Hey, Eugene people,
My kid has been seeing JEFF SPERLA at BETTS PSYCHIATRIC, but he has gone off the rails. Today, he fat shamed my kid, interrogated him about his snacking habits, berated him for still masking in public to protect against Covid, and finally punished him for basically not fitting some weird mold that this doctor had in mind by withholding ADHD meds THAT THE DOCTOR HIMSELF HAD RECOMMENDED.
So, now, we’re dealing with a doctor who we will NEVER SUBJECT MY KID TO AGAIN, and who anyone with autism should very much stay away from, basically holding my kid’s depression/anxiety meds hostage.
We’re going to try to see if things go better with Bill Betts, who runs the practice, but we have — I think very understandable — fears that if this is the kind of person he employs (I could go into more details — it was really egregious; he ended up basically saying he wouldn’t be our doctor anymore because of his religion) then we may just not want to see anyone at this office anymore.
Which would mean both my kid and my husband would need new psych doctors who can prescribe depression/anxiety/ADHD meds.
Does anyone have suggestions for who is actually maybe not terrible in Eugene?
Seriously, the more details I hear about this appointment from my kid and husband (I wasn’t there myself), the more absolutely enraging this is. I cannot believe this guy is any sort of licensed medical professional and said the kinds of things he said today.
But also, I just don’t goddamned know what to do, because my kid needs his meds, and doctors are soooooooo hard to get appointments with right now, even if you’re already in their system. And getting into a new system could take FOREVER, and my kid should not have to run out of his depression/anxiety meds because some doctor told us that we “value books and science, whereas [he] values spirituality” so he can’t help us.
So, please, somebody magically pop up with a suggestion of a doctor who isn’t going to fat shame my trans autistic 16-year-old and who will let us have appointments so he can keep getting his lexapro and also the welbutrin that this fucking doctor suggested but then withheld because we still wear KN95 in public. I mean, WHAT THE HELL?????
Also, I swear to god who I don’t believe in, that if anybody takes this as an opportunity to berate me or argue with me or be anything but sympathetic and helpful, I will totally and completely be done with whoever makes that choice. I have cut tons of people out of my life before. You’re all invited to be the next one. And yeah, I’m kinda losing it here. There’s not much that feels more powerless and out of control than be held at the whim of an idiot and made incapable of providing things to your kid that they need.
Also, this isn’t just a today thing. This is a thing we’ve been struggling with regarding this doctor for many weeks now. And this stuff moves like MOLASSES. While prescriptions run out like a cheetah on twenty cups of coffee.
Also, we’d be 1000% okay with something that’s not local and is done over zoom, if anyone has good suggestions for that.
UPDATE: Daniel wrote a five-page letter and delivered it by hand the next morning, and by the end of the day, the head guy called us, took full responsibility for how poorly Lane had been treated, apologized, promised there would be severe consequences, and said he wanted to work to rebuild the trust that had been broken.
As of today, Jeff’s bio is no longer listed on their website. We’ll be passing Daniel’s letter along to the pediatrician who recommended him and reporting him to the Oregon Medical Board too. However, it looks like we can continue with Betts Psychiatric overall, at least for now.
Thank you so much to everyone who commented. Your suggestions have been invaluable.