update:

so this has been going on for the past year. we have rode out the waves of psychosis/mania that my sister endures.

it all came to a head yesterday morning. my sister punched my mom and said she is going to cut her up with the kitchen knives. my mom went straight to the magistrate. this is what we have been waiting for- a statement that is worthy of her being involuntarily committed. the police came and took my sister to the emergency department. my mom said that she admitted she said the statement about the knives, but only said it because she was mad and didn't really mean it. regardless, she admitted to saying it, which is good.

she's been in the emergency department since yesterday morning. she had a teleconference with a psychiatrist in a neighboring city. i texted my mom for an update a few minutes ago. she said they have made a decision, and she is waiting for the call to say whether my sister will be admitted or not.

this is bittersweet. this was my worst fear: that she would try to hurt my mom. yet, it is good, in a way, because now she can finally get help.

the problems i see are these:

1. my sister will not be admitted and will go back to my mom's house full of angry feelings over this whole ordeal. i fear for my mom's safety intensely over this situation occurring.

2. my sister will be admitted, take the meds in the psych hospital, get better, get discharged, then chuck her meds out and go back to this insane cycle. in this case, we are going to be back at square 1.

Rose, you said my mom is being too tolerant of all this. i totally agree. this is how my mom is and has been my whole life. she was this way with me when i was acting out as a teenager and using hardcore drugs all the time. she let me live there and do as a i please, stealing her money and medication, sleeping til 5pm, staying out til 7am.

this is not new behavior. this is the type of parent we grew up with. my father died when we were young. my mom became the passive door-mat, never really speaking up on the struggles we had... just kind of silently observing them. my mom is not dumb, she notices A LOT more than she allows herself to comment on.

our family dynamic is pretty messed up. i won't deny that.

i want to tell my mom to give my sister an ultimatum. my mom could say that she has to watch my sister take her pills every day, or something like that.

the problem is with my mom following thru with the 'or else' part, which would basically mean my sister becomes homeless.

i know its easy to read all this and say, just give the ultimatum. but please try to put yourself in our shoes... think of this being one of your loved family members, and try to understand how difficult it would be to do that. regardless, i think it is the best option if this all fails.

thanks for reading, any support is welcome.