Dear Thelma: I am walking on eggshells due to my volatile, jobless hubby

I generally consider myself a rational, capable and independent person. I am good at my job and get along well with my friends and relatives. But my marriage has been challenging, though it was a love match.

My husband has always been petulant but he has since become more and more bad-tempered. As he grows older, he seems to have become less capable of dealing with hardships, be it a traffic snarl or the loss of a job.

I find it increasingly hard to live with, what more like or love, a man that is so volatile it feels like I am walking on eggshells.

Through the years, I have learnt to deal with his temperament. We had some peaceful years when we seemed to have reached a harmonious understanding, and we even enjoyed some nice holidays together. We do not have a child.

But recently he lost his job, and it was a big blow that he is having great difficulty dealing with. There is a lot of aggression now.

He doesn’t hit me but he does throw things to vent his frustrations and swears at the top of his voice, even in public. And there are times when he lashes out at me verbally – anything can be a trigger.