How to respond to threats?

[what_now]

My wife will threaten - recently the threat has been - if you don't ... I will call the police. I'm not worried about the police, the govt. has already come through and seen through her.
What I want to know is that if I or the children are threatened like that, and note that her anger can be high like uncontrollable, what is an appropriate reaction from me? I am the husband in this case, and all problems are because of me in her eyes.
It doesn't have to be police, it can be other pressure points to try to get me to do what she wants or to make me make the kids do what she wants, or to placate her feelings, some threats come around in circles. Any ideas?

She is an abuse survivor, and I would say complex ptsd
(Note due to govt. intervention she is seeing a psych)

[notrightinthehead]

Whatnow, the more attention she gets from you or the kids when she threatens something, the more she is encouraged to continue with this behaviour. Therefore I encourage you and teach your kids the same - try to give her as little encouragement as possible. Ignore, respond briefly and as calmly and coldly as possible. Give one word answers - OK, alright, if you say so... Remain calm and rational if you can.
When she threatens to call the police - Sure go ahead - while you walk away and continue what you have been doing. Threats to hurt herself - call the emergency services.
Read up on the strategies explained in the Toolbox and teach them to your kids too. I found it incredibly helpful when I saw my husband as a out of control toddler in such episodes and his increasingly irrational behaviour as extinction bursts. It helped me keep my humour.
Recording his uncontrolable anger also helped - he did not like us having his rages documented and calmed down.
Good luck to you. It's not easy living with a rager.

[MaxedOut]

 

[what_now]

Thanks - 'extinction burst' is a new term to me, love it! Extinction being the goal that is
I haven't been recording the rage sessions but I write them down. She was so uncomfortable when I started recounting one of them during a govt. meeting so there is hopefully a lever to help stop the rage! I have also twice recounted some times when she hit me, the first she justified, the second was before a govt. meeting and she quickly left the room saying your lying, paused, changed the subject.