Classically I think they usually claim it’s the other way around, Crypts — that is, that depression is really anger turned inwards, upon yourself rather than directed to its object. Not that you want to just blast away indiscriminately, of course, but I once had a direct experience of this in a therapy session. I’d gotten depressed after going to visit a friend in the hospital because a bunch of young medical interns had gathered in the hall right outside the ward where people were seriously, even deathly ill, and they were enthusing at the top of their lungs about someone’s beach party, and how great it was, and when were they going to have the next one, and so on. I immediately got depressed, thinking it shouldnt have bothered me, and I was a bore and a wet blanket, etc. When I got to therapy I was really down on myself.

After discussing this with the therapist for a little while, I came to realize I was ANGRY at those people — angry at their thoughtlessness, or at least what I perceived was their thoughtlessness — towards those patients who were right there listening and quite unable to get any rest, much less share in their excitement about an upcoming beach party.