Not sure if they can be controlled. But sometimes when I feel either depression or mania coming I can fight it off for a little bit. When I start to get depressed, before it grabs hold and it's work just to get out of bed, I make myself do things. Leave the house, call a friend, shower. I try and continue doing as many of my normal activities as possible. Mania is different....its a fight for me to air still or have any kind of meaningful interaction. Mostly I rely on meds to keep that in check.
Hope that helps.