I met my ex-boyfriend a year ago and we started dating in January. Since I'm still in college, it was long distance. But we talked every day and I came home to visit about once a month. By March I knew I was in love with him. I've never felt so perfectly fitted to another person in my life. We can talk for hours and connect on all levels. He has a wonderful, supportive family who he adores and works very hard. 

But then I started noticing the problems. I found out he had Bipolar about a month into our relationship. My father also suffered from the disease so I'm aware of how it works, I'm also aware of the pain it inflicted on my mother. My ex lost his job in April, and by the end of the month he nearly killed himself on Whiskey. Throughout the summer he went from job to job, falling further behind on bills and spending more money on alcohol. He also started smoking. In September, he again nearly died after a night of drinking, smoking pot, and doing ecstasy. By October, I had enough. After I caught him repeatedly lying to me about drinking and smoking as well as making up absurd accusations about his family, I ended the relationship. 

Last week, he told me he was going to kill himself. After talking with him for nearly three hours, I figured out it was a plea for attention and not an actual plan. The emotional trauma I endured as a result is indescribable. I still deeply love the man and recognize that much of his behavior is a result of the disease. I spoke with both his parents, and the next day his mom called authorities to have him taken to a hospital for help. 

To this point, he hasn't been regularly taking medication and it probably isn't the right medication any way. He has not been in counseling in over two years either. Also, there has been the drug and alcohol abuse for which he has started going to AA. Before this last episode, we were seeing some improvement in his behavior.

When he isn't overtaken by the disease, he's a wonderful loving man who I know I could spend my life with. But what concerns me is marrying and starting a family with a man not knowing if I could come home and find him dead. Or worse, some day our children finding their father had committed suicide. Coming from a BP household myself, I know how hard it is on children to have a parent go through these emotional roller coasters. 

At this point it seems like he'll only get worse, that living with him will be a constant battle for the rest of our lives. I don't want to give up on him or the love we share, but I don't know what else to do. 

Does anyone have any advise? Any ideas? Thank you, anything would be helpful.