We are often asked how the doctors listed as part of our referral service come to appear there. There are three usual routes to find likely candidates:

1) We contact the Head of Psychiatry at a medical University and ask for the names of specialists in affective disorders (that is, mood illness, such as depression and manic depression/bipolar disorder). Often, a University can supply us with the names of recent alumni, who are likely to have the latest developments in treatment fresh in their minds, and, who are likely to have space on their appointment calenders. 2) We inquire of doctors who are already listed if they have any colleague who might want to be included. Or, 3) we receive a recommendation from a patient.
Once we know of a likely seeming doctor, we send our Resource Questionnaire to inquire of hir qualifications and hir approach to treating depressive illness. If the answers we receive indicate an up-to-date knowledge, if s/he can supply a copy of hir current medical licence, and if s/he is board certified, we will include hir on our listings. Thus the people who contact NAFDI are saved several steps of investigation in finding a knowledgeable physician - a boon when suffering from exhausting, demoralizing, befogging depression.

If you would like to recommend your doctor, or, would like a Referral List for your area, write to NAFDI at P.O. Box 2257, New York, NY 10116.