My mother had bp & was an alcoholic--not a good mix. She had delusions that we kids had "bad blood" due to having the father we did. She had religious delusions & thought he was Satan. She beat us & threatened to kill us. The first time she had a break from reality was when I was about 3 (learned this from my father--who btw did not protect us enough--he'd take off when she got loony) & she called my father at work & told him she was going to kill the children & herself. He called the police & that was her 1st trip to the mental institution. The problem I have is that she was clearly a danger to herself & others & yet they would keep releasing her from the hospital. Finally, years after all this abuse & going in & out of the hospital, my father was going to have her involuntarily committed. She found out about it & left the country. She came back a year later (the most peaceful year of my life up to that point) & within a few days killed herself. She had had numerous attempts before & finally succeeded in getting some peace through death. I don't think she should have ended up in jail if she had killed us. She was really sick & obviously was psychotic.