I was a patient of Dr. Jafar’s at his previous practice in Everett, WA. I was 17 and severely depressed at the time. He was dismissive, condescending, and sorely lacking in empathy and bedside manner. I was taking Celexa (originally prescribed by my primary care provider two months prior, starting at 20 mg/day and tapering up to 40 mg/day). When I failed to get any relief from my depressive symptoms, he kept ratcheting my dose higher and higher, keeping me at 70 mg/day for several months (I only learned years later that adults are supposed to top out at 40 mg/day). This irresponsibly high dose pushed me into severe bipolar disorder with an overall cycle of about 4 weeks. At the manic end of the cycle I was sleeping 2-3 hours per night and waking up full of energy, taking on an impossible number of projects, eroding longtime friendships and even getting suspended from school for totally uncharacteristic behaviors. The depressive episodes in this period were worse than any depression… I’ve experienced before or since; I could barely understand when teachers or friends were talking, couldn’t speak in full sentences much less keep up a conversation, fell behind in my class work, lost more friendships, and was plagued by nearly constant paranoia (people following me, intruders in the house when I was home alone) and suicidal ideation. My health insurance covered 12 mental health visits per year, so I saw Dr. Jafar once per month. Since our visits always coincided with depressive weeks in the Celexa-induced bipolar cycle, he flat out refused to believe my reports of manic symptoms for several months. For reasons I still don’t understand, he had it in his head that I was blaming my manic symptoms on the full moon (something I never said) and laughed in my face over this imagined idiocy. As such, he refused to consider prescribing a mood stabilizer, and he wouldn’t even entertain the idea of taking me off Celexa to try a different antidepressant. I made multiple suicide attempts during this period, and thank God every day that none of them succeeded. He finally let me taper off Celexa when I made it clear that I was going to stop taking it with or without his blessing. Once I’d been off the medication for a week or two I felt like I’d come back to life- no more outrageous manic episodes, no more suicidal ideation, no more massive cognitive disruptions. Dr. Jafar’s irresponsible prescribing practices, condescending attitude, and total dismissal of my reported experience very nearly cost me my life. The entire ordeal was so traumatic that I didn’t end up seeing another psychiatrist for three years in spite of recurring depression. I hope he has figure out how to be a good mental health professional in the years since I was under his care, but I would not recommend him to anyone.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

I'm sorry to hear about your experience and the impact it had on you. Thank you for sharing your feedback. I am not sure if I was the treating psychiatrist because you said you were 17 and I only treat patients 18 and above.

Due to pending legal issues with this person, I am unable to share our story. Please read other reviews, especially if you are a senior.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I encourage you to contact us directly to discuss your concerns further.

Dr Jafar is communicative, responsive, knowledgeable, and patient

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

Thanks for your review.

Dr. Jafar probably saved my life. It felt good to tell someone of your worst fears and have him reassure you that even if they were true, you can still treat the symptoms that make your life unlivable. I left the hospital feeling refreshed and filled with new hope. Thank you!

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

Thanks for your review.

I hope he learns some things from the patients he sees because I’ve never met a more cold person. I almost feel sorry for him.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I encourage you to contact us directly to discuss your concerns further.

Dr Jafar was randomly assigned to me when I voluntarily checked myself in to the inpatient unit for severe depression. (with no history of substance abuse) I requested a different doctor on admission because I had a horrible experience with him 4 years ago. I was told all I could do is request a different doctor in writing and it would be 2-3 days before a decision is made. Dr Jafar has proven to be incompetent, unprofessional, rude, arrogant, disrespectful, dishonest, and worst of all falsely accused me of abusing an anxiety medication I've been on for 17 years (and always taken exactly as prescribed) and for committing prescription fraud after information he misread on the Department of Justice website where he insisted I come look at the info he pulled up on his computer and when I did I was able to prove him wrong in about 15 seconds and at the same time he realized he made a mistake and all he said in a sarcastic tone was "oops, sorry". He still refused to give me that medication… as prescribed by my primary doctor. The most he would give me is half the daily dose and only every 4 hours as needed (PRN) No scheduled dose AND he discontinued the other medication I came in with (medications I hadn't had in over 24 hours) and instead prescribed me a medication on my ALLERGY list. He wasn't willing to work with me or try to make amends after what he put me through. I requested to be transferred to another facility or to be discharged immediately. He told me he'll start the discharge. 7 hours later I finally got out. Needless to say, I left worse off than before I got there and they still released me with nowhere to go, after dark on a Fri night, to the streets . Clearly the Dr and the rest of the staff on that shift/unit wasn't concerned about my well being/safety.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

I'm sorry to hear about your experience and the distress it caused. Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I encourage you to contact us directly to discuss your concerns further.

Great Doctor and Staff

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

Thanks for your review.

He is a kind and caring doctor who does his best to help his patients heal.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

Thanks for your review.

I had seen Jafar in San Diego with follow ups at the Alvarado Park Institute Physc Outpatient Treatment in Mesa Vista,CA. Very courteous and involved himself with a patients big plan and now I see him as a rich man. After my medi-cal and medicare were combined into an HMO, I had no place to go for psych treatment and lost his contact from every resource. I need to contact him to finish what he started in MyLife.

Response from Dr. Syed Hadi Jafar

Thanks for your review.