Moving to Philly - LF Psychiatrist and Therapist Rec (Philadelphia: new home, health)

[TylerJAX]

Long story short, I'll be moving to Philadelphia in the future and have schizoaffective disorder. Please DM if you have recs for a psychiatrist and/or therapist who someone you know has had good experiences with. Thank you.

[Oh2Me]

First off, welcome to Philadelphia! Secondly, while you navigate moving, please take a few minutes to call and make a primary care appointment. Philadelphia has excellent hospitals and medical services but there is a wait for standard care that everyone needs. I’ve had good experiences with both Jefferson Health and Penn Medicine. If you can get in shortly after arriving, it would be worth it to ask your Primary Care Provider (PCP) for a referral and recommendation on a good psychiatrist.

The Medical Arts Building (1601 Walnut) has a few psychiatrists who appear to be accepting new patients. I went there after a rough postpartum period and received quality care. My clinician is no longer there but as a whole it’s worth looking up and seeing if there’s someone you’re comfortable meeting with.

Wishing you all the best in your new home and smooth establishing care.

[TylerJAX]

Thank you for your suggestion. I'm kind of wary of physician referrals because my experience with them have been disastrous. My life was almost destroyed by the outpatient center I was referred to after my second stint in the looney bin when I began to accept my condition. I went from denial the first time I was in the looney bin to acceptance that I had a condition and needed treatment my second time in to almost being told there was nothing wrong with me in the outpatient care I was recommended. It ended up giving me a bad case of imposter syndrome and off meds to an even worse place in my life. Psychiatrists are a bunch of clowns that don't really know what they are doing. I'd at least like one that's decent enough to listen and keep me on meds, is easy to schedule an appointment with, and has the decency and cognizance to call me if I miss an appointment.

I'd much rather hear from someone with a similar condition that they've had a good experience with someone. I've read good things about Elium, but they are fully private and as much as I'd like to, I don't want to swing $150 for 20 minute appointments.