I will say in my personal opinion we need to stop using pathogenic medical modalities to label the very broad range of normal child development. How about the novel concept of just letting kids be kids no matter how strange this may appear to our adult judgments, rational, and insecurities.

(I know this will seem somewhat foreign and unsettling to many of those so called “enlightened/modern” parents)

Maybe there is such a innate human disconnect from ourselves in these times of the new accelerated light speed quick fix informational oriented society that we forget we were once not so different in all reality from this strange phenomena we label “abnormality” unjustly upon kids today.

I personally believe the most important and pertinant question that should be asked and answered first and foremost; who’s needs are really being addressed and served best in so many of these situations?

Does the actual child need this type of intervention, or is it a parent reflecting themselves and their conceptions onto another with some fairly unpleasant and counter productive ramifications that seldom justify the means and end.

How about giving each child the time tested non-intervention that has worked successfully for so many centuries and civilzations before us.

Simply supplying time and wide boundaries of self discover with some basic and rational limitations that have natural eye opening rewards and unsavory consequences attached.

How about the ability to test the limits and fail (even fail horribly), to endure the consequences of personal actions, instilling the resilience of moving forth and surviving, allowing maturity to happen at it’s own pace and aptitude growing one day at a time toward an assumed independent adulthood and the responsibilities it cast upon each of us eventually.

Some times the quiet, unassuming, misunderstood, and very best parenting skill, is the one of getting out of the way and allowing the dangerous and painful process of growth/maturity to happen without having to control every aspect of this treacherous, rampaging, juggernaut journey through childhood, through adolescence, and the great beyond.

If you take a child (or pretty much anyone for that matter) to someone paid well and has a stake in looking for a problem, and who’s job it is to find a problem, then don’t be surprised when this person is able to find one. It’s just human nature.

Depakote caused weight gain in my daughter as well as several other 12 yr old boys in her class at the time that were placed on it after they became agitated and psychotic on ADHD meds in 1999 (I had joked what was in the water in the neighborhood and it turns out it was a common psychiatrist giving this childhood bipolar go on Depakote, Lithobid Zyprexa cocktail to MANY kids).

The kids actually called it “depakote bloat” and they had gas, and would let loose anywhere and everywhere even in class because it couldn’t be helped.

I’d consider a second opinion, it would be good to teach your son how doctors work for him because he needs a rapport with one first before any drugs and diagnoses happen, in my opinion, and a lot of talk before dx’s is enormously important at this age, he is full of changing hormones and worry, that is normal for this age.

Definitely do not start depakote before an EEG or the results will be skewed.

I would again find a neuropsychologist for him, they can address the brain better and address meds if that comes up. Not going to get anything from a psychiatrist except meds, it’s what they do. Even this new doctor of my daughter’s after a decade of this, is making sure she discharges to a neuropsychiatrist now for her out patient care. Trust me, once in the med game and all, it will be hard to pick apart behaviors and what is normal and what is medication induced. You can delete this if you want to!