I've been in a similar situation, albeit not as extreme.

Our medical system tends to try to fob off behavioral problems with what's often called a "treat & street" approach. It seesaws between getting prescribed ever-increasing dosages of whatever antidepressant is popular that month, and admittance to a behavioral facility when the inevitable crisis and collapse occurs.

This is not the only treatment model that exists. You can push the system to get proper treatment for your wife. And with proper treatment, most bipolar sufferers can lead relatively normal and happy lives.

Step one is to find the best psychiatrist who specializes in bipolar that you can. One way to do this is to start calling psychiatrists in the wealthiest towns or neighborhoods that you can reach. It's not an absolute truth that poor people get inferior care in the US, but that's the way to bet.

If you have to go out of network, it's worth it. We did, and I've never begrudged the cost - although money is always tight for us.

If your wife hasn't had a complete psychiatric workup, she really should. This can take several days to a week, or more, and is usually done on a residential basis. Insurance may pay for this - it did in our case - but check with her psychiatrist and your insurance company beforehand. You don't want a fight with your insurance company on top of everything else that you're dealing with!

If there's someone who can take care of your children for a few days or weeks, talk to them. Working out the most effective combination of medications to treat bipolar can be (is) a complicated process. There will be problems and crises. It's a process that can take years, and sometimes a particular combination of medications will work for a while, and then suddenly stop working. But that's an extreme case.

Good talk therapy is also often a key part of the treatment process. Again, look for the best therapist that you can get. Beware therapists who are nothing more than a rent-a-friend; ultimately they end up enabling the problem, rather than treating it.

In my experience, some psychiatric social workers are more likely to provide this sort of shoddy therapy than psychiatrists or psychologists. But in fairness, a social worker friend of mine takes great offense at that suggestion.

If your wife is a danger to herself or anyone in your family (including you), then the children need to go to a "safe place". It's key for you to make that arrangement, preferably with a family member who lives relatively nearby.

Once your wife is on track for proper treatment, even if it takes a while to work out the best combination of medications, I think you'll both feel some hope - and that will make a huge difference in your lives.

You may also want to look into a support group for yourself. Her psychiatrist may be able to recommend one for spouses and family members of people with bipolar. It's a surprisingly common problem.

I'd strongly recommend starting a private journal to record her moods, her medications, and any events that might relate to her condition. Date everything. This will be an invaluable resource for her psychiatrist.

One more thing: I hate to mention it, but as you may know bipolar is one of the most commonly-inherited conditions we know of. Try to be aware of the signs, and keep an eye on your children. If you ever have any concerns, have them evaluated.

Oh, and of course I should note that I am not a behavioral professional - just a layman who has years of experience in living with someone with bipolar syndrome, and who has been deeply involved with the treatment process.

Best of luck to you!

It's lucky for him that his supporters are dumber.

Okay, we get it. You want to fuck Sarah Palin. And you seem to think that being obnoxious and clueless is some sort of badge of intellectual honor. Maybe Joan Walsh agrees with you, since I can't imagine what other reason she'd have for keeping you around. I continue to subscribe to Salon despite you, but sometimes I wonder why.

God, you're annoying. Back to my killfile you go!

The author seems a bit too desperate to convince the reader of their point. I've seen (and written) this sort of article before. I'm afraid it's not very effective.

But that's not what I'm commenting. I'm commenting because I couldn't resist the "savory mollusks in the sparkling waters" line. I didn't realize that oysters grew in Perrier. :D

For some reason I have no doubt that every phone call, every text message, every phone call within the United States is being recorded by the government - and that the information is already being abused in all sorts of ways.

Eventually, perhaps, evidence of the abuse will surface. I hope that the American people will actually care, and finally take action.

But I doubt it. The last nine years have proved pretty conclusively that the majority of the American people neither understand democracy, nor deserve it.

Gosh. Obama broke another campaign promise? I'll alert the media!

Oh, wait. I forgot. They don't care.