If she has bipolar disorder medication should REALLY help. If she also has bipolar, the fact that shes been diagnosed so young shoulf also be a great benefit to her. Medication is fairly essential if your daughter has bipolar. The time before medications came out was the time of just grabbing the mentally ill and confining them into long term institutions. The invention of psychiatric medications has allowed so many with these illnesses to live independent and high quality lives. They are very important

Bipolar people can be very successful if their condition is well managed. This means therapy and medication and potentially school supports like an IEP. Bipolar is a tough illness though so you may have some ups and downs and a few relapses. Which is why its SO important for her to get treatment at a young age so she has a good amount of time to deal with it.

This is all if she has bipolar OR the start of a personality disorder like borderline- which has similar symptoms and often co-occurs and or is mistaken for bipolar. Id suggest reading about that to because- though Im not a doctor- it might be a good idea to bring that up with one seeing as some of the things you describe sound... like maybe thats something that should be asked about too.

Its really great that you are trying to help your daughter. Basically all I can say is... be there for her- listen. Dont allow her to do whatevrr she wants because she has an illness- but if she does something that isnt great- ask why. Maybe if you keep asking and you guys find an ability to connect action with how shes feeling- youll be able to look at those feelingd and understand and rewire new helathier coping strategies and behaviors to help your daughter.

Basically my advice is to keep an open dialogue with your daughters therapists and the rest of her team. And to work with them to hopefully- get your daughter much able to function highly. You guys definitely have time on your side which is great- so use it as much as you can while your daughter is still young and hopefully you can save a good deal of pain that would have come with no knowing why.