My girlfriend has had mental health issues our whole relationship (about one year) and really her whole life (32 years). It's mostly anxiety, depression, mood swings/emotional instability, extreme irritability around her period, etc. It has been challenging to deal with for sure, but I've been able to deal with it because of how wonderful of a person she is most of the time. However, things have been really bad lately, about the past 3 weeks, and this last weekend they were so bad I thought she might be having a mental breakdown (a family member of mine has bipolar I and had a mental breakdown when we lived together, so I know what they look like). She said all kinds of nasty things to me, was mad and moody to the point she had to leave work, was not thinking straight, etc. She sort of came to yesterday, we talked, and she cried a lot and said she's really worried and doesn't know what's wrong with her, that she's been having lots of dark thoughts and feels empty and miserable every day and doesn't know why. She's already on an SSRI and an anxiety medication. I know a lot about mental health due to having had serious depression in the past and having a family member with severe bipolar I, but I am still feeling way out of my depth. Just keeping my girlfriend from imploding, losing her job, whatever, has felt like a full-time job lately. I can't go on like this, nor can she.
We talked and both agreed she needs to see a professional, but the problem is, she barely makes enough to cover her bills as it is, and I've already put thousands of dollars of my own money into helping her and this relationship. I desperately want her to get better, but I feel exhausted, and I don't feel like it really makes sense for me to continue with the relationship and pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more for her treatment when I'm not even sure things will get better any time soon. Just bouncing and not looking back is not an option though. I love her. I don't know what to do.