Psychiatric Associates of Arkansas

I have been struggling with mental health issues going on ten years now. I have been to several different clinics over that time period. I must say that Psychiatric Associates of Arkansas is the WORST clinic I have ever had the displeasure of working with. First off, when I was at Living Hope Southeast, they had me sign several forms to allow my mother to be present with me at my psychiatry appointments. I believe this has to do with HIPAA. Psychiatric Associates NEVER had me sign ANYTHING related to protecting my information. So, I truly believe nearly ANYONE could have called and received my information. Secondly, my APRN at the time NEVER retrieved my records from Living Hope NOR Behavioral Health Services NOR the University of Arkansas. They relied solely on the information provided by my PCP. I have seen my PCP regarding my mental health approximately 3 times in the past 15 years. So, obviously that data is not informative nor accurate. Third, I was on a medication regiment that kept me fairly stable when I started here. My APRN wanted to change my medication in order to see if I am bipolar. I agreed, but then after changing bipolar medications (after the first one didn't work) the new one didn't work either. But instead of going back to what worked before, the APRN convinced me to contually increase my dosage just to make sure I suppose. They noticed and mentioned to me about my cutting myself, but then did nothing. Lastly, I had a concern that I was misdiagnosed as bipolar when I have borderline personality disorder instead. My APRN NEVER asked me to list my symptoms in detail NOR had me fill out an evaluation to check. They simply told me, "You do not act like most people with BPD" without ever asking me about the symptoms I show at home. They then closed out our meeting with, "Don't self-diagnose." As if I don't know what I'm talking about, and that I don't have family members in this profession to get their opinion. I think these four reasons should convince you enough to find another clinic.

I started seeing Dr. Nguyen in 2011 after struggling with postpartum depression following the births of my two sons in 2006 and 2009. My primary care doctor, Dr. Barrow, tried over 12 antidepressants, none of which worked well. He diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and referred me to Dr. Nguyen, assuring me I'd be well taken care of. Despite my anxiety about doctor visits, I felt at ease with him; he had a wonderfully kind demeanor and never judged my medication combination. While pregnant with my third son, my OBGyn, Dr. Kim Smith, discovered she was related to Dr. Nguyen, which was a nice coincidence since they were both among my favorite doctors. My only complaint was a $75 no-show fee when I tried to reschedule an appointment, which I couldn't pay due to being on Medicaid. I recently called for an appointment, only to find out that Dr. Nguyen had retired. I wish him all the best!