What's WRONG with this picture??

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My daughter-in-law is a swell gal with a terrific personality....(here comes the 'but') but it appears after three unplanned pregnancies resulting in three beautiful kids aged, 6, 4, 2, she is showing signs of manic depression and/or attention deficit and/or depression. Or ALL OF THE ABOVE.

It appears that she is starting to crack up...literally.  She argues & bitches constantly at my son, and I mean constantly.  She talks endlessley to anyone and everyone; she called long distance to talk to my husband and I over fifteen times last month and that's just on the cell phones.  There were more calls on the land line.   K. ignores the children until they do something to annoy her (it may not have been anything particularly awful, but it annoyed her ) then she smacks them HARD on the hiney or back of thighs and sends them screaming to their rooms.  She hangs constantly on the phone or Internet, forgetting to eat, or drink water and wasting precious time necessary to run a household.  She loses car keys, phone, purses, forgets everything and leaves possessions everywhere she's ever visited.  She flys from completely apathetic about her real duties with her kids & home and suddenly starts talking about starting a cake decorating business, a cleaning business, a taxi service...gawd the list of her 'GREAT IDEAS' are endless and beyond her skill levels and the new ones keep flowing.  (I know one would  suspect she's on speed or meth or something, but she's not. She's against drugs)

I am really worried about her and for the health and happiness of the family she and my son have together. I am especially concerned for the safety of my grandchildren because K. is 'out to lunch' so much, even when she is in the same room with them.  My son, E.,  loves her madly and is patient beyond compare, but with his job and helping her around the house and with the kids as she goes to school at nights....he is starting to melt down too. 

I am so worried about them and my innocent grand kids.  ANY SUGGESTIONS OUT THERE?  I have urgently suggested that she get to a psychiatrist for testing, but their health insurance doesn't cover any mental health and K & E refuse to pay out of pocket.  Here's another helpful piece of information:  After the birth of their last child, the 2 yr. old boy, she showed up with painful ovarian cysts and one burst on her.  Her periods are irregular and short.  Her doctors have done nothing to treat that condition - they say there is nothing that can be done.  HELP CAFE MOMS OUT THERE.  HELP ME BRAINSTORM FOR SOME HELP FOR THIS YOUNG MOTHER. 

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Sep. 7, 2009 at 1:11 PM

Thank You, Jafra mommy.  I truly appreciate any/ all suggestions.

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(Original Poster)