It's very hard to diagnos manic depressive people, sometimes they just end up committing suicide before they are diagnosed. I know someone that is in their 40's and were just recently diagnosed, I also am Bi-Polar but for some reason it doesn't affect me as severly as some other people. It does sound very much like the mother is having trouble controlling herself like a bi-polar person.

What every happend to someone just have a spending problem...or just having self discipline problems? Have all those probems been replace by some type of disorder or another?

She simply has a spending problem....just my $0.02

I think, 02, that we are finally recognizing that spending and other "discipline" problems are often symptoms of a larger issue. This doesn't take away the personal responsibility, but medication and therapy can help with the behavioral issues that lead to these problems. A person still has to admit that what they are doing is not normal, and they have to commit themselves to whatever treatment is most appropriate. I can tell you from personal experience though, that this is truly something that a person cannot always control through self-discipline and it is heartbreaking to constantly be told that if you could just have more will-power everything would be fine.

That said, you could be right. It could be just a spending problem, but please, try to understand that not every compulsion is a discipline issue.

I couldn't agree more doodle, there are some people who have legitimate chemical imbalances and other issues that are not solved by increasing self discipline. However most of those individuals have other significant problems other than spending problems that stem from the larger issue. I think 5268s mother was a manic depressive, she would have other large life issues, which would make the depression much more apparent ex. substance abuse, eating disorders etc.. It appears that these issues are not present here. Often times a bad diagnosis leads to a bad cure. If this is a case stemming from lack of spending discipline, medication will not do anything but temporarily mask the problem. Once it is removed the problem resurfaces. However if it is the case medication may be the only option. Resorting to medication should be the last option and is often the first option with manic depressives and other people with "disorders", most predominantly with kids that have behavioral probelms and are diagnosed with ADD. My basic point is that it sounds like this is a simple case of self discipline and should be addressed as such. Just my $0.02, I reserve the right to be wrong.

US DOJ Approved Credit Counseling Agencies is a good place to start to try and help her out. You may also want to remind her that the new bankruptcy laws are a lot tougher and she will not be able to get away with as much as she did last time. (click the uinderlined link)
In the meantime, DO NOT lend her any more money of your own. JHMO.