Controlling temper...

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I'm normally pretty easy going, but man, if something irritates me, I can go from perfectly calm to yelling and screaming before I even know what's happening. And this has been happening a lot lately, and I know its hurting people I care about and who I do not want to be yelling at. But its like when something starts to bother me I can usually control it, but if its something that's unexpected and I didn't have a chance to prepare myself I can just lose it before I even know I've lost it. And that's killing me because like I said I want to catch myself.

Maybe this isn't really something Aspie specific, but I wonder if we're more prone to it - my dad is Aspie too and he has pretty much the same sort of temper I do.

So if you have had a short temper in the past, how did you get a handle on it? I'm desperate for advice.

This is something I'm workking on to. Apparently it is/can be an Aspie thing. It is part of our trouble with emotional regulation. That we have an on/off switch for emotions rather than a dial. Understanding it is one thing. Implementing change is all together different. I'm trying to do things differently by walking away more often and sooner than I usually would.

There is no magic cure, but I suggest making sure you get enough rest. Tired people are more prone to being cranky, and to having outbursts. Also, get some exercise. It will generate mood boosting endorphins, which will put you in a better mood. That will also make the outbursts less likely.

And yes, I have a problem with this, too. Fortunately I now live alone. It's hard to fly off the handle at anyone if there is no one there to push your buttons.