This is me, too--but I am far better now--like, another region of the country--but every once in awhile, I get booted back...

I am diagnosed as mixed state, rapid cycling.

The coping methods and skills and tricks I learned: Good meds--abilify helped the most with stability (but I had to give it up after about a year and a half because it caused a tremor); two people I could talk to sometime the day I called (my psychiatrist and my psychologist); DBT (and that added more people I could call--because you are supposed to call your trainer when you're doing things you think are out of your control, and because you can call other group members if you promise to do what they tell you to do in terms of grounding and soothing yourself); sick leave until I could stabilize...this was, obviously, lucky and a luxury that many don't have: I had a lot of sick leave built-in to my job and as a result of not taking it very often; I reminded myself/my doctors reminded me over and over not to escalate my anxiety by worrying about the anxiety, but to notice the sensations then try to attend to those sensations: if I was full of energy, go run or walk fast on the nearby college track; if I was creepy crawly, take a bath or a shower and use my nicest oils; if I was afraid, watch a candle flame while bundled up in my fluffliest sweatshirt and fluffiest wool socks and while tucked into a corner of the couch; only watch "fact" channels--no drama, and NO romance or anything that would make me weepy about my own life choices or situation--even cartoons can be tricky....Shrek is good, The Muppets productions are good....what else is safe? Not even Up...So, be careful about what's on TV. Same with music. Classical, dull as they may strike you, is safe. I have to avoid drumbeats--they just take me over! Also, I draw with a soft lead pencil--something that lets me feel the texture of the paper, feel the smoothness of the line, and I draw either leaves, etc, or I draw structural things--like doors, or bookshelves...things that are made and controlled, that have some sort of pattern to them...I have to stay away from bright colors, too.............what else?....I drink broths, or soups...I avoid high calorie foods because they really do jazz me up, and this avoidance is really hard, because: when you've been stressed and anxious, it makes you exhausted and you need recharged. Something sweet or high-carb would do that. BUT, it also sends your hormones swinging off on another high/low cycle, and there we go again.......Drink hot, sugar-free jello for a treat, munch tortilla chips--crunchy stuff helps when you're anxious....OH! Keep to a regular sleep schedule--and that means take Lunesta if you have to. And, maybe check with your doctor about a prescription for Nuvigil (not provigil...not the same thing) for a day when you can't even drag yourself to the window to stare out of it before you go rocketing off out the door in search of ....whatever.....

That's what I think of right now...if you need more, post again, and we'll see if more will come to mind for me....