Kenna Says: These ongoing abuses needs to be acknowledged so we can do better

My story today starts at Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.

His name is Alan Kesler. I state his name clearly because it is an absolute necessity to remember the human being behind the case files. He was not a “complex case.” He was not “treatment resistant.” He was not confrontational or delusional, nor did he question clinical authority. He was simply a human being unlucky enough to cross paths with a dishonest, unethical psychiatrist named Dr. Oleg Isakov, MD, and a therapist, Ms. Ramona De La Santis, who refused to document his clear somatic deterioration in order to protect the practitioner and the institution. Both operated out of Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.

The Cymbalta Taper Failure

The majority of Alan’s physical and cognitive trauma revolves around his prescription of Cymbalta. In June of 2024, Alan was managing his life well but began experiencing uncomfortable side effects from the drug. He requested professional guidance to safely discontinue the medication. In direct opposition to standard pharmaceutical safety guidelines, Dr. Oleg Isakov took Alan off the 60 mg dose without tapering — a fateful clinical deficit that triggered a catastrophic deterioration of his physical and mental health.

Alan was left to endure the profound neurological shock of abrupt Cymbalta withdrawal until late 2024, when Dr. Isakov introduced Olanzapine, a heavy atypical antipsychotic. Why this drug was introduced remains entirely unclear, as Dr. Isakov’s own progress logs remain a mess of contradictions. By December of 2024, the severe, unmanaged Cymbalta discontinuation syndrome forced Alan into an inpatient hospitalization.

A Year of Chemical Experimentation

Following that hospitalization, Dr. Oleg Isakov subjected Alan to a reckless pattern of multi-drug polypharmacy. The medications were increased, decreased, and abruptly discontinued without any structured taper protocols.

The experimental regimen included:

• Cymbalta — An SNRI antidepressant with a severe reputation for intense discontinuation syndrome. Alan was pushed to a massive dose of 120 mg, despite manufacturing data demonstrating that 60 mg is the standard therapeutic ceiling, and that higher doses only intensify withdrawal trauma.
• Trintellix — An antidepressant manufactured by H. Lundbeck — a company from which Dr. Isakov was actively receiving documented financial compensation.
• Olanzapine — A high-risk atypical antipsychotic introduced without clear informed consent.
• Ingrezza — Pushed by the provider despite clear physical red flags.
• Ritalin — A heavy central nervous system stimulant.
• Clonidine — A blood pressure medication used off-label for anxiety, introduced in part to manage the cardiovascular spikes caused by the high-dose Cymbalta.

Prescribing a stimulant (which forces a surge in dopamine) alongside Olanzapine (which violently blocks dopamine receptors) is the clinical equivalent of slamming on a car’s accelerator and brakes simultaneously — and that type of experimentation is physically painful. Throughout this time, Alan requested information about tapering protocols and potential side effects, and he was systematically lied to, creating a situation where informed consent to treatment never existed.

Boundary Violations and Clinical Shaming

When Alan reported that this chaotic chemical regimen was actively harming him, the clinical staff initiated a defensive pivot, shaming him as “treatment resistant.” On one remarkable occasion, Dr. Isakov went so far as to instruct Alan to “go masturbate.”

For a licensed medical professional to prescribe a sexual act to a vulnerable, compromised patient is an egregious boundary violation by a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist does not get to comment on or direct a patient’s sexuality. Making this misconduct even more malicious, the directive explicitly violated Alan’s deeply held religious beliefs — a fact that was documented in his chart and therefore known to Dr. Isakov.

On other occasions, Dr. Oleg Isakov resorted to yelling at Alan, aggressively telling him to “just quit his job” if he couldn’t perform — completely ignoring that Alan had zero career performance issues prior to this medication mismanagement. Throughout this entire process, Alan communicated extensively with both Dr. Isakov and his therapist, Ms. Ramona De La Santis, LCSW, explicitly begging for informed consent and data regarding side effects. He was lied to repeatedly, and his charts were systematically altered to hide the clinical failures.

The Permanent Somatic Outcomes

Two years after this ordeal began, Alan is left with a lifetime of profound physical and cognitive injuries caused directly by irresponsible psychiatric medication mismanagement. His current daily somatic profile includes:

• Tardive Dyskinesia — A severe, permanent neurological movement disorder consisting of chronic full-body tremors and shaking. Alan now struggles with basic daily tasks, including the ability to hold a cup or a fork.
• Metabolic Damage — Persistent high cholesterol and lipid indicators, despite maintaining a healthy diet and consistent physical exercise.
• Systemic Deficits — Severe, chronic insomnia, profound digestive tract damage, and unyielding cognitive impairment and brain fog.

These injuries have permanently stripped Alan of his livelihood, forcing him onto psychiatric disability. Independent secondary and tertiary expert opinions have since thoroughly questioned Dr. Isakov’s judgment, with one outside physician stating she could not comprehend what was going through his head.

The Institutional Wall

When Alan attempted to work transparently with Brookdale University Hospital to correct their fraudulent medical chart entries, the hospital responded with standard corporate stonewalling, delays, and chart obstruction. His therapist, Ms. Ramona De La Santis, completely omitted his reports of medical abuse from her session notes, telling him he simply “wasn’t giving the drugs a chance.”

Accountability is now being pursued through official regulatory channels. Active licensing complaints have been filed against Dr. Isakov with his medical licensing board, a separate complaint has been advanced against Ramona De La Santis, LCSW, and an official civil rights case is moving before the federal Office for Civil Rights to break the hospital’s malicious chart obstruction.

The formal medical system failed Alan Kesler — Between Trust and Trauma is here to document their failures.