Renate Trittelvitz, MD

This is an update to my prior review in response to «Phuzzi B» who wrote about his/​her son three months ago and commented on part of my review of Dr. Trittelvitz/Dr.T.
The comment about «mommy and daddy’s little girl or boy» bothered me, and had nothing to do with my situation. In January 2013, my grandfather had just died and I found myself very agitated. I voluntarily went to the hospital and they gave me the choice of going home on my own or taking a ⁵¹⁄₅₀. I chose the 51/​50, perhaps to my own detriment.
Right away, Dr. T puts me on Lithium because «it’s the only mood stabilizer I haven’t been on». Instead of observing the fact that I have been on 10+ medications between 2004 – 2010 and given my completion of a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in that time and realizing that perhaps there was not a need for such medication, she put me on Lithium right away, and had the nurses there give me some newer sleeping pill (Restorall or something like that).
I feel better after a couple of days (and my mom agrees I am doing much better), but she decides that because I have «symptoms of mania» (pressured speech, racing thoughts) that I need even more Lithium to remove these symptoms. Never mind that I am always talking and thinking quickly. Because I «talk too fast» I need even more medication.
This is not just Dr. T, but psychiatry in general. When you are in a hospital situation and exhibit ANY signs of ANYTHING they will find a reason to medicate you. Because you’re in the hospital, you need the medication… it doesn’t matter how you got hospitalized or who put you there… they will overmedicate you until you get out.
This is first-​hand experience and I feel my opinion holds true. She probably saw me for 20 minutes over a week… that’s less time than one appointment from an outside psychiatrist!

Dr. Trittelvitz may be a tough cookie, but it only took her one visit with our son to understand his dangerous mental state and the nature of his problems. Psychotropic medications can be very strong and have lots of unpleasant side effects, but so can murder and mayhem.
I think it’s hysterical that lay people are claiming this trained psychiatrist has a «poor understanding» of psychology. I found her to be incredibly insightful. I had been dealing with my son’s behavioral problems for over a decade, and she hit the nail right on the head, right away.
Mommy and Daddy’s little girl or boy is probably more f-​ed up that Mommy or Daddy want to admit. If they end up at Mills, it’s probably because the kid was 5150’d. For us, it was a relief to FINALLY have someone see what we were seeing. We love our son, and this first incident and Dr. Trittelvitz’ evaluation gave us the insight and hope to keep pushing on the system to treat a very seriously off-​track young man. He is doing so much better now, 3 years later, but it has been a real struggle. If Dr. T hadn’t been so strong in her caution to us about the danger, we might have been more lax — to a very bad end, no doubt! Now we are three more 5150’s later, but our boy is finally getting back to normal. Thank you Dr. T.

I saw Dr. T for some time. She was always late and treated me with meds that did not help. She was dismissive and rude. She had very poor people skills. I would not see her again nor would I recommend her to anyone.

Daughter was taken to Mills Peninsula and examined by Dr. Trittelvitz. Seems to have poor people skills — a bad attribute for a Psychiatrist. She treated our daughter with an anti-​psychotic drug that made her sleepy 24×7, and said she must continue it. Upon discharge she referred her to a psychiatrist outside the hospital who met with our daughter and refused to treat her, apparently the outside doctor felt she had no psychiatric problems.
In fact Dr. T had wanted to keep her in the hospital, taking that strong drug, for two more weeks. Thankfully our daughter went through an appeals process and was released the next day.
After discharge Dr. T told her she must continue this drug, but it made her sleep 12 hours a night and during the day she was still very sleepy. Daughter called her, explained she could not work due to the drug and asked how to discontinue it. She was told «you are stupid» for trying to stop taking the anti-​psychotic drug, despite not having any apparent mental problems or history.
A local psychiatrist (that we found) met with our daughter and concluded that she did not need psychiatric treatment, or the drug. He suggested she discontinue the drug immediately. Problem solved.
In my opinion the worst medical provider I have seen in many years, stay away from this person if you want psychiatric treatment. My one talk with her made it clear to me that she is very smug and does not listen. She gives the impression that she is the only one qualified to make any decisions whatsoever.

I cannot warn people away from her strongly enough. cold, rude and dismissive do not even start to describe the problems with this apparently incompetent and malicious doctor. She used residual autistic spectrum behaviors and speech patterns to hold my son in a locked ward for an addition three days after the crisis was over. She wanted to hold him at least seven more days, under her care. She didn’t confer with family or prior doctors. She didn’t communicate with the patient, or offer treatment options. Avoid her.