I think that's a big one. If you can do that, it will go a long way to help you.

I've been having trouble with that (explosive responses), but also, when I'm alone, my rage gets intense. I scream so much that my throat actually hurts, as it does today. In some cases, I will punch or kick stuff. There is damage in and around my property from my own fits of rage.

The intensity of my emotional response to things that are so unimportant really bothers me. Drinking makes me more prone to rage, because then it compounds everything, bringing the notion of "buzz-kill" into the equation. But I have these fits of rage when I'm completely sober too. In fact, it's completely unpredictable. I don't know that drinking makes me more prone to it. It's more like, if it happens while drinking, the results are just much worse.

Like I said, it happens most often when I'm alone. When other people are in the house, I am usually better about keeping things from going too far out of control. However, I still do or say inappropriate things in front of others when something triggers me.

This is probably the single biggest factor that triggers prolonged episodes of psychological distress in my life.