Techniques that actually work with the lows

hey guys!

i am back again, after a longer period of feeling stable, and productive.
well u know what that means. last week I had a crash.
Some of you, who might have read my older posts, know that the worst part of my bipolar disorder is, that when I get "depression", i have serious energy issues. It's like something inside my body is holding me back, from being able to get up, and get on. Basically I get exhausted really fast, and this is a completely somatic symptom, so when I actually get exhausted, it's not about just telling myself: "get up, let's go!", but I literally can't.

So before this crash happened, I was kinda okay. Of course anxiety here and there, but I tried to be productive, moved to my own apartment (i am 27), and am still continuing on my rough path of trying to grow up. Now of course instantly as this energy crash happened, i started panicking, and went to my doctor the next day. He didn't have a lot of time for me, but we switched meds. I am on Olwexya now (basically effexor just here in hungary it has this different name). so back on 150 mg anti depressant, and i am taking 1,5 mg xanax. ( 3 time 0,5mg per day). and used to take 400mg tegretol mood stabilizer, but now I am on only 200.

Anyways, I am obviously taking it very seriously and visiting my psychiatrist every single week, and I try to stay in touch with him. I trust him, he is very good at what he does.

Basically why I opened this thread is, I have questions regarding what WE can do to make our cycles more bearable. Are there coping techniques, and anti-stress techniques that we can use, to make a depressive episode less serious?
I've had two very severe depressive episodes so far, and obviously I don't want to be back in that hole again.
I'm gonna restart therapy also. once a week.
should I try to ask my therapist to try cognitive behavioral therapy? I don't even know what that is, just heard that it's like the main treatment of bipolar besides medication.

Does that really help?
What kind of mindset do I have to keep to help myself not get into that dark pit that I was for so long?

What do you guys do if you just don't have the energy to go to work and do stuff? it's not the will, what I'm talking about. it's actual physical weakness, and low energy levels.

I found that it fluctuates throughout the day, and in the night time I feel a bit better.

I appreciate any kind of strategy and help!

also! are the cycles like totally random? or is there actually anything I can do about it?
If I go to therapy regularly, and try to balance the stress in my life, am I gonna be able to live together with my condition? I don't want to lose money and jobs, and everything I have, just because of this lack of energy.

thank you!

Try and keep a routine. Maintain things that need to be done - prioritise. If you can't manage more than one or two things per day, then so be it. Do things for yourself that help you feel better. Go for long hot baths. Read magazines. Light scented candles. Use aromatherapy oil burners. Download relaxation aps on your phone and practice relaxation techniques. Download positive podcasts you can listen to whilst driving in your car. Listen to your favourite music.

Point is, pamper yourself even if you don't feel like it. Bear in mind the above are merely suggestions and certainly some may not be suitable for you.

My mood swings can be random and pop out of nowhere. Sometimes my mood swings can be caused by external factors - like when I'm feeling too much stress.

Maintain your regular contact with your T - this is great.

Be well.

I've found this to be helpful as well. During my withdrawal throughout this year, rapidly fluctuating between extreme mood states with no pattern, I would order some good food every weekend. Even though I believed the money would be better spent elsewhere and usually found eating it no more appealing than beans and rice, it saved me the stress of cooking and sometimes I could actually enjoy eating it, all of which helped me cope while in extreme distress.