13 year old boy diagnosed Bi polar after 10 minutes?

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My 13 year old step son was at the pediatrician's office for an illness and only after 15 minutes he was back with a prescription for Depakote with a diagnosis of bipolar. He said he told the Dr. he couldn't control his anger sometimes and his mom told him it ran in the family so he prescribed it. Isn't that a little soon to diagnose someone so young so fast? He just turned 13 and he seems fine to me except having teenage hormone fits. I would hate for him to take Depakote if not needed but his mom thinks it's just great. It's just sad that teenagers can't be teenagers anymore without us dianosing them with a mental disorder and giving them medicine to make them "behave" the way we want them too.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Not only all your points, but what pediatrician is qualified to diagnose bipolar?

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Specializes in DOU.

I think Bipolar Disorder is the ADHD of this decade. It's the "trendy" disorder - all the cool kids have it. :D

Anyway, are this child's parents going to allow him to take this medication? I wouldn't unless the diagnosis came from someone qualified to diagnose it, and possibly not even then. The kid has mood swings? Welcome to the teenage years.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

A pediatrician is not qualified to diagnose a patient with bipolar.

A GOOD pediatrician wouldn't act outside his scope of practice and refer you to a child psychologist, and then further to a pediatric psychiatrist if the child needs to be medicated.

I would take whatever advice he gave and throw it out the window.

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i agree w/all the others, esp babylady when stated that a good pediatrician wouldn't dx outside scope, and would make appropriate referrals.

op, how often do you see your stepson?

does he live with you?

if not, perhaps there are frequent outbursts where he lives?

but...

either way, there should have been a 2nd opinion by a psychiatrist.

best of everything to you and yours.

leslie

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Thanks all for giving us the reassurance we need. He has had a rough childhood and is doing better so my husband thought with his mother now. Now we aren't so sure. I think we will have to have a heart to heart with his mother and talk her into him seeing a counselor before going to a psychiatrist, to see why he is having outbursts besides being 13.

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.

Sounds like my childhood, except my mother doctor shopped. I had a rough home life which unsurprisingly resulted in emotional problems. I was put on 3 different drugs. My mother loved how "calm" I was. Now, with my younger siblings, it's Asperger's spectrum. I moved out of my parents' house at the age of 15 and in with my aunt and uncle, who worked with me and took me counseling rather than throw pills.

This is the reason why I'm so disgusted with modern psychology and psychiatry. If you really think that there might be something wrong, take your kid to a specialist. Good for you for not considering teenage behavior to be a mental illness.

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

i was diagnosed with severe depression at age 13. i am almost 27, and i have taken zoloft since i was 13.

let me tell you, being treated made a world of difference in my life! i no longer had problems controlling my outbursts, and i felt better.

mental illness is just like any other illness, if you have it then you should treat it. there is no shame in having mental problems, but it is a shame to not get help.

definitely get a second opinion from a psychiatrist. he may very well have problems outside of normal 'teenage' hormones, and if he gets help now he will certainly have a better outcome than if he went untreated.

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What kind of medical tests could he have done in 10 minutes? I would get an opinion from a psychiatrist before I would just go along with Depakote prescribed based on a 10 minute diagnosis. The psychiatrist is the one who is qualified to make this diagnosis and I'll bet s/he takes longer than 10 minutes to come to that conclusion.

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Then you've got me. My oldest son had issues form about the age of 4. I talked to pediatrician, his diabetes doc, school counselors, phychologist & a psychiatrist. The only one who even kind of helped was the school counselor. They tried to have him set up for an eval. to no avail. He destryed our house numerous times, would physically attack me, pierce himself in front of others just to prove he could stand pain, absolutley refused to take care of his diabetes, steal & lie. More than once I had to call cops when he'd attack, it was like dealing with a wild animal. Their solution? They let him decide to go to a foster home, after he threatened to kill all of us, & they let him decide when he wanted to come home! I watched that boy buffalo every specialist we put him in front of.

Long story short, he's 21 now & we have very little connection or communication between us.

Before anyone decides to question my parenting, I have 2 other children who are just fine. My daughter is 19 & in college. My youngest is 15 & already knows what he wants to go to college for.

I only added last comment, because every doctor & spe. thought I was making things up. Only his school backed me up & belived me.

So, to diagnose in 10 min. is crazy insane & makes me angry & confused.:crying2:

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Specializes in SDU, Tele.
Then you've got me. My oldest son had issues form about the age of 4. I talked to pediatrician, his diabetes doc, school counselors, phychologist & a psychiatrist. The only one who even kind of helped was the school counselor. They tried to have him set up for an eval. to no avail. He destryed our house numerous times, would physically attack me, pierce himself in front of others just to prove he could stand pain, absolutley refused to take care of his diabetes, steal & lie. More than once I had to call cops when he'd attack, it was like dealing with a wild animal. Their solution? They let him decide to go to a foster home, after he threatened to kill all of us, & they let him decide when he wanted to come home! I watched that boy buffalo every specialist we put him in front of.

Long story short, he's 21 now & we have very little connection or communication between us.

Before anyone decides to question my parenting, I have 2 other children who are just fine. My daughter is 19 & in college. My youngest is 15 & already knows what he wants to go to college for.

I only added last comment, because every doctor & spe. thought I was making things up. Only his school backed me up & belived me.

So, to diagnose in 10 min. is crazy insane & makes me angry & confused.:crying2:

I appreciate you for going through that. :redbeathe

As for the other kid, it really is crazy. I do think there is a bipolar trend going on. I graduated high school in 08 and everyone would brag they were bipolar!!!! :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

How long has the pediatrician been taking care of the child? Since birth or just last year.... length as healthcare provider makes big difference in how one looks at this picture.

If they've been peds dr since child's birth they have 13 year history and relationship to go on, just not the 10 minute office visit....may have seen behaviour during previous visit etc. Doc carrying for child 2 or 3rd time ---would then think premature to start meds without additional testing. Father has every right to request psychologist eval, discuss concerns with peds dr, second opinion, along with strong parental presence and involvement as the goal is to have child function at highest level.

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