Could be 1 of the meds is reacting against him or he has a serious illness. Any normal Dr.would be looking for answers. Who is giving him the medications, a shrink or regular MD. Any medical personal should be very worried about him & doing blood tests to see if he has blood disease, malnutrition, colon problem where his food is not being absorbed,fact that he is not sleeping is not good. Is he in pain? Do you "remind him of where he came?(Very bad idea, it is not his fault in any way- bless you for having the courage to keep him) but he should not ever be reminded of what happened to you because it just hurts him & makes him feel it was his fault. Is a therapist bringing this stuff up? Fire them! He should be getting love & fun things in his life not reminders of 8 yrs ago. Have you had therapy to get through it? Are you still very sad about it & he is sad for you? If he were my boy I would show up at the family Dr. & say, Look at my boy! Do you really think this is normal? He's wearing size 4 which is what a 4 yr old child usually wears, he's 8 what is going on! I want answers! Feel free to print my letter off & wake up these medical people!! No way is this normal unless he had a huge growth spurt but that would not explain the "inability to sleep" He needs complete blood workup. Also does he get fruits & veggies as many kids are living on "Cup of noodles(loaded with salt) & junk from the potato chip, corn chip, cheesy curls etc. Pure junk. Is he pale? Does he have energy to ride a bike, does he play with other kids, is he glued to a video game(some kids think they are going to be killed because of them-I know 1) so him mind maybe upset from stuff he is watching. Get him checked out soon!

manda, yes, this sounds like a manic episode. It could easily be caused by various medications, including adhd and depression meds (antidepressants, stimulants, strattera, etc.). Psychiatrists don't hand out near enough warnings with these meds. This warrants an immediate call to the psychiatrist, and if he/she doesn't recommend either decreasing this particular med or switching to something else, then it's time to switch doctors. Drug-induced mania can cause children to do things they would never otherwise do. Your instincts are right on - - don't take this lightly! If the "counselor" you are seeing is not a psychiatrist who has expertise in psychopharmacology, then it is time to find someone new. Good luck.

Sesbania herbacea? I'm not good enough with these to rule out some Cassia species.

Plllog- I do see your point. The only severe (not extreme) alerts I have received late at night had to do with flash flooding, which doesn't affect me but very well could affect some of my low lying neighbors, and severe thunderstorms which produce high winds and large hail. I personally keep these alerts activated. Straight line winds can and do cause a lot of damage BUT, it isn't something I'm prepared to wake up in the middle of the night to suddenly batten down the hatches for. Large hail however? If my phone buzzes in the middle of the night for severe thunderstorms with straight line winds and producing large damaging hail, I will get up, get my outside dogs and bring them inside. Whether that warning was sent at 2 PM or 2 am, my response would be the same. Protect my animals. I guess what I'm saying is that, at least for me and the rather extreme weather we have around here, I still would want to be notified, even if it is the middle of the night so I can take steps to minimize damage and protect my pets and/or property. I can't testify to what qualifies as severe weather in other parts of the country, I only know my own stomping grounds. I've never been annoyed or awoken by a useless weather report. Every one I have received was not only valid, but acted on immediately to protect my family, property or pets, regardless of the hour. I could see how getting a winter advisory in the middle of the night when you are safe and warm in your bed and knew a winter storm was coming could be an annoyance though, it just isn't my experience in my part of the country.