My daughter April always seems to be full of drama. She carries a high energy and she does not know how to tone it down. She always speaks loud and in a gruff voice that makes you feel like she is yelling at you. Those that do not know her well often do not like her due to her persona, so she has trouble making friends in school and keeping them.

Inside she is a tender hearted little girl. She would give the shirt right off her back to someone in need. Often times she has been used by her so called friends because they know she is vulnerable.

Since becoming a preteen she has had a lot of issues. We began to realize how difficult things were for her when she started running away from school and skipping classes.

Of course as parents we tried to discipline her and that just made issues worse. She began slipping out of our house at night and then running away from home.

We tried counseling and more therapy. The doctor adjusted her medicines. But nothing seemed to work. She had the family at wits end. Because she is sixteen the police really do not look for her. So it is left up to her dad and me to try and find her when she runs away.

This time we had looked everywhere. No one seemed to know where she was. When we would get a lead on where she might be by the time we got there she was gone again. Day after day, no lead. As a mom, it was wearing on my soul.

Here she was out there in the winter time with no medications and I had no clue what she was doing to stay warm and to eat. I knew her friends were aware of her problems and they would call and tell me if they saw or heard from her.

The police were of no help at all. All I got from them was a little statement of how at 17 she could leave and do what she wanted. Well she isn't 17 yet and she is my daughter. So of course my reply was please help me find her.

Last night I got a call from April. She was drunk and she was sobbing. Mommy I want to come home and I love you and daddy but I don't want to fight any more. Then she went off on how she almost got into a fight that day. Then she told me she had been in a car accident. The girl driving was drunk and she had been on icy roads and the car rolled over three times.

I begged her to tell me where she was and to let me come get her. She said no mommy you cant see me like this. I promise mommy I will come home tomorrow. Tomorrow passed and no phone call and no April.

I wonder how mothers handle it when their kids run away and then just never hear from them again. I know my heart is broken for my daughter.

We never had alcohol or drugs or cigarettes in our home. We always lived a clean life and tried to teach the kids good values. But as teenagers they get out there and the world is at their feet. They use whatever vices they think will make it cool.

My greatest worry is that like her birth parents she will be addicted easily and fall into the same slump in life that they have. I don't know how to help her.

She is getting so close to being an adult that I don't know if I can help her. Tough love does not work with her. Compassion seems to draw her back. So I just try and love her and be there for her.

She wants so much to get a job and work and be on her own. But she keeps going down the wrong path. How can I help her now? Will signing her into a program help her? Or do I just let life happen?

Who out there has been standing in my shoes? What did you do? and how can I help my bipolar daughter make it through her teen years?