[ Other - Family & Relationships ] Open Question : Boyfriend and anger issues please help?

I've been with my boyfriend for a little over 3 years now and i love him more than anything, our relationship has always been really great and we've had bigger problems than a lot of couples - we used to live very close to each other but he moved away so it's been long distance for 1 and a half years, (We are both 18) over the past couple of months he's been getting really angry and it's affecting our relationship, he's so irritable and it's over stupid things which he says 'play over in his mind'. He's never been violent to me or anything or shouted at me because he's angry that isn't the issue (he sometimes breaks things like whatever is in his hand at the time eg a pen) lately it's affecting him so much and happening so often that whenever we are together i'll go to cuddle him and he doesn't want to at all, i know it's the anger but it feels like he doesn't want to be near me and it's getting to me now, i just want things to go back to normal but i feel like i've completely lost him to his anger. The thought of not being with him hurts more than anything i'm going through now but i just don't know what to do it's killing me. How can handle this? talk to him about it or how to act around him any advice right now would be really helpful, thanks