1. I have never experienced anything like that due to bipolar. My crying spells are quiet when I'm depressed. When I'm manic and crying, generally someone is getting screamed at pretty violently. I did have similar experiences with PTSD because I was so skittish. I don't think that 1 (non-psychotic) breakdown can be enough to diagnose a lifelong disorder.

I'm reading between the lines that your friends/family/roommates thought the situation was abnormal, either that you needed help or were attention-seeking. If you would normally trust their judgment, that might indicate that your reaction to the "trigger" was unwarranted and you might want to focus on that with your therapist next session. If you're worried about time, just cut out a lot of the details and prepare a few key points. For me it's like a formula: x resulted in y and the whole thing made me feel z.

2. Google "coping skills" to get huge lists of ideas. You would probably benefit from mindfulness techniques like progressive muscle relaxation. Most of the rest are distraction-type skills, like walk your dog, write a poem, watch a movie, go for a run, etc. Personally, what coping skills I use depends on what type of episode I'm starting or having.