There is usually something that can be done to help. I won't mention which medication that is, because any decisions of that type should be made with a complete knowledge of other medications and their possible interactions in mind. Bipolar is not a good illness to self-medicate. I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a couple of terrible days that got me so freaked out that I went into a huge manic spin. Once again, research now points to what many of us had already learned the hard way.
Stress can trigger manic attacks.
I'm careful not to watch the news very often, because the horrors of the world have too great an effect on me, and I become manic very easily. I see my therapist regularly, and we try to develop strategies for dealing with life's curve balls. I hold a great deal of anger inside, because I'm terrified of what would happen if I let it out. Consequently, anger tends to set off manic attacks, too. Each of us has our own triggers.