1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Bipolar Disorder

Electroboy Meets Dr. Sigmund Fraud
by Andy Behrman

By Kimberly Read & Marcia Purse, About.com

Updated November 26, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Finally, several doctors later, I met Dr. Caroline Fried (not her real name). She was young, level-headed, focused - and she was interested in getting down to the diagnosis. After thorough questioning during two sessions of an hour each time, she was able to diagnose me as suffering from manic depression or bipolar disorder.

Unfortunately, I left Dr. Fried's care after ten years (it took years to stabilize my condition) when I moved to Los Angeles about three years ago. I thought I had found a wonderful doctor in LA. Let's call her Dr. Y. I should have been an expert by now, but somehow I was out of practice and didn't spot this "Dr. Fraud" coming. This one liked to pray with me. Light candles. I gave it a chance. After all, this was Los Angeles. Then I finally asked her about her background. And she said, "I've studied all of the psychiatry and psychology courses, but I don't have a degree." Fooled again!

Fortunately, the story does, after all, have a happy ending. I found a wonderful psychopharmacologist whom I've been with for almost two years, and I continue to be stable.


Andy Behrman is the author of Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania, published by Random House. He maintains a website at www.electroboy.com.

Explore Bipolar Disorder
About.com Special Features

Learn how you can reduce your your numbers with these nutrition and exercise tips. More >

Keep yourself, and your family, happy and healthy this fall with these tips. More >

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Bipolar Disorder
  4. Personal Stories / Books
  5. Electroboy
  6. Electroboy Meets Dr. Fraud - Page 2>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.