TIRED and hungry from sleeping rough, missing teenager Madison Murphy had an emotional reunion with her parents last night after turning up at a police station.

The 15-year-old, who disappeared on Sunday afternoon after an argument with her mum, apologised to everyone she had "freaked out''.

The Heidelberg teenager turned up at Melbourne West police station about 9.10pm, telling police she did not want to spend another night on the street.

Safe and well apart from an empty stomach, she was given toast and a can of Coke by officers and hugs from her parents.

She told the Herald Sun she had sneaked into an apartment block and slept in a stairwell on Sunday night.

"I sort of followed someone into the building and looked in the cupboards for towels,'' she said.

Ms Murphy said she ran away due to "personal stress''.

"I really couldn't take it anymore,'' she said.

"I guess that's not really important anymore.''

Her message to other teenagers that were considering running away from home was "it's not worth it''.

"There are so many steps you can take it's really not worth the fuss. I'd like to say sorry to everyone that I freaked out, the police and the media," she said.

"They (the police) can be focussing on much more than some girl that ran away.''

Madison's father, Gary Murphy, said it was a "fantastic outcome'' and thanked the police and media.

"Everyone has rallied around. It's been overwhelming,'' Mr Murphy said.

Mother Cielito Murphy said they were "very grateful''.

Earlier, her parents had pleaded for her to come home while friends launched a social networking campaign to try to track her down.

With the hashtag #findmadisonmurphy, they sent tweets to celebrities and friends in a bid to locate her.

Police last night thanked the public and media for their assistance.

The Our Lady of Mercy College student had left Warringal Shopping Centre in Heidelberg after having an argument with her mother at 4.30pm on Sunday.

Madison - who volunteers at the RSPCA and The Austin Hospital - then got on a train at Heidelberg Station but did not have her mobile phone on her.

She had last been seen leaving the Collins St end of Southern Cross Station.

Her mother, who said the argument was about a planned trip to France, made a tearful plea for her daughter to return home.

"Madison, whatever was said, it was an argument, it was just words in anger, we just want you to come home,'' she said.

Before she was found father said the family, which also includes sister Olivia 13, was feeling "pretty terrible''.

- with Jon Kaila

Originally published as 'I really couldn't take it anymore'