Dr. Thomas Joseph Gaughan, MD

He worked with me when I was inpatient at the hospital. He used scare tactics to have me agree to ECT when I had refused earlier. He also left a very rude and unprofessional comment about my looks in my outpatient doctor's files.When I requested a copy of my files from my doctor, I found the note from Dr. Gaughan. I refused to enter the hospital again because of my fear and anger towards this man. However, I was assured that he was director now and would not be treating me.

Dr. Gaughan was the best thing that ever happened to me. He listened to me like no one else ever has. I was just learning the ropes of mental illness and living with it and he was so patient and understanding all the way through. He explored many areas with me and I think he knew what was coming so many times but, professional that he is, he did not steer me in any one direction. He didn't inflict his own opinions on me so I could discover the truth on my own. With his patience and understanding with a very irrational patient (me), I was eventually able to tell him the truth about things I had kept locked away for years. Some things were so embarrassing for me to talk about but he took in all in stride and his appropriate responses allowed me to talk more and get more of the "junk" out. He also allowed me to be quiet when I needed to. There was one instance in which he accidently overdosed me on a medication but he was trying to get me out of a very deep pit quickly. I understand why… he went up on the medication so fast but, being a different class of medication than the previous one, I did not require as high of a dosage. During the whole time, the "pit" that basically took my memory away for two weeks, and the time recovering from getting too much medication, he was there. I truly believe this man saved my life. I feel he was devoted to me and to helping me start putting the pieces of my puzzled life back together again. The only thing I regret is that when I realized I had been sexually abused, no one, including other staff, talked to me about pressing charges. That's over and done with though and I've let it go. In any case, I will defend this man to the ends of the Earth.

I have had the exact opposite experience from the other reviewer -- for years. The best doc I've ever seen and I've seen quite a few. Got me totally stable and have stayed that way for years now. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Usually runs late.

This provider "drugged" me so heavily with ZYPREXA that I actually fell asleep in his waiting room. After I requested my medical records from him, I saw that he wrote, "I'm astonished that her family member was not present to drive her to-and-from my office as she is completely dysfunctional". He clearly dismissed my adverse drug side effects as "mental illness"; then blamed the iatrogenic harm that he himself caused on me, the patient. This all happened after I had been abducted, assaulted, and worse, etc., by a TAXI cab driver in L.A., CA. This provider failed to take a trauma history on me -- I had been the victim of multiple serious crimes. Unfortunately, I was re-victimized by his psychiatric system of "care" when I should have been referred to the local Victim Witness Program. Dr. G. does not listen and cared even less that I had been molested as a young child. While mourning that loss of innocence, he fraudulently labeled me as "bipolar" when I was really suffering from… bereavement and severe trauma issues.