I tried to search the forum for something like this but I'm rather confused on it myself... I know that there are various things that trigger this kind of irrational anger in me... it usually happens that occasionally I'll see or hear something innocent that for whatever reason floods back these thoughts (not images, but rather feelings) of something that happened to me when I was younger and I will get very angry (not the kind of angry I get when someone makes me mad... this is like... really strong anger seemingly from NOWHERE).

Most of the time, I just try to remove myself from whatever is bothering me. If its a movie, I turn it off. If its a magazine cover in a store, I can walk away. Easy enough. But sometimes it will be something of my husband's, like a song he's listening to. I don't want to make him turn it off so first I try moving to another room. If its something I can't hide from, I kind of stand there looking terrified (because for some reason its HARD to just open my mouth and say "hey, I'm scared!) until he sees me and turns it off and deals with my fear/anger. Usually I'm wanting him to destroy whatever it was that triggered me by then... but for his sake, I tell him to wait 15 minutes and ask me again.

The thing is... when I get back in a right state of mind (usually in about 10-15 minutes) I'll see how "ridiculous" the trigger was and struggle to put up with it. Especially if its something innocent like a song! Sometimes I can totally get over it, but other times it takes way longer and I have to ask him to do away with the trigger when I'm around.

I FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT THAT!

My question is this: is it better for me to try and face the trigger? For example to keep listening to a song (after the immediate anger episode goes away of course) in an attempt to get used to it (and run the 50% chance it will trigger me again and again)? Or is it better to just avoid it completely for a really long time?