Men that throw tantrums...

[SgtSplacker]

One of my best friends has been throwing temper tantrums lately. This, and he has just been getting very moody in his old days, were both around 40. We communicate alot via email (him, his cousin, and I) and he just has a tendency to snap and say it's all in good humor that he's just busting on us. He knows he has anger management issues, and I feel he tries to hide it under the guise that he's just busting on everyone and that he doesn't mean it. I bust on him back sometimes, but I don't like to be a brutal as he is. I feel like it's just a mechanism for him to act out any way he wants, and not have to be responsible for his actions. To he honest i'm worried hes gonna leave me no choice one of these days but to punch him in the face. Something I would try to avoid at all costs...

Example1: Went to his place for the launch of a video game. We were hungry and go get food with his wife. He gets all bent out of shape because it's taking too long to get food starts walking home. Does it again when we stop by the liquor store to get alcohol.

Example2: Were drinking with a bunch of my co-workers, spill a little beer on him by mistake, he gets pissed and purposely spills beer on me to get even. Just felt it was excessively spiteful against someone who has nothing against him. We were fishing the other day and he jokingly threw fish guts on me, I didn't feel the need to put them on him also.

Example3: Watching a TV show on aliens. He starts screaming about how nobody knows about this stuff, and everyone thinks he's crazy. We have always been into this stuff and discussed it many times together. We all think the idea of aliens is super cool and believe that life may be out there. But now all of a sudden it's this topic that totally aggravates him and nobody is against him in any way on this. We actually try and avoid the conversation topic with him now.

Example4: We used to work out together, he was taking testosterone boosters the resulting attitude caused me to not hang out with him for a while. He was just being too aggressive and like I said i'm not going to get physical with one of my best friends. After a while we started communicating more again.

I guess what I want to hear is if anyone is in a similar situation and how they cope with this. Are these things grounds to stop hanging out with someone so much? I honestly don't mind it so much, i'm just worried he's gonna pass it with me one day and things are going to get physical.

 

[Bible_Belt]

It sounds like bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia. I had a long-time childhood friend who was always mildly schizophrenic, especially later in life after he got on harder drugs. He eventually got off hard stuff, and his paranoia was at least entertaining, until eventually I became the focus of it. I think I have a short fuse on the subject, because my dad was always that way, accusing me of conspiring against him. That guy was my best friend for a long time, but I don't even talk to him any more. I can't take all the accusations.

 

[SgtSplacker]

I really have a low tolerance for this stuff. If there's one thing I despise it's people who treat you one way but catch feelings if you treat them the same way back.

It's always the jokesters that just can't take a joke.

 

[Epimanes]

He probably has some inner issues going on and just wont talk about them in fear of being "unmanly" around his buddies. Maybe just ask him wtf his beef is?