Dr. Charlie Shaffer, MD

All things considered

I was hospitalized for suicidal ideation and Dr Shaffer was my doctor at the psychiatric ward. I mostly felt like he didn’t listen and he made a few bad jokes about my mental state, including my suicide attempts (that made me feel pretty awful to be honest). He was very rude and arrogant, I consider that it’s important to have empathy or at least respect and consideration when you’re working with something as delicate as health or mental health, when the person’s life is on risk. He told me I was too bad at trying because I failed too many times; I came into the unit with a severe depression but left with a maniac state as I only had an antidepressant when I clearly needed a mood stabilizer and I spoke about having mood swings and were not listened, so I was sent to another facility in less than a month after I was discharged from the NY Presbyterian.

Been seeing him over six years, yet government site states not certified till 2020, odd, it's 03-2024. He doesn't listen to your problems, mocks your concerns and is completely unprofessional. I would not recommend him to my worst of enemies.

He was horrible.

Dr. Shaffer told me to get used to having people not believe my childhood trauma (including him), and he put me on a medication that caused urinary retention— I literally couldn’t pee but he insisted it wasn’t the medication and that it was my anxiety. I was transferred to a different facility which immediately took me off that medicine and I was able to pee again. And yes, urinary retention was listed as a side effect of this medication. Dr. Shaffer lacks empathy and refuses to admit when he’s wrong.

Dr C Shaffer likely saved my life. He is concise in his communications, and clear on his thoughts and decisions in regards to treatment planning. He might not coddle patients, however he does do what is best for them, or at least he did in my case.