pauliscool's Journal

After several weeks of not getting angry, last night i got angry. I had been drinkink (about 5 pints of beer total, over several hours) and so had my girlfriend (red wine). We began the afternoon in a bar working on our laptops fro a few hours ... all great. We then moved to another table to relax and plan the evening. She began texting. I got bored and went for a walk for 25 minutes or so. She got mad about that. We left the bar, she wanted to go dancing, I wanted to go to a different club. We ended up shouting in the street. I left for home; after walking to the bus stop she calls and says she'll catch the same bus (a few stops further up). I say fine. When I get on the bus she is there, looking stern and not giving any room to sit next to her so I continue up the back of the bus. She get's off at the next stop and heads to her place. I stay onbus and go home.

Unbelievable!

We are both OK today, she will come out later to my house for the night with the two children. This was not a big incident, but shows how drink is always involved when i get angry, and for her too! Mmmm there's a lesson here. I wonder what her recollections of it are? She usually recovers quickly from these events. From our conversation by phone this morning, she is fine.

I don't mind getting angry but I prefer to be in more control. Sometimes it can be good and healthy to be angry. The drink definitely affected my ability to stay in control. Looking back, I do not see any good reasons for me to have become angry last night. I am leaving my goal score the same because I am still achieving my goal of becoming angry less.

I think drink and stess are catalysts for getting angry. We both have these in our lives for various reasons just now and so the conditions for getting angry may be more prevalent.

We will see.