Hostile, ignored purpose of visit, used personal attacks against me.
I was referred to Dr. Halikas by a well-recognized forensic psychologist for an evaluation of my sluggishness and lack of initiative. I am a difficult patient, not because of a tendency to disagree arbitrarily, but because I am on the autistic spectrum with an islet of superior function in analytical problem-solving. My social skills, at first poor, have been improved with years of therapy and instruction. Whatever deficits I have regarding social interaction have been well compensated. However, I do not tolerate say-so opinions from those who claim high credentials and status if I disagree with those opinions; I insist on fair debate and am willing to learn.
Dr. Halikas talked down to me about the fact that intelligence per IQ tests does not prove social competence, ignoring the records that I personally sent him that mentioned the years of therapy and my having entered medical school and later run a practice and ignoring my obvious awareness of that fact.
He also yelled "You're a fool!" at me when (August 2021) I explained that I decline the vaccine now offered because I have reviewed the facts and consider my immune system strong enough. His challenging my ability to make my own decisions when he has a 20-page report from a forensic psychologist that corroborates my ability to make my own decisions is ludicrous.
He berated me for my challenging authority, ignoring my verified ability to work well in a subordinate position when there is no issue of incompetence or bad will among my superiors.
I mentioned in writing and in person that I had observed some symptoms that suggested a particular imbalance with my autonomic nervous system. (For the lay person, that system handles such things as heart rate, digestion, sweating, blood pressure, etc.) He disparaged my observations as unimportant even though the neurologist I had seen accepted them as significant.
He asked me if I had any of several mental-health prescription drugs, a fair question; but I had provided my background and my concern about my autonomic nervous system and my hope was that he would have an idea of a suitable drug that would compensate for the imbalance. Trial and error seemed juvenile when an expert would have seen the symptoms and the autonomic issues and been able to identify a drug from them.
He wanted to prescribe methylphenidate and another drug. Methylphenidate is a stimulant. I had already told him symptoms that suggest that my brain is overactive and that a depressant would be more helpful. First, I need oxygen at night despite no heart or lung issues and think better with oxygen than without it, a dependence that suggests a high oxygen demand in my brain, in turn suggesting that it is metabolically overactive. Second, I feel better having drunk ethanol (a central nervous system depressant) and also my blood sugar is less when I do than when I don't (I am diabetic) thereby corroborating the theory that my brain metabolism is higher than it should be. Third, I have PTSD and am troubled by flashbacks in which my thoughts get forced into an anxiety-driven loop (panic), which is best managed by reducing not increasing neural activity. Also, drugs such as methylphenidate increase irritability, which contraindicates it when (in his opinion) I have an anger management problem. Finally, methylphenidate is a Schedule Two drug and cannot be prescribed with renewals--and followup visits would cost $250 per month no insurance coverage available.
"Do you want treatment, or not‽" he bellowed, ignoring the purpose of the visit, which was for a one-time evaluation to determine whether there was a drug regimen that could treat my sluggishness and my autonomic issues. The answer is no. End of relationship. read more
