Well, we are going by Axl's own words on that who calls her mom. It does feel more like a mother relationship than a romantic one from what is shown as well.
Axl never used being bipolar as an excuse (when he seemed to not outright reject the diagnosis and before he denied it) for his behaviour. I think he would definitely prefer to be regarded as lazy than as being bipolar or mentally ill in general. Because, among other reasons, that has and can be used against him (for example, in the recent Kennedy lawsuit). When he denied being diagnosed as bipolar, he said (paraphrasing) that it had been used by people trying to make money off him via financial settlements (I assume he meant in lawsuits).
So, if some people think that suggesting that at least some of Axl's issues may be due to a mental condition and not just "laziness" is defending or finding excuses for him, I doubt that Axl himself would see it that way.
About Beta, I don't get why people think she's supposed to be a MOTHER figure to him. Beta is only about 5 years older than Axl, not a MOTHER Figure. She'd seem more like his WIFE than his MOTHER figure, right? 🤔
I just remembered that last night I had an inception-style dream (where I went two levels down) and in my dream within a dream I heard loud thunder and I still don’t know if it was from the real world or if it was all in my head lol