Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire "Temperance" - How did you aquire it.?

Well, I don’t have PSTD which is a whole different ballgame.

The kind of angry I’m susceptible to is stupid angry, like on traffic or waiting on line in a store.

#1 - I try not to be a grumpy old man, gotta be some truth to that if it’s a stereotype. To be a powerless old man who gets PO’d a lot seems sorta pathetic. I think we are more prone to anger as we get older.

#2 - Anger is a form of self-absorption, it’s like talking instead of listening. If I get angry I’m not paying attention to everything around me, my situational awareness is diminished, I guess that’s why they call it “blind range”.

#3 - We are creatures of habit, if ya get in the habit of getting angry, it’s gonna happen more often.

That’s all I got to say on the topic, and again PSTD is a whole diff’rent ballgame.

Very simple, with a family comes bills and commitment...and when your little daughter picks on you there comes humility.


And if that doesn't wear you down then you are harder than I.

I was advised this long ago

YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN WORLD

Say you pass someone in the street and give them a nice "hello" and big smile. What are you likely to get back?

If the opposite, you will most likely get the opposite back.

Good eye.
I know better, "...write a book" there, much better. 😁

Odds and ends jobs in younger years gave way to the Army/Nam experience which led to my ATC career. It’s understandable that the average Joe might get emotional when taking fire, or abruptly realizing that two airliners are at risk of a midair collision. Emotional responses are not the solution in either case. No, a cold heart and focused mind solve problems. Calm discussion solves conflicts most days, but when necessary there is the 1911 Cold Heart Remedy.

I do cuss now and then nonetheless. Ex: Walking thru the woods and a green briar snags my ankle. Or Latter Day Saints knocking on my door. And every time somebody mentions Jane Fonda.

I hate being bipolar! It’s AWESOME!

Dan, I’m not sure a cold heart is an essential part in that mix. Cool, calm, capable, collected, and decisive... sure. But a cold heart towards those folks on those two planes? I know you don’t own one of those, so I’m going to disagree with your statement that one is needed in that case, respectfully.

Huh?

Huh.

I let out a "mother fugger" today in a tire shop in Malta, Montana.

You are fu cked dude. I'm scottish, irish and native american. I know how you feel. Its poor genetics, like gasoline thrown on an open fire. Some things don't mix well...

talk to your doctor. they make medicine for that sort of thing.

I feel we are always under attack. This constant bombardment on our freedoms is wearing.

In the USA you have such an extreme radical and violent left. You have huge freedoms to lose, ones that we in Aus do not. But it hurt us when our relatively (to our current situation) relaxed gun laws were tightened to the Max. Now we are still under attack and if you hunt you are attacked.

Mental stability and emotional health are vitally important to a happy productive life. Talk to your MD about it.

Same here. And with age and a decline in testosterone for better and worse it mellows most of us out some. (See related thread on drunk antics). I raised hell at 23 now at 43 I like coming home to my family and enjoying my hobbies when I have time.

"It's bad enough for someone to be on the receiving end of my temper..."

Who are you that someone else should suffer one second because you have a rage on?
You have to convince yourself of the absudity of that.
If you drink, stop.
Pray.
Good Luck to you my friend.

358wsm, although not knowing if I could/would do the same if trying to solve that problem, I admire and applaud your posting the inquiry. So, have read every reply so far and likewise praise a number of guys here for their willingness and wisdom in response. Given the individual uniqueness of each of us with regard to genetics/chemistry, influences and experiences as well as our past decisions and actions, the answering is not simple for me. More thought needed before reply.

You've started a very powerful thread and its moved many to share excellent points. You've identified your problem and making great effort to control it.

Thanks for getting this going........its benefitting many.

Here's to you finding the comfort and peace your looking for.

You need to learn to deal with your temper and not try to cover it up with medications. I sure wouldn't take Prozac or any other kind of mind altering drugs unless suicide is your plan. I'm surprised that the ATF an dumocrats haven't required medical background checks for gun purchases. Trump being elected POTUS saved our azzes on a lot of different things that we have no knowledge of.....yet.
Think about what your doing, and just do the right thing.

358WIN:

You've gotten some good advice here.

One thing that may be overlooked here is a simple fix. Have you been keeping track of your blood pressure? I watched my father as he aged. At some point his blood pressure started to go wonky and it dramatically changed him emotionally. As the situation worsened, you could just see him sitting in his chair, brooding. All of a sudden his whole head would turn red, and he'd explode out of the chair and go in the other room until he settled down. He went to see the doc and the doc found elevated blood pressure and put him on medication. The BP went back to normal and his mood evened out.

I'm not saying that what you've described is just physiological. However, I saw with Dad that the BP exacerbated his mood. It took a broody kind of guy and turned him explosive.

I'd also be wary of things like tobacco, alcohol and caffeine. There was a condition prevalent with 50-60's males. They had come back from WWII and Korea and were used to free access to the stuff. They drank caffeine to take the elevator up. Tobacco keep them on the top floor all day and then alcohol to come back down. All this self medication could and did bring on some pretty severe symptoms over time. If you're self-medicating in any way, find a way to get off what ever it is.

Third, take a good look at any medications you're on. Folks' response to meds changes over time. Something that had no effect on you 10 years ago may be causing a side effect you weren't aware of. Also new scripts can have interactions with old scripts.

Bottom line: Before I started anything else, I'd go to the doctor and get a good thorough check-up and talk to him about your situation. Some docs can be really quick to hand out anti-depressants and tranqs-- I'd be wary. However, a good work-up could pinpoint a physical problem that is easily remedied.


If you end up needing professional help for all this, the best advice comes from my WWII vet buddy that was caught up in the mental health system most of his adult life. He recommended most people should start with a Behavior Modification type of therapist. The point here is to find a way of coping with your troubles and changing your behaviors and not go dredging up the past.

John was the guy who turned me onto Taoism, btw. It's not a religion, but more of a philosophy. I'm a Christian, but I'm a Taoist as well. A good starter book is "The Tao of Pooh."

Well, it's good to recognize it. I determined for myself a lot of it is rooted in childhood much like your's sounds like it is. Very tough to change! But it can be done. Life is a journey of many steps including those we also take backward. When I was young I masked my pain with alcohol, drugs, and women. Pain was still there when I woke up. As I am aging I am more aware of it like you appear to be. You can choose how you respond to stimuli. You can also do the self reflective work needed for change and growth on your own time. You may consider therapy. You may consider faith. Perhaps a combination of both which has worked for me. You are not alone in the struggle. Most men in American culture i will wager struggle every day to one.degree or another with the same issues you face. You are always welcome to PM. Best of luck.