I'm not quite sure what my mothers diagnosis is exactly. She has been unstable for as long as i could remember. When i was younger, about 14, i just assumed that it was because she was on drugs. But now that she is sober she is worse then ever. now she is acting the way she use to from my ages of 6-10. She gets very paranoid, and makes up some what believable lies/conspiracies, then she will get obsessed about this and think every person is after her, that's when she would run away from home leaving me alone and come back weeks later with a head ache, throwing up, and shaking (from doing drugs) then she would recover and be mom my again for a bit until something else set her off. She hasn't been diagnosed because she mostly is on the street. When i was younger i lived with her friends family, and after they passed and mom my got in trouble with the law, the state took me away and found my dad and dropped me with him. Little did they know my dad is a meth addicted that can barely take care of him self. So i am currently 19 and i live in a house with my dad, my stepmother, my stepmothers boyfriend (they are separated because of my father's drug problem and my step mom's alcoholism). and my crazy mother is currently taking refuge in my dads friends apartment while he is out of town. however, his friend is coming back in 3 days and i have no where to put my mom. I have recently tried to get her money throw ssi however they have denied her again. I can not pay for a place for her. I work a part time job at minimum wage and still live at home. my mom says she has to much pride to go to a shelter, and she doesn't want to leave that house. so i will have to force my mom out on the street... i have no other idea on what i can do? could i involuntary commit her to a hospital for awhile? will that cost me any money? does anyone one have any ideas on how i can help her? and as for my dad anyone have any ideas how i could help him as well? and where i could get in touch which some sort of support group or something. I think i might be going crazy myself with all of this stress and worry. i also go to college, and all of this happening in my life is making it very hard to reach my own goals, of transferring colleges and moving out of this house. HOW DO I HELP EVERYONE AND MYSELF? p.s sorry for all the spelling mistakes!!! :/

I'm so sorry you have to go through this at such a young age. I can relate because I've been taking care of my mentally ill mother since I was 15. She is severely bi-polar and on SSI because she is unable to work due to her illness. She did not qualify for it the first time we applied. The important thing in applying is to make a solid case that she is mentally ill and cannot work to take care of herself. You will have to get a doctor's diagnosis for her, so your first step, as difficult as it may be, should be getting her to a doctor for help. Search for a state-run mental health center and ask how you can get an appointment for her. It may be difficult to get her to go, but you'll have to explain that you can't help her if she will not realize she has a problem and try to help herself.

I'm no expert, by any means. This is just advice coming from my own experiences. Good luck to you.