Verbally Abusive Husband

My husband is bi-polar (I'm convinced). He has tons of stress, due to owning our own construction (type) company (don't want to get too specific. He'll be nice for a period of time, but totally preoccupied when home because of the business. When he's really stressed, he'll rant and rave, yell and scream and cuss and insult. Mostly it is directed at me, but sometimes our teenage and older children. We have 4 - 21, 19 (in college) and 16 and 14 (at home and in high school). Here is the latest example in 24 years of marriage, with many, many more hurtful examples: We went on a trip together to visit my sister and so he could get away from the business. Afterward, I flew home and he flew to his brother's house for a few days. The night I got home, a parent of one of my son's friends came by because she needed (construction) advice. She was very pushy about me calling my husband right then and there. I told her I wouldn't do that because he'd be mad. After many minutes of this begging, she left. My husband texted me to say hi and "what are you doing"? I told him about the situation, thinking maybe he could text one of his employees and let them know she had left messages at the office and that they should give her priority. He did that. Then, the next morning, I get several ranting and raving texts about how "ignorant and stupid" I am for telling him about that and ruining his trip. It went on and on, very hurtful. If he had been home, he could have turned over furniture and thrown things and slammed doors. I have IBS, so when he gets like this, it sends me into a nervous stomach attack. I want to leave, but I've been a stay-at-home mom with part time jobs that pay nothing, for 21 years. I have a degree, but I'm unemployable now at age 47 and no experience in the field. I also don't want to mess up my kids' lives. We also own 2 homes that we'd have to sell because I could not afford to stay in this one and wouldn't want to (too big). I'm stuck I'm afraid, and don't know what to do.

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